The Creative Notebook

Sometimes we all get so bogged down in the daily stresses and anxieties of life that we tend to focus too much on the negative in our life.

Today, date the top of your page and number from one to ten. Write down ten things you have to be grateful for this week. It doesn’t matter how trivial it seems. Even if the best thing that happened was your morning cup of coffee, put it down.

You’ll be surprised because the more you do this the more you’ll find you have to be thankful for. It may be a struggle at first, but it will help you see what you do have versus what you don’t.

You can leave your list in the comments, or post a link to your list if you have a blog. Just hit good ole Mister Linky! He’s waiting to be inspired by your gratitude.

Thankful Thursday

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My daughter has been through her first high school romance and break-up(she did the breaking-up).  She’s learned a lot about what she wants in the person she’s dating.  This started me thinking about past relationships and what I learned about myself.

So here’s your prompt:  What have you learned from past relationships about what you need in a partner?  Do you need romance,diamond rings, long walks in the park, and intellectual equal. Maybe you need someone completely different from you to keep things interesting and help you experience new things. What process did you go through to learn about relationships and in the same process learn more about yourself?

The prosecutor in Portugal wants Kate McCann’s journals brought into evidence in the abduction of her daughter.  According to the story they want to see Kate’s journals which witnesses said they saw her writing in “in private moments” after her daughter’s abduction and the laptop Gerry, Madeleine’s father writes the blogabout her on.  Prosecution says it will give them insight into the lives of the family that might give them clues about the little girl’s disappearance.

I always watch cases where journals are asked to be entered as evidence.  My own journal is so personal and sometimes I write thoughts and feelings that no one else would understand, or might hurt someone’s feelings.  I can’t imagine having my heart bared to the world in a journal about my missing child.  I know they have been named as suspects in the case, due to the fact that blood was found in their rental car 25 days after the child disappeared, so no need to remind me of that.  (I want to know if anyone else rented that car in that time, or who rented it before.)

I feel it’s important to anyone who writes their most intimate thoughts, feelings, and sometimes just the babble that runs through their brains to be aware that this happens.  When I’m angry, my writing isn’t pretty.  It can be all those ugly things running around my head.  And when you are angry, you think a lot of things you don’t really mean.  It’s just like fighting.  You say a lot you don’t mean, or wouldn’t normally say.  But when you journal those feelings you don’t have to worry about hurting the other person’s feelings with things you say in anger.  Once they are said you can’t take them back.

This woman might just have all those words and feelings exposed to the world.  And she won’t be able to take them back then.  Pretty huge reason to censor your writing, isn’t it? 

Most likely you won’t ever face this, but be aware of it and if you ever get a chance to speak out about it, do.

Is Personal Journal Writing A Spiritual Tool - Can It Offer Spiritual Direction?
By Mary K Delurgio

You might wonder how writing about your experiences can be a valuable spiritual tool. Perhaps you think that spiritual direction is complete when you have found a teacher, a religion, a discipline using it to instruct, guide and re-enforce your inner commitment. As essential as these may be to you, Life’s questions and opportunities to grow in Wisdom are embedded in your daily living, and for you to feel truly involved with your spiritual development you must draw upon your particular life circumstance for clarity and depth.

The introspective method of keeping a journal can place you in your living world where all of the questions about the meaning and mystery of Life reside. A life explored on paper will mirror and solidify internal processes. Honest self-exploration allows you to examine events, important questions, pride-filled difficulties, fears, struggles, doubts, resistance to change, attachments.

Through the centuries saints and mystics have used a diary format to record their inner experiences, their concerns and conflicts, their developing insight. Many of their writings have been a rich source of inspiration for us. Today journaling is considered to be a valuable self-help tool and even young people in school are encouraged to record their feelings as a way of making sense of themselves and the world they live in. Personal journal keeping is now very commonplace.

All forms of self-exploration on paper are helpful, however different approaches to investigating human experience yield different results. If journal writing is used solely to blow off steam, to complain, to vent self-pity, frustration, disappointment and the like, then the writing method serves simply as a temporary release. That approach usually creates a circular situation where, for example, “I hate my job, I hate my job I really, really hate my job”, expressed over and over again comes to nothing but the release of frustration without offering insight into the real problem.

Journaling can have different goals. Some writers use their journal as a way to keep a record of the events of the day, week or month. This method is more like a reporting of facts, often without emphasis on reactions and responses. Others have used the diary as a place to record their feelings along with events. Some journal writing explores the entire history of a life with the intention of “connecting all of the dots” in order to understand how the present is influenced by the past. Still other approaches use writing as a search for deeper meaning and for inner Wisdom which seem to lie beneath the surface of the everyday interpretation.

Journals are also used as a way to enhance spiritual awareness training, as a way to keep focused on the commitment to a particular discipline. These entries act as a spiritual positioning in a daily practice. Many writers dedicate each day with inner intention as they record their thoughts and feelings, their prayer life, their conflicts and insights

When the desire to understand the meaning of personal experience motivates journal writing, much can be learned about what living in this world really means. There are wonderful published works of individuals who, in the process of exploring their lives, have come to express beautiful prose and poetry, often using metaphor to capture an inner reality. Other creative forms such as the visual arts and music, theater and dance, fiction as well as non-fiction, philosophy and social movements have emerged from the result of intense personal journaling. And is all of this “spiritual”? Oh yes. Giving form to that which surfaces from an inner Source is indeed an ongoing manifestation of spirit expressed in human experience.

In the sixties, Dr. Ira Progoff, renowned depth psychologist and author, now deceased, developed a comprehensive way to explore the many dimensions of a life – relationships, conflicts, questions, past experiences, matters of faith, health, work, family life, spiritual reality. His Intensive Journal is a complete in-depth approach to the inner process of spiritual and psychological development. Ira Progoff is the grandfather of modern journal keeping and the effectiveness of his work made a big impact in mental health and faith communities. Over the years his method of exploring all facets of a life has been incorporated by many individuals into different formats. At A Journal Workshop will provide you with an in-depth description of his journaling process. I met this inspired Life teacher in 1970 and dedicated myself to learning his philosophy and methodology. My life deepened, my insight sharpened and my ability to organize and utilize the context of an entire life history has changed my spiritual and psychological direction. I began leading journal participants thirty five years ago and out my deep work and that of countless others in my groups, Wisdom led me to write Our Journey to the Sky – A Guide to the Process of Spiritual Formation and the companion workbook Keeping A Spiritual Journal.

Mary K DeLurgio, MFT
Trusting the emerging process of inner wisdom and its schedule for insight and inspiration was a 25 year project completed now as Our Journey to the Sky – A Guide to the process of Spiritual Formation. During this extended period, Mary K DeLurgio led hundreds of personal journal keeping, self exploration workshops and classes. Observing the life process of these participants as well as her own has led to deep insight into the natural process of spiritual formation at work in the ordinary life of any human being. Currently, using her book as a manual, she is leading an ongoing group as they develop their spiritual awareness using journal writing techniques. She is a practicing psychotherapist living in Southern California with her husband and she is the mother of four sons. Spiritual Tools

By Daniel Lesser 

Journaling can help reduce the stress in your family in several ways. For one, by lowering your own stress levels, you will get along better with your family. You will be a happier person which will, in turn, make everyone else happier to be around you.

You will also learn to deal with family situations better and can teach the rest of the family ways of better managing their stress. Through journaling, you can also learn a new appreciation for your family and this will show when you are around them.

Use the following prompts to help you use your journal to reduce family stress.

“My family makes me feel stressed by…” “My family deals with stress by…” “Sometimes I get angry at my family when…” “Sometimes I resent my family when…” “If I could change anything about my family, it would be…” “One thing that would make my family better is…”

You can work your way through these prompts at any pace you wish. Be sure to keep an eye on your stress levels. Note how you feel when writing about each situation. Does writing help you “let go” and release certain emotions and feelings that could be causing you stress?

This same plan for reducing stress in your family works for your friends and your workplace. Often we get so busy in our lives that we never take the time to really think about things that are bothering us or worrying us. We just push it further back in our minds and these things keep building up. This is basically what stress is. Journaling will help you bring these things out so that they can be acknowledged and dealt with.

Why Journal Writing On The Web? Blogs Are Journals Giving Anyone An Identity, And An Awesome Forum
By Jesse S. Somer

Journal writing used to be a private, personal experience done late at night, scribbling hardly legible thoughts and daily occurrences down on paper amidst the haze of a barely lit room. When read over on a later date one could find connections and coincidences that sometimes brought deeper insights into the meaning of life. Also, old ideas could be rekindled that otherwise may have been forgotten forever.

In the 21st century a strange new type of journal writing is becoming prevalent in contemporary society. Called Blogs, these are journals used by the masses. Why are people sharing their thoughts instead of keeping them private like the days of old? These journals are found on the World Wide Web and can be used for a number of purposes. The Web is a public sphere and human souls are realizing that sharing their ideas and beliefs can have that same epiphany type of effect on others as the old type of journal had on the personal writer. People are also feeling that they have an identity, and putting it on the Web is a great way of expressing themselves. Anyone can do it, and besides words, visuals can also be integrated into the journal, often making the Blogs very appealing to readers/ viewers.

Blogs are becoming an excellent way of sharing information on any and every subject. Instead of searching Google for general sites about surfing, or 60’s music, one can go straight to a Blog on the subject in question and read daily thoughts and ideas by others with the same interest as well as expert points of view. If you own a business, you can see what entrepreneurs already based in your proposed field feel about the industry. As it’s a journal structure, the reader can see how certain individual’s beliefs have changed over time.

As the world around us is constantly in transition, humans have always looked for better ways of living and growing as a species. The Information Age has helped our society in innumerable ways. On-line journals are becoming the next step in giving voice to every person who has access to a computer and the Net. As well as putting one’s identity ‘out there’ with the masses, people are hearing the inner workings of minds with similar interests. Blogs are a phenomenon helping to create a more interconnected, socially aware global community.

About The Author

Jesse S. Somer is a human hoping to help integrate technology with the average person in society. And currently he is writing for M6.net

sales@m6.net

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It Takes Courage to Love Your Self - Musings on Journal Writing and Going Public
By Peri Coeurtney Enkin

Over the past few weeks I have given careful thought to the messages I deliver. Writing is something I take very seriously. And it is important to me that I focus my attention and my words on those things that really matter to me.

I have written profusely in a journal since the age of twelve. Most of my writings I have kept private. When I was in my early thirties I reread some of my early adolescent outpourings. At the time I did not understand fully that I could choose to be compassionate and caring to my earlier self. Instead I judged and condemned myself fully. Here are some examples of the thoughts that went through my mind as I reread what my younger self had written.

What a fool I am!
How pathetic!
I was so sad and lonely and miserable!
I don’t want to remember any of this!
How ridiculous that I wrote it all down.
And not in one journal but year after year, page after page.

Not only was I critical of my feelings. I also judged myself for writing about them. I could not bare to face how sad I had once been. Really, I was having trouble accepting that the sad teenager I had once been was still alive inside of me, still looking for acceptance, still hoping for understanding, still waiting to be accepted and loved. Instead of offering myself understanding and compassion I attempted to wipe my words and my feelings out. These judgments -directed toward myself -generated such shame in me that here is what I did. I took a big stack of journals from my teenage years and I burned them.

Now, many years later, you might wonder what has changed? Today I store my journals in a beautiful wooden chest. I feel warm and kind when I open the lid and gaze at the stacks of fabric and leather bound books. I treasure the physical representation of my own self-expression. The truth is I rarely review what I previously wrote. I have little desire to revisit the past but I still receive enormous pleasure from knowing they are there. Today, I am most excited about what I am writing right now. I know that it is today’s words and today’s thoughts that create my future. It is good to know how far I have come. My past journals are a demonstration of my passion for living life fully. I celebrate them and the many different parts of me that went into them.

Today, I am committed to self-cherishing. That means I choose to embrace all aspects of myself. I comfort the parts of me that get sad. I embrace the parts of me that get frustrated. I choose to honor the dreamer, the lover and the mystic parts of me. And I catch myself when I am being un-loving. I am committed to turning any lingering negative self-talk into genuine self-love.

At the beginning of this year I started a Self-Cherishing Journal. Each night before I sleep I reflect on the day. I ask myself how I cherished myself and I write it down. Writing in this journal is provides me with some of the most delicious moments of my day.

In offering my perspective publicly I take another leap. Some people enjoy and even crave full self-exposure. That has never been my comfort zone. I know you have judgmental thoughts just like I do. During my early years I cared what you thought about me so much that I felt paralyzed. Now I do not care nearly so much. I know you will find some of what I write interesting and beneficial. I also know some of what I write will be of no interest to you at all.

In order to go public with my ideas and feelings I needed to face my own fear of rejection and ridicule. I questioned my willingness to reveal my core values, to share my personal lessons, and to be open about my own insecurities and frailties. I needed to give up hungering your approval and I had to release my own perfectionism. In doing so I truly become the author of my own life. I will continue to do so. And while I intend to maintain my private journal-writing practice, I will continue sharing my perspective publicly as well.

Peri is an Adult Educator, Mentor and Creator of The Turnaround – A Curriculum for a Fulfilled Lifestyle. Pick up Peri’s 30 Day Set Your Compass Process ~ a free report for you. You can also listen to a free pre-recorded Tele-Class right now. The Turnaround Now! Six Essential Steps to move from Victim to Self-Empowerment at: http://www.theturnaroundnow.com

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You’ve probably noticed a lot of the prompts I offer here come from my life experience and what goes on in my normal day.  Usually when I offer a prompt like this, I’ve written about it in my journal, or I’m going to because it’s been on my mind that day.  Today’s is no exception. 

As you know if you read here regularly, we are moving into our own place(not a rental).  To ease some of the tension on my kids, they are going to choose how their rooms are decorated.  We’ve spend a lot of time looking at kids bedding for my son and stuff a little older and trendier for my teen daughter. 

It has me remembering my childhood, and what my bedrooms looked like.  We moved a lot, but always in the same town, so I didn’t deal with those type of changes. 

What was your childhood bedroom like?  What is the most vivid memory you have of it?  Did you help decorate it?  What does the phrase “childhood bedroom” immediately make you think of?  Sometimes first impressions of a phrase can reveal a lot about your innermost feelings.

Take some time with this one.  Journal writing can take you places you never would have though you’d end up, and reveal things to you that you never knew were inside you. 

This would be a great visual journal or art journal prompt.  Draw your bedroom.  Or take magazine cut outs and collage what your inner child’s dream bedroom would look like.