Why Do We Share?

"I only started writing in an effort to release some of my tension and bring myself closer to healing." --Myself

Those are the words I used almost a year ago. And those are the words I would like to start this brand new blog with. I don't mean to sound cocky and arrogant by quoting myself. And I have no doubt that there are many wiser people whom I can quote; people who have said it better than I did. But to me, it is not about who said it better; it is about whose words are more relevant. And I don't think that anyone's words are more relevant to me and to what I want to say than my own!

Although this article speaks about me writing, I have some confession to make at first:

I never had a diary before. And I never thought of having one.

I was never a writer before. And I never thought of becoming one.

I was never a poet before. And I never thought of becoming one.

I was never a blogger before. But I "sometimes" thought of becoming one…

But during a time of despair, I tried to write down what I felt. I tried using writing as a tool to force myself to think rationally instead of listening to my depressed mind. And to my surprise, I found it to be quite a relaxing and enjoyable experience!

I've decided to make writing a habit. And now my newly found aspiration is that one day I would publish a book of my own -- regardless of what that book might be about. Unfortunately, I'm no where near that level. So I decided to take it one step at a time. And the most sensible step to begin with is to start my own diary. And so I did…

Admittedly I have to say: Despite calling it a "diary", it is more of a scrapbook! Therefore, I wasn't trying to write on a daily basis or trying to list what happened to me during the course of the day. Instead, I started writing down short sentences, small paragraphs, little pieces of information, thoughts that crossed my mind, situations that led me to think, and things that made me wonder. The problem is, I left most of those pieces unfinished!

Since I've started almost a year ago, I've managed to assemble a collection of more that forty incomplete essays. Right now, I'm trying to complete those essays as well as start new ones. And although I have a couple of essays that I've already finished, I don't feel satisfied yet. The reason why I'm not satisfied is that I haven't shared them yet. And that is when I decided I should start my own blog.

Some of the people around me might argue that it's not a very wise idea to share some of my deeply personal thoughts and feelings. They might argue that I'm exposing myself and my weaknesses to the world; something that might bring me more harm that good. But I have an answer to that:

First of all, we are all human beings. We all have weaknesses and flaws. And no one is perfect. So even if I didn't expose them, I do have flaws just like everyone else.

Second, I don't care! If anyone wants to use my flaws against me, then so be it! I want people to know me and accept me the way I am. Not the way they want me to be. And if exposing myself like an open book is going to cost me a friendship, a job, or a social status; then I'm well-off those things. Again, I'm not being arrogant. I just want people to recognize me for the person I am; flaws and all…

Last but not least, I want to share because I need to share! In fact, we all do! Because sharing helps us feel better everyday. And we do share in many different ways. Not only in writing, but in many shapes and forms; whether that was a conversation over a morning cup of joe, a family meeting, a private talk with our spouse or a close friend, a phone call, an email or an online chat, a written article in a newspaper or a blog, a talk show on television, or a video blog… etc.

We share thoughts and ideas, emotions and feelings, opinions and views, plans and dreams, and many more. We do so because we were not meant to live life alone, because we can't survive without having someone to share with, and because we can't carry on without people to speak to and hear from.

It's in our nature, our blood, and our instinct to look for ways to socialize and share the contents of our curious minds. And we will forever continue to do so, whatever the means we use.

We share because we need the attention. We need to be heard and recognized. We want to tell everyone that we exist. And we want to know from their reactions and interaction that our opinions matter. We need the recognition that we are an influential part of our society.

We share because sharing is a vent for our suppressed feelings and emotions. It's an escape from the hardships of our stressful daily lives. We share because we find conciliation in knowing that we are not the only people with problems. And by speaking about our own struggles and hearing about the others', we find inner peace.

We share because we need to hear about each other's achievements . We need to be motivated by people's success stories. We need to give each other hope. And we need each other's support.

We share because we want to change our world. Because we want to make it a better place. Because we need to see it as a brighter place. We share because we desire the good and despise the bad. Because we want the best for ourselves, our families, our communities, our countries, and rest of mankind.

We share because we need to entertain and be entertained. We share because we need to smile and laugh. We share because sharing helps us feel better. Because sharing helps us heal…