I kept a journal for years and it wouldn’t be an understatement to share that journaling was a constant companion that saved my life on more than one occasion.
One day in my early 30’s I was looking over some of my old journals and I felt a sense of awakening. I realized that all that time I was ruminating in self-pity and marinating in a pool of super sad secret sauce.
I vowed to stop journaling and I did.
Reading those pages I became aware of how young and fragile I had been, growing up in an alcoholic household will do that to you.
I am a writer who loves to write, so while I no longer kept a traditional journal, I broadened my horizons and started blogging here on bloomlisa.com and on my joint blog featuring my studies and lessons from A Course in Miracles.
I started a memoir of sorts for my unborn second baby. Being a younger sibling myself, I wanted to do something special for her. I wrote about the journey of our pregnancy, shared the details of her home birth and continue to write in it to this day.
One day I started writing workshops and educating women on the power of their own thoughts to create a life that they love. I believe that if we can inspire one person and they can take that inspiration and pay it forward and on and on it goes, we can spark a revolution of empowerment, compassion and deep and meaningful happiness.
Meditations for my clients began flowing from me and they love them as I do. It is such a reward that fills my tank when I hear comments like, “Where did you learn how to do that?” or “I feel so rejuvenated!” I must say, they often look like they experienced something a whole lot more rejuvenating than a meditation… if you know what I mean…
Why am I writing this blog post about writing a journal?
Recently I was invited by the lovely Alissa Martin of Yoga Comfort Zone to attend one of her mini re-treats. It was a beautiful sunny day and we began the retreat walking in nature.
No route, no end time, no agenda and no talking.
Sunny skies, ocean breezes and a release from conversation generated a bliss that radiated from my heart and filled every cell in my body within minutes. We went back to the yoga studio and journaled in silence.
I filled pages and pages of observations from my walk. This is the type of journaling I can look back on years from now and fill up my tank a second time.
Here are a few excerpts from that day:
Life has an intelligence…
I had been silent for less than two minutes and my other senses feel like super powers.
I notice the people around walking alongside me but they aren’t really here. They are complaining, not observant, not smiling….they are in their ego mind.
The sun felt like magic…on my face, dancing on the water like diamonds, the glistening shoreline, the moss covered rocks.
There is a comfort in the buds of spring…a kinship…we are all re-born in this time of renewal. I felt a deep trust….spring is happening… no ego or planning or to-do list is required.
My biggest a-ha moment from the silence
As I sat their in silence back in the yoga studio aware of the obscenely loud crunch of the most delicious organic carrot I had bitten into, that although I am aware of the importance of mindfulness, I live all too often with a sense of urgency.
I cannot truly relax. I am blessed with this beautiful, full and abundant life, yet the demands on my time are many and constant. Even as I write in my journal in a state of deep relaxation (or so I thought) I was writing urgently, fearing that I may not get all the beautiful thoughts onto the page before we moved on to the yoga portion of the retreat.
My world + my mind + my life = urgency
I want to feel less urgency, it is a constant craving. To be totally okay with exactly where I am would be heavenly.
I really love silence and I invite you to carve out 10 minutes even to go for a nature walk in complete silence with no agenda and no urgency and just be in the moment, aware of what is around you.
I realize I have never actually quit journaling, I simply learned a really important lesson about what I put my energy into and how it grows, takes root and blooms into my life.
Writing something down makes it real. As a result, I have learned to pay attention to what I give my energy to.
Write These Three Things in Your Journal to Change Your Life
- Celebrate your wins and explore when it is easeful or NOT to share wins
- Write down your desires, like a written dream board, and be specific
- Yes be grateful, but also write down what + who you appreciate and why
Being present is harder than ever. It is simple, easy and totally free to leave your devices at home and go for a walk that truly will change your life.
Until next time, be fabulously YOU!
your coach, Lisa
