When I’m going through a rough spot, I journal more. My morning writing sessions stretch out and I often add an evening session. This isn’t because I have so many answers to explore.
It’s because I have so many questions.
So many times, I’ve written a weighty, important question in my journal, and followed it with, I don’t have the answer to this. Please show me the way. And in the spirit of What the #$*! Do We Know!?, I ask the Universe to make the answer super obvious because I’m a little dense.
Asking big questions is an act of bravery. It’s one of the hardest things we can do as humans. Humans like the status quo: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But there’s a big difference between “not broken” and “working sublimely.”
The opposite of love is not hate – it’s apathy. (more…)
A lot of people tell me that they want to journal, but they don’t like what comes out. Their journal writing is boring. It’s trite. It’s repetitive. It’s negative.
Yes, yes, yes and yes. As it should be.
Journaling the unimportant is the most important thing you can do. Journaling regularly like this makes space in your head and your heart for stuff that is truly essential to flow in.
Journaling in Place
So your journaling feels pointless. It’s banal and boring. It’s a load of self-sorry whining. After three pages, there’s a lot of words but none of them will win the Nobel Prize for Literature. You struggled for half an hour and you’ve got zip to show for it. You’ve accomplished nothing.
Imagine judging exercise in the same terms.
I ran three miles on a treadmill today. In place. I mean, I didn’t even go anywhere! What a silly waste of time!
I could have used that half hour for something productive, like cleaning the apartment or returning the overdue library books. Or I could have at least run to someplace useful — like the grocery store. After all, I’ve got dinner to make.
But just like your boring journal entry, the magic of that exercise is invisible. (more…)
When the newspaper headlines are bleak and the economy is going down the toilet, daily life can feel overwhelming at best. Everything is so messed up – where do we even start?!
I have an easy answer for you:
Start with simple pleasures.
6 Ways Simple Pleasures Can Save the World
Here are just a few of the ways that simple pleasures can help your mood, your confidence, and even your health.
1. They’re economical.
Simple pleasures are cheap or free, especially when they involve enjoying stuff you already have. Nature is free and can be an endless source of a million tiny pleasures. (Unless you have allergies. In that case, do your pleasure-seeking indoors. Nudge nudge, wink wink.)
2. They’re accessible to all.
Everyone can enjoy their own simple pleasures, regardless of circumstance. Even if you’re flat broke and totally stuck, you can relish in the scent of fresh cut grass. (more…)
This is post #6 in the series 7 Easy Steps to be a Better Quitter. This series provides journal prompts and writing topics to enable big changes. I used this process to quit smoking, change jobs, start running, and eliminate debt. It works!
One of the fastest ways to up the ante on your skill set is to find mentors. Mentors can be traditional, like an elder business owner, or untraditional, like an inspiring character from your favorite novel. A mentor is anyone who is doing what you want to do – successfully.
I’ve found it most helpful to have mentors I can contact directly, so superheroes and dead presidents are out of the running. But if your dearly departed Nanna is your primo source of inspiration, by all means enlist her.
Ask for Help
First, a word about independence.
Get over it.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know you’re strong and self-sufficient; I am, too. But life got a lot easier when I realized that other people actually enjoy helping me.
It’s not a sign of weakness to admit you can’t do something alone. It’s a sign of intelligence.
This is post #5 in the series 7 Easy Steps to be a Better Quitter. This series provides journal prompts and writing topics to enable big changes. I used this process to quit smoking, change jobs, start running, and eliminate debt. It works!
When you’re trying to make a difficult change, it’s important to understand what motivates you.
Does winning a $20 bet with your co-worker keep you from eating that second helping? Do you move forward with starting a new business because you blogged about your intention? Do you run another mile because you love seeing the gold star on your chart?
When you know what really lights a fire under your behind, you can seek out the necessary support. Better support means more likely success. And we need all the success we can get. (more…)
