One of the Sumerians’ contributions to the development of Humanity was their writing system: a series of pictograms (small drawings) that referred to the concepts they intended to convey. From this, the concept of ideogram developed, followed by the use of arbitrary signs for words and phonetic elements or symbols that represented the sound of a word or part of it. In China, ideograms proliferated and were standardized. In other civilizations, phonetic signs were the only ones retained, as exemplified by the Phoenicians, who since 1000 B.C. shaped the alphabet we use today.
Since then, writing has been associated with civilization. The invention that converted spoken words and made them fixed and transmissible across generations was an important 
tool, especially for the arduous task of administering civilized States. From writing, man was able to organize himself socially and culturally. And it went further, as through writing, he could create and perpetuate his identity and leave his mark recorded in History.
Incorporated into human existence, writing has never become obsolete. On the contrary, it is becoming increasingly important to keep the human essence alive.
Today, with the use of cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, and the internet, among other modern devices, distances have shortened and time has become scarcer. Today, people work more and live less, but not in terms of years of life, as these have increased. Currently, people aged 80, 90, and even 100 walk the streets of major metropolises; but half a century ago, an individual aged 50 or 60 was considered old.
A modern epidemic is stress, whose main symptoms are fatigue and memory loss. It is increasingly common to find people between 25 and 50 years old with memory lapses. Contrary to what many think, these failures do not always have a pathological origin. Distraction, anxiety, stress, depression, and even emotional blockages can trigger memory lapses.
Memory is divided into old and recent. The former is related to the learning process, and the latter, also called “working memory,” is occupied by everyday facts, which are too trivial to be stored permanently. It is important to know that this memory has a limited capacity; therefore, it is necessary to manage well what is placed in it to avoid overloading it.
Despite the efforts of science, the best way to keep 
memory sharp is prevention. One of the resources that can and should be used is the ancient technique of writing.
Write! Leave everything recorded. Keep a planner. Write down all your commitments and daily tasks. You will relieve your brain and feel revitalized, ready to tackle the most important tasks with efficiency and skill.
By writing, you also learn to define your goals, outline action plans, and achieve your objectives. From the moment you record something, your brain commits and starts to act in favor of accomplishing what has been recorded. By keeping a diary, for example, you will have an important tool for follow-up and checking if you are acting in the right direction or if something needs to change. Putting on paper your reaction after achieving a desired goal is also an excellent way to induce the brain to seek the repetition of that moment. Similarly, venting through writing feelings like hate, anger, fear, and resentment frees the mind and heart from bad and harmful sensations. Therefore, write!
DR. LAIR RIBEIRO
Cardiologist, speaker
www.lairribeiro.com.br
lrsintonia@terra.com.br