Take (a little) Time for Journaling

Take (a little) Time for Journaling

Since we’ve all got a million things to do, I’m going to keep it short and sweet here on the site until the New Year. I hope these bite-size journaling tips will help you survive the season. Happy holidays, if you celebrate them. If not, enjoy some tranquility for the rest of us. 😉

It’s easy to get swept up in the glitter and glow of the holidays.

Whether you’re a big fan of the Yuletide, or you’re just trying to survive it, journaling can keep you grounded during this tumultuous season.

Shopping, cooking, entertaining, trimming the tree, setting up the guest room… there’s so much to do! Self care often takes a back seat to the urgency of entertaining, gifting and travel. It’s essential that you carve out a slice of time to honor your own needs.

Even if you can only find 20 minutes a day for journaling, stick with it. The little retreat will help center you, unload stress, and remind you what’s important. (Hint: YOU!)
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Hidden Wisdom and Letters to the Self

Hidden Wisdom and Letters to the Self

We’ve got a lot of hidden wisdom locked away in our beans.

Wisdom we’ve either forgotten or can’t yet access. And I’ve found a method for teasing it out.

We’re going to get a little metaphysical today. This can twist your noodle in a bit of a knot, so don’t hurt yourself. (Feel free to smoke the funny stuff and read some Carlos Castaneda, if you’re so inclined.)

I’ve talked about writing unsent letters before, even touching on the letter to the self. Let’s take that to a whole new level.

If we picture our desired future selves in full detail, we can then ask that future self how she got there. This puts us in touch with the wisdom we already have – the wisdom that got us where we are today.
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Harnessing the Power of Community

Harnessing the Power of Community

Humans are social creatures.

Even introverts (like me) seek out and depend on interaction and support.

There’s a synergy that takes place when a group of likeminded people come together with a common interest or goal. It’s that whole Gestalt thing – the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

We can harness this power to accomplish things we previously thought impossible.

One great example of this is going on all around me right now: National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo hopefuls commit to writing an entire novel during the month of November. That is, 50,000 words in 30 days.

NaNoWriMo started as a crazy dare among friends. But others soon heard about it and wanted in. While some of the less stable among us are motivated purely by the insane challenge, most find the community surrounding NaNoWriMo to be the best part.

We accept the challenge not only because it seems crazy, but because we want to be a part of the community doing the crazy, too.
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What an Ornery Cat Can Teach Us About Love

What an Ornery Cat Can Teach Us About Love

For a while I managed a cat rescue and adoption center a few days a week.

That’s where I met Madonna, a fluffy gray and white feline with big gold eyes and a chip on her shoulder.

Each day at the center I’d let the cats out of their kennels to stretch and play. It was a struggle to get Madonna back in her kennel. She did not like to be touched.

In fact, she’d be perfectly happy if you left her totally and completely alone. Forever.

Madonna sat in her kennel, cleaning her face, scowling at every prospective adopter who came into the shelter. It was nearly impossible to set up a visit because she pitched a fit each time we had to move her. There was usually a towel involved, and sometimes gloves.

Things were not looking good for Madonna.
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Journaling Your Worries Away

Journaling Your Worries Away

Worry is the new human condition. The economy, global warming, in-laws.

Even little things cause us to fret on a daily basis. Traffic, deadlines, Starbucks instant coffee.

Growing up, my sister had a tiny wooden box filled with miniature people. Their brightly colored clothes were fashioned from embroidery floss. She kept these worry dolls on her dresser, and I’d often open up the box to hold them.

My sister is an energy worker. Even back then, the worry dolls were infused with her energy. They fairly crackled with electricity when I held them in my hand.

Worry dolls are an old folk remedy for anxiety. Each night, you take your tiny people from the tiny box and lay them out. You tell each one a worry. There’s half a dozen of them. So if your life is a disaster, you may need to invest in the expansion pack. Or a therapist.

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