Share Your Views

Today, I would like you to participate.

Tell me, why do you journal?

Or if you don't but would like to or wish you did - why?

What appeals to you about it?

What is your idea of journaling?

Graphia Journal

This gorgeous graphia journal has me drooling. It's one of those "special treat" journal that I would love to buy - and just waiting for an excuse. It's bit pricey at £34.95 - and as a regular journal keeper, I can't afford to spend that kind of money on every journal. But I wish I could. It's simply gorgeous.

What are your "special treat" journals? 

Journal Writing Prompt 13 - Talk To Your Problems

I am sure you have heard that talking to yourself is first sign of madness. I disagree. I think it's only mad if you consider yourself boring - and if you do, let me tell you, you are not. Each of us are unique individuals - not better than anyone else, but certainly different. Our upbringing, experiences, behaviour has shaped our past and continues to shape our present and our future. 

But what if you don't like your past, or how things are going in the present? What if you dread the future you see? 

Good news - for the most part, your future is in your hands. 

Before any of you cynics out there start scoffing, I am not talking about unrealistic expectations here. If the future you want is to live on a colony on moon - well, you'll just have to make that happen in fiction. 

But for most everyday fears, problems, our own behaviour or bad habits, this will help IF YOU ARE HONEST IN YOUR EXERCISE. 

Get  that journal out. Pick one problem or habit that bothers you the most. Just one for now. Does it keep you awake at night? Does it make you dread getting up in the morning? Does it depress you? Does it make you want to drink yourself into oblivion or gorge yourself on chocolates? Does it make you worry your spouse will leave you or your children will hate you? Whatever it is - write it down. 

Not all problems have to be huge scale. It could be anything - but as long as it is something that affects your life in a negative way, even if psychologically, it is a valid problem. 

Write that problem in your journal - underline it. 

Now, I want you to free write for minimum of 10 minutes. Shut off all other distractions, and start writing. Moan, bitch, complain, blame it on everyone else - but write anything that comes to mind about that problem. If any solution come to mind, write that as well. 

Few prompts to get you going?

Why does this bother you?

When did it start?

How did it start?

Is it external or something internal? 

Who does it affect? 

How does it bother you?

Write absolutely everything. If you keep going for more than 10 minutes, great. But give it ten minutes. If you can't think of anything to write for 10 minutes, then keep repeating yourself. But you have to give your subconscious a chance to open up, and it's not going to do that if you close the journal after two minutes. 

Once you have done it? You may feel relieved to get it out, or you may feel depressed to go through it, or you may feel emotionally drained. 

Take a break. Go do something fun. Have a nap. But forget about the journal, and go distract yourself.

Depending on how resolved you feel, go back to the journal either later in the day or the next day. Pick out every sentence you wrote, and for each sentence - write down how it can be solved.

Don't worry about being able to do it just yet, or whether or not you have the will power. Imagine as if it's a friend who has come to you with that problem, and you are telling them what to do - and we are all great at giving other people solutions, aren't we? 

Write down what the solution would be using common sense? For every sentence. It may just be one or two solutions for everything, nevertheless repeat it next to each sentence. 

When you are done - do you know what you have got? 

Drumroll....

An action plan.

That's right. 

You've found the answers to your problems. Not all of it will be easy to fix. It may take resources (money, time, external help), it may take supreme effort of your will power - but at least you have a plan. You know what you need to do. 

If you feel ready, do a journal entry for how you might be able to accomplish each of those steps.

Journal Writing Prompt 12 - Use Your Senses...RIGHT NOW!!

I do hope your journal is somewhere close by. No? Well, go get it then, and I will wait.

Ready?

Sit down with your journal. You can be alone or you can be in a crowd, but not watching TV or listening to music etc. Now, I want you to use your senses. All of them. Start writing. Don't analyse. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What can you smell? What can you taste?

To get going, you can start sentences like this...

I see dark wood table. I see black keyboard, with a light layer of dust. I hear passing cars. A bike just roared by. There is music coming from somewhere. Annoying music....

As you write, follow-on sentences will pour out. Let them. Follow your senses, and see where they take you.

Hearing and Sight are easy. What about others? How do your clothes feel against your skin? What about the chair you are sitting on? Is there a taste of coffee lingering in your mouth? What are you feeling? Enjoyment of dwelling deeper? Hungry? Bored?

Do this often, and not only it will improve your journal, but it will improve your participation in the world around you, and give you little surprises that so often go unnoticed.

Journal Writing Prompt 11 - Solitude or Loneliness

I know people who can stay alone in their home for weeks on end, and I know people who get antsy and depressed if they have to spend one day alone. How do you feel about being alone?

Would you remain alone by choice? Do you feel lonely or do you welcome the solitude? Are you bored, restless or do you find comfort in the silence and in your thoughts? What would your day be like? Do you skip a meal because you don't want to eat alone, or call a friend or find social contact on the internet? What do you do? How much time do you spend in your own company? How much of it is by choice?

Ponder over this today. When we rely on other people for company, entertainment, happiness, we are giving them the control of making us happy. When we can find happiness and peace within ourselves, we are in control. Who has the reigns of your happiness?

Journal Writing Prompt 10 - Influence

We are influenced constantly by our surroundings. We are influenced by the weather, by people around us, by media - by just about everything. How much impact this influence has on individuals, is up to us. Some of us are strong enough to push it all away and carry on our own path; some of us get side tracked by some of the influences; some of us are overwhelmed by them.

Journal about what has influenced you? Perhaps, you can't see what's influencing you today, but you may be able to see more clearly what has influenced you in the past? Last month? Last year? In your childhood?

Start writing. If you find it hard to get started, begin your sentences with..."I was influenced by..." and carry on. Or write INFLUENCE in the centre of the page, and brainstorm around it. Write whatever pops in your head. Don't stop to think. Write as fast as you can. As much as you can. Let your subconscious direct you. Let the memories come out.

If you want, do this again over the next few weeks, and see what answers you get. Once you realise the things that influence you, you can do something about it. You can decide what are positive influences and what are negative ones, and find a way to be strong against the negative ones.

So what are you waiting for? Get off the internet, and open that journal.

Journal Writing Prompt 9 - Dream Your Own Dream

Today's prompt is about dreams. Not the dreams you have in your sleep. We are talking about dreams you dream with eyes wide awake. For some of us, dreams are right there on the surface. Constantly prodding us to get a move on and make them come true. For some of you, they might be deep beneath the surface, pushed there by years of very practical advice that the world teaches you like "get your head out of the clouds" "be sensible" "be practical" "that's not going to put food on the table" "be responsible" - and many more variations of it, which I am sure you have heard before.

Whatever the status of your dreams, they are there. Believe me. You just need to greet them like an old friend, believe in them, and they will unfurl their wings.

Open your journal and write about your dreams. What dreams did you have as a child? Did you want to be a superhero, a cop, a fireman? What were your dreams as a teenager? A date with the hottest girl/guy in school? What are your dreams as an adult? House, kids, vacations or a loner's life in a forest? Whatever your dreams, embrace them. Until you ackowledge them, you can't possibly make them come true. And once you acknowledge them, well...the world is your oyster.