How do you keep a journal that empowers you?
After so many years of reading, doing and guiding people in personal growth exercises, my journaling methods evolved organically to include some of the most effective ones.
Whenever I’m feeling down, I know I can now quickly change my state by breaking out my journal and following these simple steps.
1. Release The Negative Emotions.
Open the floodgates. If you need to bitch, just let it rip. Write about what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling this way.
2. Focus On What You Want Instead.
After you’ve let go of the negative, it’s time to focus on the positive. What do you want instead for your life? How would you rather feel, what would you rather want to have?
3. Imagine What Wild Success Would Look Like.
Now, just let yourself dream and dream big. Think about your life 3 years in the future and imagine you’ve just had your best years yet. Write down what wild success would look like. What would your finances be like, your relationships, how would you be feeling daily, what would you be doing?
4. Remember How Great Things Already Are.
And finally, end your journaling session with a closing paragraph of gratitude. You know what you want for the future and you’re focused, now what are the dreams you’re already living and the treasures you already have?
The next time you find yourself caught up in a blue funk, simply break out your journal, a paper and pen or a new document on your PC and follow these 4 simple steps to re-energize yourself.
Photo by netjer-lelahell.
P.S. For more on positive journaling, read Christine Kane’s Gratitude Journals and Why They Work.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Alvin, you write so many great articles. I have done journaling for years from just writing every day events to journaling to help me deal with heavy duty emotions to journaling to get my fears down on paper so I could face them.
I always do as your first step suggests and just let the feeling flow out on the paper. If I can see it on paper, that makes it more real for me. It isn’t just the voice raging in my head any longer and it gets the emotions out of my body where they can do harm to me. I take your number one to a second step. After looking at and just sitting with what I have written, then I start to look for the lesson that I choose to learn from the feelings, the people, and the situation. Dealing with intense feelings, if you are open to the process, always brings the gift of awareness of underlying causes and effects. You have to let go of all denial and be honor with yourself for this to work. I am always grateful for the gift of awareness. Without awareness, nothing changes. Thanks for the great article.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:05 pm
That’s a great comment Patricia. You’re completely right; asking what the lesson is in this situation is such a powerful question to ask.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
“I start to look for the lesson that I choose to learn from the feelings, the people, and the situation”
Choosing to learn. How powerful. So many times we know there are lessons to be learnt, and we do learn them, but how many times are we aware that those are the ones we choose to learn? Maybe, there are more valuable ones that can be learnt but were let slip because we didn’t choose to, for some inconvenient reasons.
Thanks for giving me such insight Patricia! Great article Alvin, as usual, isn’t it?