How Writing Changed My Life and Helped Me Heal From the Inside Out
My name is Neshni Naidoo. I am a full-time mum raising my three boys together with my husband and Mum. I am also an academic coach supporting students with maths and physics learning. Amidst the busy-ness that is my life it is writing that keeps me sane. I need to write because it is a way for me to process my emotions and experiences. Where did the writing start? I have always written especially as a teenager pouring out all my woes and drama into a journal. However my writing journey really began about 20 years ago. I had just embarked on a spiritual journey and was in a highly creative space.
Inspirational words, messages and thoughts would just flow through me so all I had to do was record it in my journal. There were rhymes for children and poems relating to my experiences of transformation. Although, I used some of the writing in plays and talks within my Spiritual Organisation, I lacked the confidence to share what I had written to a wider audience.
It was during this time that I understood my purpose – to share what I have experienced with others through my writing – to help them heal and grow. I still doubted myself because I felt that I am not an expert and that I had nothing new to say.
Then in 2011, my world was turned on its head. I gave birth to my 3rd child but before being discharged (thankfully) the doctor discovered that I had a ruptured colon. So I underwent major surgery and was in hospital for 3 weeks, most of the time in a morphine-induced haze. Afterwards I learned that everyone was worried that I might not pull through. I recovered through the Grace of God.
The next 6 months were difficult because I was not able to do as much as I was used to. I am independent and need to be in control but now had to rely on others for help. This is where writing came to my rescue. With so much time on my hands, I joined 2 online poetry groups so that I could get feedback and develop my writing skills. These were Voicesnet and AllPoetry. It was the most amazing experience to get honest feedback from accomplished poets – complete strangers. The prompts and the competitions challenged me to keep editing my writing until I was happy with a piece of writing.
Later I forgot the lessons I had learnt and was distracted from my purpose. When that happens – the Universe sends you reminders and the people who will help you. In 2018, I joined the Edgemead Library Writing Group where I connected with an inspiring and talented group of people. They have been my cheerleaders and encouraged me to publish my poetry. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
During the pandemic, I realised that there is no time like the present to make your dreams a reality. One of my dreams was to publish my book. I first published a version on Kindle and now a print version – Reflections. As soon as I began sharing my work, new inspiration flowed and has been flowing everyday.