I have been asked many times for tips about how to start journaling and always been reticent to answer for a few good reasons. One of them is, differing from my lovely son, his father and other memebers of my original family, I consider myself a better student than a teacher. Generally speaking, I love more to sit in the audience than perform in front of it, mingling with other seekers than dispensing "truths".
Recent participation in an enlightning, life-changing experience made me review my reticence, though. I realized that many people, left alone with just a notepad and pen feel lost and overwhelmed. They don't have a natural inclination to fill up page after page with what is going on in their minds. They are not accostumed to get in touch on the spot with their emotions triggered by a visual stimulus, a scent, a peaceful feeling of well being or, contrary, a shocking wave of mixed feelings provoked by one only single event or even word. And yet, giving shape to all of the above through ink on paper, black on white
Journaling, in my view, is a direct, open and easy road to self awareness. A helpful exercise to shut down our constant worries about the future, that we don't know, and regrets about the past, that we cannot change. A very good reminder that the present is a gift to enjoy now, being truly present and whole to what is happening in this very moment, insided and out of ourselves.
But how to start, if we never even tried or the memories of writing "just for ourselves" go back to grade school? Or the only experience we have are instant messaging, facebook posts and tweets, which do not have the same introspective power and gladly encourage our minds to just more wandering?
Here a few tips to overcome the usual writer's block. You can try one or the other, just to start, and I am sure that your imagination will kick in gear. Words will just start rolling out of your pen. BTW, try to use a pen and a notepad, not your Ipad or cell, at least in the beginning. There is something about the physicality of penmanship that just enhances the whole experience of journaling.
1) Give yourself a theme. You might have it easier if you start focusing on one only part of your daily experience. For instance, you could write first thing in the morning, trying to remember something about your dreaming the night before. Or you could write from a peculiar point of view in your house, and describe what you see out of the window and how you feel about it in that precise moment (and you will be surprised to see how your perception of the same scene will change, day after day!)
2)Give yourself a purpose. Define one small goal a day, and start writing from there. Get in touch with its meaning and why you had chosen it for this particular day. How you think it might help you to grow and guide your acts during the day.
3)Focus on one single aspect. For one day or a period of time, you might choose to direct your attention to a particular aspect of your experience where you think you can benefit the most from achieving more awareness. Relationship with nature? Maybe. Or you're most interested in the way you interact with strangers? Or is anything to discover in the way your emotions build up and you act upon them? Whatever your point of view might be, get in there with your whole sensorial being. Then, review the movie of your day all the way backward. If anything pops up, just write it down. Don't try to explain it rationally, for now, don't over-analyze. Just put it down on paper.
4)Choose a quality. Try to think about a quality that you feel missing or not "working properly" in your life. Patience? Ability to let go? Self discipline? Kindness? Love? Whatever it is, start from there. Thing about the opportunities you had to practice it during the day or the people you will need to prcactice it with, and write how you feel about it.
That is all for the moment. More to come. I know I owe some people more tips about how to start a dream journal, which is a slightly different matter that can benefit from introducing other techniques. But this is all for a Friday. I always resented teachers who would give too much information or assignments just before the weekend, and don't intend to give in and join the dreadful category.
Happy weekend and happy journaling, erveryone!
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