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SHOW, DON’T TELL

“May my life be like a river, ever surprised by its own unfolding.”
– John O’Donohue –

This week starts with an unfinished podcast episode and includes a little tweak in the journal process (it’s good to keep you on your toes).  At the core of it all, there’s a gentle focus on being surprised by your own insights, as well as noticing the wonderful ways that journal writing supports you in your personal growth.  

LIBRARY OF YOUR PAST

“The beauty of the past belongs to the past.”
– Margaret Bourke-White –

Isn’t it amazing how easily the present moment can get clouded by our thoughts, especially with the past?  It happens to all of us. 

This week, I’m sharing a little something that I’ve been playing with in my own life.  Each day, I give myself permission to reset (that part happens when I journal), embrace the library of books that make up my past, before letting it all go. It has become a daily moment of bliss and I feel very grateful to be able to share it with you. 

THE ART OF SOLITUDE

“When you practice solitude, you dedicate yourself to the care of the soul.”
– Stephen Batchelor –

This week we’re wrapping our arms around solitude as a practice.  It’s completely different from loneliness.  Solitude is a time to come home to ourselves, to empty our mind, reflect, reset and keep shaping the way we want to be in the world. 

This gentle and inspiring On Being podcast episode: Finding Ease In Aloneness will have you embracing and guarding your time of solitude like never before!

HABITS OF THOUGHT

“Healthy habits are learned the same way as unhealthy ones.”
– Wayne Dyer –

When it comes to our repetitive thoughts, many of them are a habitual way of thinking.  The best thing about a habit though, is that it can be changed.  I can’t think of a better place to check in and start to change a thought than with some journal writing. 

This week don’t worry about how many times the same thought or situation comes up.  Let yourself journal as if it’s the first time you’ve expressed yourself.  Trust that by the end of a writing session you will have made little shift, guiding you to change, one small step at a time.

EMBRACING SETBACKS

“Joy and woe are woven fine.”
– William Blake –

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the best things can come out of the worst things?  There are plenty of times when this doesn’t feel possible, especially when you’re in the middle of a challenge or heart-breaking experience. 

This theme is all about embracing our setbacks as a natural part of life, meeting them with self-compassion and gently guiding ourselves to keep growing, by asking ourselves ‘What can I learn from this?’ 

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS

“I wish I had somebody when I was younger telling me that vulnerability was a strength.”
– Justin Baldoni –

Recently I’ve taken a deep dive into The Man Enough Podcast.  I have relished listening to these real, raw and challenging conversations.

I hope the theme this week inspires you to know that you can always be part of the solution when you reflect, gain clarity, find your voice and keep important conversations alive.

POCKETS OF LOVE

“Doing acts of love can help us feel the love.”
– Unknown –

Pockets of love is all about recognising moments of joy that is ignited by your different interactions.  At the same time, we’ll be acknowledging the love that you feel in these moments, is also you connecting with your true essence.

As you can guess, there’s a whole lot of love here for you. 

SAVOUR YOUR CONNECTIONS

“Savour life. Don’t just breathe it in; exhale the moment to intake the next.”
– KC Rhoads –

Being part of a community, from a walk with a neighbour to this wonderful Journal Community is something that I treasure more than ever before. 

This theme is all about savouring our connection with others while at the same time, acknowledging and allowing our relationships to shift and change.

LOCKDOWN LOSS

“The Grief associated with loss has to be dealt with on the emotional and the heart level.”
– David Defoe –

How are you coping with this once in 100 years event that we’re all living?  Life has changed. For many of us, we’re far from being back to normal. 

With every change comes a level of loss.  This theme is all about normalising the different layers of grief we might be feeling as well as treasuring the things that are important to us.  Here is a little extra food for thought: 
The Importance Of mourning Losses (Even When They Seem Small)

EMBRACING YOUR PAIN CAVE

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
– Joseph Campbell –

Drawing on the inspiration from the ultrarunner, Courtney Dauwalter, this week is all about meeting our challenges with a little enthusiasm.  Cheering when we have a problem??  That’s exactly what I’m suggesting!

The way we view our challenges all comes down to our mindset, the stories we tell ourselves.  We’ll take a leaf out of Courtney’s book and move from being stuck in a ‘pain cave‘ to being inspired as we reflect, learn and grow our way through it.

YOUR STORY

“Happiness comes and goes. But meaning gives you something to hold on to.”
– Emily Esfahani Smith –

Hello to creating even more meaning in our lives by the stories we tell.  What’s wonderful about being the author of our own life, is that although we can’t change our past, we can always edit our story as we keep learning.

I enjoyed listening to Emily Esfahani Smith in both this podcast episode and her TED Talk: There’s more to life than being happy

KNOWING YOUR TRUTH

“The truth does not require persuasion, coaxing, or coercion, it is the truth whether you’re convinced or not.  As is love.”
– Joshua Fields Millburn –

Advice can be wonderful, but sometimes the way we seek or share it can get in the way of discovering our own truth.

The moment you ask a question or start to work through something, remind yourself that there’s no rush to arrive at a solution.  Take your time to explore all aspects of a situation and trust that you’ll always know when something feels right for you. 

WHEN THERE’S NO HIDDEN GEM

“Every problem has a solution. You may not see it in front of you, but sooner or later, a solution will appear before your eyes.”
– Unknown –

It’s time to shine a light on the fourth step of the Diving Pearls process, the Hidden Gem.  It’s a gentle reminder to be okay that sometimes, you might not feel like there’s a solution to be found in the way that you first thought. 

A gem can be as simple as daydreaming about a new possibility.  Let yourself grow into your new ideas and make space for some slow reveals.

BODY OF EMOTIONS

“Your body is your subconscious mind.”
– Candice Pert –

Our body is so incredibly intelligent.  The way we feel is a physical signal that the body gives us, often before our mind has worked out what’s going on. 

Take the time to notice and embrace your body of emotions as you continue to nurture your personal growth. 

EXPLORING YOUR FIVE SENSES

“Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell and know that by practice you alone can become an expert.”
– Unknown –

It’s time to refresh our connection with the world through our five senses.  When we let our senses come alive, we get out of our head and become more present and available to savour the moment. 

SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED

“Don’t plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.”
– Julia Alvarez –

Over the last few weeks, a theme of finding a balance between moving in the direction I want and embracing how things actually happen, has emerged in my own journal writing. 

Instead of needing to be in control of everything all the time, I’m learning to let go and find the fun in being surprised and delighted by life.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have loved being able to share it with you.

WRITING TO HEAL

“Healing comes in waves, and I’m allowed to feel every rise and every fall of my tide.”
– Alex Elle –

It was this On Being podcast episode, Self-Care as Generational Healing, with Alex Elle that inspired not only the theme for this week but a new tweak to the Diving for Pearls Process.  

The first step in the process has been changed as we continue to embrace the power of using writing to heal.

HEALING TRAUMA

“Healing doesn’t mean the pain never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.”
– Unknown –

We’ll be taking a gentle look at trauma along with the importance of being able to acknowledge it and give ourselves time to heal.  I couldn’t separate myself from this theme, which means, you’ll basically be reading insights from my own journal.  What a treat!

The article by Ed Prideaux, How to heal the ‘mass trauma’ of COVID-19 was a wonderful source of clarity and inspiration.

TODAY IS IMPORTANT

“The most important decision you’ll ever make is how to spend the present moment.”
– Gaurav Dargonkar –

You’ll know the importance of this theme when you realise how many times you see or hear the word ‘important’ in this guided journal video! 

The idea of turning an ordinary moment into something extra special is best explored when you jump in and try it out for yourself.  I hope this video inspires you to do just that. 

GETTING IN FLOW

“To listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear.”
– Mark Nepo –

When we put the breaks on, we give ourselves the chance to look for the teacher and explore what we can learn in any moment. 

Mark Nepo, an author and poet has been the inspiration behind this theme.  Along with slowing down, you’ll be invited to play around with shifting from the discipline of getting things done to delving into a deeper discipline of caring about how you feel as you find your flow.

LOVING KINDNESS

“Loving kindness transforms everything.”
– Harold W. Becker –

The moment I sat down to write this to you, the voice of Jackie DeShannon jumped into my mind and I started singing, ‘What the world needs now, is love, sweet love…“

In giving the world more love, one of the best places to start is with ourselves.  I hope this theme reminds you that all the different versions of yourself is worthy of love.

FIND THE FUN

“Being playful naturally liberates the mind, opens the heart and lifts the spirit.”
– Debra L. Reble –

I was inspired by a friends journey in becoming fit and healthy.  The thing that stood out to me the most was how much fun she’s had along the way.  Having fun is a choice.  It impacts how your feel and your level of motivation.

If you’re not sure where to start in adding a little more playfulness to different aspects of your day, begin by exploring it through your journal. 

THE JOY IN QUESTIONING YOUR THOUGHTS

“It’s not the problem that causes suffering; it’s our thinking about the problem.”
– Byron Katie –

Have you noticed that you feel a little lighter or more grounded at the end of pretty much ever journal session?  This is not because a mind trick, it’s because you’ve taken the time to question your thoughts.

We’re taking a look at some of the wonderful ways Byron Katie questions her thoughts and weaving it into our writing.  With the Diving for Pearls process, I love how simple it is to make a shift. 

ACCEPTING YOUR EMOTIONS

“The moment you accept yourself, you grow.”
– Xan Oku –

Some emotions seem to have a knack of wanting you to bury them.  Rather than pushing them away, those not so wonderful feelings can be eased when combined with a dash of acceptance. 

I know that’s easier said than done.  It’s why this theme spotlights the second step of the Diving for Pearls process. When you let go and give yourself the opportunity to express what’s on your mind without judging or needing to fix anything, know that you’re meeting yourself with acceptance.

FROM JUDGEMENT TO COMPASSION

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
– Carl Jung –

Have some of your judgements (even with the best intentions) ever got in your own way?  It’s an easy thing to do until you explore those patterns that have gone unnoticed.  Thank goodness for journal writing and the opportunity it provides in understanding ourselves on a deeper level!  

This theme is all about suspending some of our judgments and adding in a little more compassion.  

SPRINKLING SELF-KINDNESS

“Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.”
– Pema Chodron –

This theme is all about nurturing self-kindness and turning up the volume to a more tender voice for ourselves. Sometimes, all you need is to ask yourself a different question to get the kindness ball rolling. 

As always, journalling helps to make small shifts, guiding you to take one compassionate step at a time. 

TURN DOWN YOUR INNER CRITIC

“Your inner critic is simply a part of you that needs more self-love.”
– Amy Leigh Mercree –

Sometimes the loudest voice in our mind is not always the most truthful.  With this theme, we’ll be turning down the volume on our inner critic.  We even go a little old school with radio dials. 

Journalling is such a great way to take a closer look at the influence your inner critic is having on.  Once you can see what’s happening, it becomes easier to make a playful shift. 

NOTICE HOW FAR YOU’VE COME

“Pause for a moment and realise how much progress you have made. Be proud of yourself; celebrate your SELF.”
– Roxana Jones –

This theme marks a year since this wonderful Journal Community started.  It inspired me to reflect on how much I’ve grown.  That’s the gift in journalling.  Every time you put pen to paper with this process, you’re saying yes to your personal growth.  That alone, is worth noticing and celebrating. 

From my very full heart, thank you for being part of the Journal Community.  You are amazing!

GOING SLOW

“Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see.”
– Jimmy Buffett –

Taking time out to relax and reset is good for the soul.  

Whether you’re chilled out or busy, journalling will always give you that opportunity to slow down and listening to your inner-self.

HAPPINESS SECRETS

“The good life is built with good relationships.”
– Robert J. Waldinger –

Relationships have an incredible impact on our lives. The quality (not quantity) of our connections, helps to keep us happier and healthier. 
 
Taking the time to look after the relationship you have with yourself through journal writing is an amazing way to set yourself up to be even more present for the people in your life.

YOU ARE CREATIVE

“The world is but a canvas to our imagination.”
– Henry David Thoreau –

How quickly do you label yourself as being creative or not?  This theme questions our ideas about creativity.  It was inspired out of being on the LearnBytes podcast.

All it takes to be creative is a little curiosity and a touch of imagination. There really is an opportunity for it in every moment, including a journal writing session.