Thoughtful writers make me smile! There are few things I enjoy more than connecting with others who express themselves so well that they keep me nodding in agreement–or persuade me to think about something I haven’t previously considered. This is exactly what’s happened with the Wise Words series.

In last week’s Wise Words post the topic was Friendship, based on this quote from Henry David Thoreau:

“How often we find ourselves turning our backs on our actual friends, that we may go and meet their ideal cousins.”

As I read through other bloggers & writers responses to the same quote, I reveled in the profundity of their words. Here are three posts that will make you stop and think about the friendships you cherish:

Velveteen Mama wrote poignantly, with insight and depth, about a true friendship she regrets losing. As she’s grown older and wiser, she says this:  “It may be idealistic, but it seems as though that’s the only way to tap into what friendships can really bring into our lives if we are brave enough to choose it.”

Lindsey, at A Design So Vast, impressed me both with her use of the word ‘lacuna’ and usual sagacity. She begins by saying, “Thoreau’s words remind of the adage that the perfect is the enemy of the good,” and it gets better from there.

Dina, at More from Mom, ruminates that “new and shiny is not necessarily better,” as she celebrates the friends she loves.

I’ll post this week’s quote later today. Love to have you join in on Wednesday (details here)!

I like the idea of engaging in a different kind of writing, more of what Jeff Goins called “dangerous writing” in his session at Blissdom.

When I decided to post this quote and ask other writers to respond to it, too, I thought it might give us a way to connect with one another. I wanted to encourage us, as a community, to write about things that matter to us—not necessarily things that are funny (although they might be) or SEO-worthy (although they might be that, too), but topics that make us stop and think.

But wow. I was amazed by the powerful posts this week. The writers’ voices were authentic and, at times, raw. Reading each of them pushed me to think more, to consider more, and, especially, to listen more and recognize when friends have important things that are hard to say.

Emily’s post described the incredible burden she and her husband carried when they held a secret, and their fear, close. When they finally opened up to others, they found much-needed support and rest. Yet, instead of sugar coating her story, Emily acknowledges that this isn’t always the case—sharing doesn’t always bring such relief. She acknowledges that she’s felt pain and frustration she’s felt after pouring out her weariness, and wonders, “If you heard me… how were you able to switch to a light hearted topic before my breath had cooled?”

Danielle wrote beautifully about spending too much of her life drowning in irrational fears. She described the beauty of living with her whole heart and the importance of taking risks. “With those risks,” she writes, “I practice opening my heart and when my heart is open only then can I receive the gifts that the Universe has waiting for me.”

Doña described with heart-wrenching depth about the difficulty she’s encountered in sharing her truth with people who didn’t understand her. She articulated the destructive power of a blank stare and an unreceptive listener with these words: “Each time my words are cut off, disregarded, or unsatisfactory I get quieter. I say less, I am less brave…My life has been a seesaw of turning on and off the flow of my story.”

Thoughtful words, from all of them.

I planned to post writings each Wednesday, and to post the quote the Monday prior. Turns out, lots of bloggers work farther ahead than that. Who knew?  So I’ll post the quote for next Wednesday by tomorrow. I’d love to have you join us and link up (details here).

“The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?…you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a tellar but for want of an understanding ear.”

― Stephen King, Different Seasons

 The important things. They are the things we hold close, we grasp too tightly, we bury beneath the layers of smiles and laughter and “I’m good, How are you’s?” because we’re afraid of what will happen if we let them out.

Will you think about Stephen King’s words, then write and tell me how these wise words resonate with you?

I had this idea—to post a quote each week and for us to share with one another how it resonates in our lives—because Jeff Goins challenged me at a conference to write what I love. And I love to read the wisdom of the ages, to think about the wise words from across time and cultures, and to explore what others think these words, too. I’m interested in all sorts of ideas, so each month, I’ll choose a different theme. In March, we’ll start with wise words about Relationships.

This week, on Wednesday, I’ll post about how Stephen King’s words about the most important things are significant to me. But more importantly, I’d like to know how his words relate to your life, your relationships, your career, or your children. I’m interested in your story.

I decided to do it this way—to post the quote on Monday and link to our stories on Wednesdays—so that you could have some time to ruminate and write. I hope you’ll write from the heart and that we’ll learn from each other. On Fridays, I’ll write another post and link to some of my favorites from Wednesday.

If you have questions, please leave me a comment and let me know.

On Wednesday, post your thoughts on your own blog, then come back here and link up. When you post, be sure to include a link here, so others know where to go if they’d like to join. If you prefer, you can also leave your thoughts in the comments of my post on Wednesday. Either way, be sure to check out the writing of someone else who links up. It’s a great way to build community in the wonderful world of writers and bloggers.

Got it? See you Wednesday.