In Japan, it is said that words of the soul reside in a spirit called kotodama or the spirit of words, and the act of speaking words has the power to change the world.
–Masaru Emoto

Words, whether spoken or written, have great power, not only to change the world, but to change your life. You can bring healing to a difficult or painful event by imagining it differently.

Try this simple but powerful exercise as a way to bring relief and healing to your life:

1. Choose a time when you will not be disturbed. Bring a journal and pen with you to a safe and private place.

2. Now choose an uncomfortable or painful time in the recent or distant past. Take a few moments to remember what it was about this experience that was painful for you. Take some nice deep breaths as you remember and maybe even feel the pain of that time. Begin to write about it as it happened, putting both the events and the feelings into words.

3. Now rewrite it. As you continue the story, let something different happen. Although you began this as it happened, now you can add some things and take some things away. How would you have liked it to proceed? What would you choose to leave out, or add? Don’t worry about making this a great piece of writing; the process of getting the words down is the most important thing.

4. When you have finished, take some time to honor the healed alternate reality you have just created.