Chapter 3: Tools For Change - Journaling

Keeping a Journal is a life skill. It is a tool that we can use to examine our life and from that examination begin to change and recreate it in a way that is more affirming and supportive of who we really are.
The society we live in always encourages us to look outside of ourselves for answers to our problems. Yet all of us carry the answers to our life challanges withinus, in our bodies cellular memory and energy field.
It is just that we need to make time and space to connect with these Inner Answers.Writing in a journal can give us this time. It can help us slow down, stop and make a space for ourselves. It leads us to look inwards and to contemplate our lives. It can give us the time we need to slow down and listen to ourselves.
Initially doing this may feel a bit strange. We may feel a bit uncomfortable with no external activity to focus on. This is why journal writing can be very helpful here. Writing in a journal provides us with an external activity while at the same time records our inner feelings and intuitions It offers a bridge to a more focused way of being. Looking within and recording in a journal the thoughts and insights that come to us as we create a quiet time for ourselves has a sense of validity that reinforces our sense of who we are and what is true for us. Re-reading what we have written can create an inner "aha" and a sense of mental and emotional well-being. It can make us feel good about ourselves.
Even if what we have written is sad or distressing writing it down gives us a sense of validation. At least someone is listening to us and we are being heard at last even if it is by ourselves. In addition to recording the assignments and exercises in this course in you journal the course also offers you the opportunity to begin making entries on a regular basis. This could be every day or every few days or even once a week. Just go with whatever feels right for you. One way to begin journaling is to set a time once a week to spend time in your healing space catching up with yourself and re-connecting. For more information about this read or print out the article in Personal Journalings online website Reflect on Where You are Going

then follow the prompts in the article and write in your journal