Journaling Tools

[Time2Surrender]

Journaling is a process of stimulating the mind, body and heart
and then capturing the resulting thoughts, sensations and
inspirations on paper or disk so we can give them more attention,
reflection and meaning.

Different journaling tools and exercises encourage us to think in
different ways. Once we capture our thoughts on paper, we can
explore different sides of our nature. We can identify beliefs
that hold us back. We can glimpse our potential and then monitor
ourselves realizing it. We can discover insights, creativity and
wisdom we didn't know we had. We have all the wisdom we need
inside of us already. Journaling gives us the power to draw it
out.

There don’t have to be any rules for journaling. It’s exciting to
be open and creative -- to find your own style. But following
some general tips may dramatically increase your results. Here’s
a SIMPLE 4-STEP PROCESS: SYNC, THINK, INK AND LINK.

1. SYNC - Bring together (synchronize!) supportive elements to
set the stage for your journaling. If possible, choose a quiet
place during your prime thinking time. You may want soft music
and possibly some incense, oils or candles. A selection of
coloured pens will stimulate your creative side. It’s powerful
to create a ritual with strong general intentions before each
journaling session. Your ritual may be as simple as lighting a
candle and taking 3 deep breaths to relax and centre you. The
more you respect and honour your journaling practice, the more
you invite your deep inner knowing to participate.

2. THINK - To draw information from our unconscious minds, we
need a focus, repetition and authority. So emphatically ask
your subconscious a question or state your request, and do this
three times. Be really clear about what you want to achieve.

3. INK - Now start writing. WRITE A BIT FASTER THAN NORMAL to
help you get out of your habitual writing patterns. Your
writing does not have to look or sound perfect. Typos and
spelling and grammatical errors are okay. DO NOT STOP WRITING!
If you feel at a loss for words, just make something up. Listen
more deeply and write whatever is on your mind, even if you
think it is irrelevant to the topic. DO NOT CENSOR. No
filtering. Just keep writing. Tell your truth as quickly as you
can. Allow awareness to awaken. As you become more experienced
at journaling, you’ll become more aware of how you hear or
sense your information. And you will turn up the intuitive
voice that has all of your answers.

4. LINK - This is ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL STEPS, yet very few
who journal ever use it. When you have finished writing, read
over your material. Intentionally step back and look at the
bigger picture. You’ll see other perspectives and gain new
insights. To conclude, write down a maximum of 3 sentences on
whatever comes to your mind after reading what you’ve written.
This final entry may record new insights.

Journaling takes us on adventures of self-discovery that EXPLORE
TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS:

- DEEPER into the realms of the subconscious where we can clean
house of personal problems, pains, patterns, and reactions;
and,
- HIGHER into the realms of our potential, where we can connect
with intuition and higher guidance and uncover our essence and
purpose.

[Dan]

Great article Mike

[Ann]

Mike, I never journaled until my recovery and for me it's been a great place to get everything out, sane or crazy, and also it's been a good way to look back on my recovery and remember how it was then, and see how far I've come.

I burned my first three journals, and I'm sorry now that I did. I like your 4th suggestion, stepping back and trying to see the bigger picture. I never did that and will try it and hope it adds a better perspective.

Hugs
Ann

[Grimnar]

I am 38 and I have been journaling since I was about 15 or 16. Not everyday but often. I don't even to this day know why I did it or still do it at times. I have several of those spiral ringed binders of entries. I lost about 3 years when my hard drive crashed after I switched to using the computer.

I have a journal at home on my computer. It's password protected.

I have a paper journal at work where I honestly state my mind. Whether it's the job that is bothering me, or I am having a good day, or I just have to comment on some sexy thing there. Honesty.... be it good, bad, ugly, or sexy.

3x5 cards are handy. I keep them in my Jeep. When I am at a stop light or something, I can pick them up off the passenger seat and write or read something that I wrote the day before.

I do write fast when I journal. So much so that my normal printing turns into a combination of writing & printing. A strange hybrid that probably only I can read. And I do often go back and reread what I wrote. Sometimes the same day. Maybe I'll go back a month. Sometimes a year or two. Once or twice I have gone back to those teenage years. Maybe it's time to do that again.

[Time2Surrender]

Hey thats cool dude.And also impresive.Over 20 years of journaling.I think it's a very healthy thing to do.

[Hopefloats]

Great info..thanks
Hopefloats

[Grimnar]

Originally Posted by Time2Surrender

Hey thats cool dude.And also impresive.Over 20 years of journaling.I think it's a very healthy thing to do.

Well it wasn't everyday to be sure. There are some pretty large gaps in there at times. Mostly when things were going well heh. But yeah it does help at times when I just need to get things out.