Sometimes people who I work with resist journaling. They subconsciously decide not to do it because it can reveal a great deal of insights they may prefer not to reflect on. Yet writing can result in clarity and freedom as you realize what may be keeping you from sustained divine living.
I find there are three common reasons people give me for not journalling. I will cover two in this weeks blog and one in next . I’ve included the suggestions I offer to help them get on track.
Do you have a reason I haven’t listed here? Ultimately of course, it is your choice but if you want to give journaling a try, here are some suggestions.
a. But I Don’t Like to Write.
If the idea of writing is foreign and uncomfortable, I urge you to try it again daily for 3 weeks. That’s the minimum length of time it takes to establish a new habit. You may want to start on a long weekend or vacation. Set the positive intention that you are willing to take 20-30 minutes to sit, reflect and doodle, draw pictures and write in any form. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar or even if it makes sense. You can close your eyes and imagine an aspect of divine living as pictured in the header at the top of the page. Listen to your divine self and write what inspires you.
You can also audio record instead of writing a journal, at least until you feel comfortable knowing what to say. The advantage of writing is that it’s easier to review and see changes in your thinking and behaviour patterns, and other clues that might enhance your evolution to higher divine consciousness.
b. But I Don’t Know What to Write!
I find journaling really makes a difference for people who are experiencing overwhelm. It gets all the low vibration mind chatter, clutter, 'what ifs, ands, buts and maybes' out onto the page, leaving room for clarity and allowing higher vibration thoughts and divinely inspired ideas of new possible responses to replace the chaotic ones. I can personally testify to its effectiveness as can many people who use this technique.
Some people find it difficult to know where to start. Write about how it feels to be sitting there not knowing what to write about.
You can start with that observation. “I don’t know what to write I feel silly sitting here, what will I say? It feels like, (for example), when I used to try and write a paper in school and I couldn’t think of a thing to write. I hated wasting time when I really wanted to.... Right now I’d rather be...; and you start to identify some of your likes and activities. Without realizing it you just started a list of what to do when you are stressed or overwhelmed. Just write stream of consciousness, whatever else comes. Commit to being in one place for 20 minutes and sincerely intend to journal.
If you really believe you are stuck, you may find writing flows more easily if you move or sing for a minute or two, with the intention of accessing your creative brain. You may decide not to read what you have written right away.
Or you can try using the writing prompts I mentioned in my January 15 Blog to start your ideas flowing.
Whatever works. Just Journal It
Next week I'll share the other major reason people give for not doing a daily writing practice...... lack of time.
Share how your practice is going on the DivineU facebook page. You can get support and ask questions there.