The Best Editing Advice (& Way to Restore Vitality)
Vitality is our deep well-spring of core energy… it’s the very essence, chi, or life-force that moves through all things. Because it is both living & finite within each being, this well of vitality is our lives.
She's also winter’s garment; dressing all things in moisture, softening the world, the soil of our imaginations, the patient seeds of our genius, awaiting growth the rest of the year.
Vitality is the ultimate resource- it’s our very connection to Source. That's why re-source-fulness is such a crucial aspect of winter-in-balance.
When our vitality is sluggish- as is often the case in modern life- it’s hard for us to feel the juiciness of life, love, and pleasure. It also makes it hard to joyfully sustain long stretches of hard work, which our dreams require.
Oration, or reading aloud, is a beautiful, near-forgotten art in arousing vitality.
When we read a poem, or a journal entry or beautiful passage aloud, we awaken a deep well of humanness. We feel the thing, from the inside out.
Before anything was written, before we learned to form letters, our hearts and mouths instinctually coupled this and that sound from the Universe, and we spoke. If we want to find our voice, if we want to unearth our vitality from the dark days of the year or the shadowlands of self, we’ve got to speak into existence the poetry in our hearts.
Reading aloud is not just for conjuring personal vitality; it’s also the #1 editing advice I give clients & colleagues alike.
When you read a piece of content aloud- whether a newsletter, blog post, sales page- you’ll instantly hear and feel in your body where you don’t sound like yourself. You’ll instantly notice mistakes, and sense where something is too formal . . . where it needs to be more intimate, more human.
>>Spoken word has the uncanny ability to electrify flow and unapologetically let die anything crowding out the core message.
Reading aloud can trigger a lot of vulnerability too. And that’s a good thing, because we have a chance to peer into the balance between honoring the unique insights we’re bringing with our work while gently noticing where we’re hiding, and what we’ve yet to learn.
This week, as an ode to quickening your vitality and sharing your much-needed voice with the world, just for fun, read something beautiful aloud. What’s the feeling you’re after? See if you can not only conjure vitality, but even a specific feeling you wish to embody right now in order to manifest that next desire you carry in your heart. And if you have some copy that you’re over-editing or fretting over,… READ IT ALOUD. You’ll cut your editing time in half. Here’s some of my faves…
If you’re looking for . . . Try Reading Aloud . . .
A sense of your own divinity . . . Hafiz
Freedom in ordinary, everyday magic . . . Mary Oliver
To mend a broken heart or reignite a sluggish love . . . Shakespeare’s sonnets
To laugh & cry out loud . . . journal entries from middle and high school (f'real, cathartic)
To revitalize your marriage or family life . . . your wedding vows (or marry yourself- write and read aloud your vows)
Peace of mind . . . Max Ehrman’s "Desiderata"
Love of the journey itself/deconstructing the confused inner-creative . . . Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet #4
Ways to be an Ally and/or a Heart - Opening Release . . . June Jordan’s "Poem About My Rights" (omg this one tho.)
Remembering the sacredness of your life . . . Khalil Gilbran’d "The Prophet"
I could go on and on . . . what do you love to read aloud? Did you try this out?
Please drop in the comments below!
Hey Love,
Are you ready to fully embody your dreams and soul calling? My name is Amanda Young. I help healers & changemakers develop their life’s work and grow vibrant businesses, empowering them to rapidly & joyfully create a more life-sustaining world.
Take an hour and RiseUp with me. There’s no obligation. Just a desire to actualize your dreams, and soon. I can’t wait to talk with you…