{"id":6969,"date":"2019-02-05T09:42:36","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T16:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/?p=6969"},"modified":"2023-03-22T10:10:43","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T10:10:43","slug":"the-power-of-journaling-why-you-want-to-start-this-practice-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/the-power-of-journaling-why-you-want-to-start-this-practice-today\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Journaling: Why You Want to Start This Practice Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Journaling has become a powerful practice for those striving to slow down, and be more present in our busy lives, but what exactly does this practice give you?<\/p>\n<p>I started journaling when I was 11 years old entering 6th grade at a new school. Not knowing a single soul, and missing my old friends felt overwhelmingly isolating as a shy girl.<\/p>\n<p>My teacher suggested I write down my thoughts in a small notebook, and she would read and provide guidance back in writing. It felt so much easier having someone \u2018listen\u2019 to my deepest feelings, and give me reassurance.<\/p>\n<p>It was the beginnings of how I learned to journal that later developed as a co-creative process of \u2018<strong>asking and receiving<\/strong>\u2018 through writing.<\/p>\n<h3>A Powerful Practice<\/h3>\n<p>Writing allows you to tap into yourself at a much deeper level, but until I made the connection of writing with the divine part of who I really AM \u2013 \u00a0I was missing a critical piece.<\/p>\n<h3>The Spark Inside of You<\/h3>\n<p>Having faith that a creative Divine spark exists in ALL of us is a game-changer. Writing has become a co-creative way to reach our highest consciousness for answers, insights, and creative inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>If you need some simple evidence that consciousness exists in our vast universe \u2013 check out this classic experiment in quantum physics:<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DfPeprQ7oGc\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We are made of energy that has awareness \u2013 our thoughts hold energy that is the spark for creative thinking when you connect to your higher consciousness. This insight helped me bridge science and spirituality that began opening many doors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Einstein.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6991 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Einstein.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"465\" height=\"274\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Writing allows you the freedom to say, feel, and express whatever you want in your own words without judgment. In our lives \u2013 we rarely have space to freely say and think whatever we want and feel.<\/p>\n<p>A journal can serve as that sacred space to let your genuine thoughts, desires, and intentions flow, which creates a vibration or frequency that matches what is true for you when you allow yourself to \u2018play full out\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFollowing your bliss\u201d as Joseph Cambell advised is about allowing your energy to be your compass for life. It requires listening deeply within, and paying attention to what resonates for you.<\/p>\n<h3>A Co-Creative Process<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019ve heard the phrase: <strong>ask and you shall receive.<\/strong>\u00a0When you ask questions with an attitude of humble respect, and openness with a pen in hand \u2013 you might be truly surprised by what shows up on the page.<\/p>\n<p>If a client writes to me about an issue, I\u2019ve noticed a lot of my best writing flows out of me from a co-creative process.<\/p>\n<p>I receive guidance from a higher place in me, which I recognize now because the words just pour out of me effortlessly. When you practice it with writing, you start bringing it more into your everyday conversations with people.<\/p>\n<p>When writers get inspiration they call it working with their muse. You can find this co-creativity everywhere in books, films, art, music \u2013 even business and science if you take a deeper look behind how anything is created.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also available in you! \u00a0You are a creative being.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/HowIthink_oprah.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-7001\" src=\"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/HowIthink_oprah-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>I and Myself: the Impersonal and the Personal<\/h3>\n<p>Spiritual author,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eckharttolle.com\">Eckhart Tolle<\/a>\u00a0shared how he awakened when he examined his thought \u201cI can\u2019t live with myself any longer\u201d. Who was the \u201cI\u201d that couldn\u2019t with \u201cmyself\u201d? he asked.<\/p>\n<p>He had a sudden realization that there were 2 voices in his head: \u2018I\u2019, and \u2018myself\u2019. He went on to co-create his powerful writings that include \u201cThe Power of Now\u201d, and \u201cA New Earth\u201d on higher consciousness, and practical spiritual wisdom.<\/p>\n<h3>Who Are You?<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s a way that\u2019s really helped me understand who I really AM, and has taken my writing to new levels of inspired awareness, and huge insights.<\/p>\n<p>First off \u2013 you are a spiritual being having a human experience. There\u2019s an Impersonal \u201cI\u201d or what I call your \u201chigher divine self\u201d (or \u2018God\u2019 within you), and a Personal \u201cI\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Together these make up your \u201csoul signature\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Our personal \u201cI\u201d moves between what\u2019s healthy and unhealthy with the way we choose our thoughts (towards or away from \u201cGod\u2019s will\u201d, which essentially is LOVE).<\/p>\n<p>Our personal \u201cI\u201d can get affected by past conditioning, and fears that make us feel \u2018not good enough\u2019 on some level.<\/p>\n<p>If someone isn\u2019t following your \u2018personal ways\u201d, and you react in ways that prevent someone from being true to themselves then love becomes \u2018conditional\u2019.<\/p>\n<h3>Where the Ego Fits In<\/h3>\n<p>The \u2018personal I\u2019 contains the ego. \u00a0Here\u2019s a definition I received through a co-creative process that helped me:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ego is the culmination of pre-determined thought patterns tied to your biochemistry, and conditioning received that lie within you from your experiences based in fear..it\u2019s the parts that can be harmful, and inhibiting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An unhealthy ego\u00a0holds your \u2019emotional baggage\u2019\u00a0and doesn\u2019t reflect your spiritual nature.<\/p>\n<p>The ego itself is not \u2018bad\u2019 \u2013 it\u2019s part of your personality. It can be balanced or unbalanced depending on how it evolves.<\/p>\n<p>If you get attached or defined by what people say, think, and the outside world of titles, awards, and material things, this can have your ego get out of balance.<\/p>\n<p>We can enjoy the external world, but not understanding that we are both personal (with free will), and impersonal (with a divine fragment) misses a huge opportunity to co-create your life.<\/p>\n<p>Without this practice of connecting to your \u2018whole self\u2019 (journaling is a way to practice it!) \u2013 \u00a0it\u2019s easy to \u2018take things personally\u2019 getting offended or defensive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>We react <em>personally<\/em> instead of responding more <em>consciously<\/em> from a higher place.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been said that \u2018God is impersonal\u2019 \u2013 there\u2019s no judgment here. God doesn\u2019t ever take you personally!<\/p>\n<h3>A Practice of Stillness<\/h3>\n<p>The way to lead from within requires a practice of \u2018stillness\u2019 that writing can provide. It does not just mean being still, and calm without\u00a0thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>It means slowing down to be present\u00a0and connected to ALL of YOU (the personal and impersonal divine YOU) in any given moment.<\/p>\n<p>Journalling is really a practice\u00a0of getting the self-destructive parts of your \u2018personal self\u2019 out of your own way. Other ways include yoga, meditation, and being in nature.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You want to listen and connect to your highest self where your own answers can be found.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Anytime you feel engaged so deeply that time disappears is where I find stillness. I\u2019m aware of this place when I read certain books that come alive where my truth bells are literally ringing!<\/p>\n<h3>Writing for Your Answers<\/h3>\n<p>We all have the ability to channel inspiration and higher truth through journaling. It\u2019s a \u2018co-creative secret\u2019 that goes back centuries.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s more formally known as \u201cautomatic writing\u201d, but think of it as accessing your highest divine wisdom through the simple act of writing.<\/p>\n<p>Divine guidance will not tell you what to do nor will warnings be given or promises made. That\u2019s all coming from the personal you : )<\/p>\n<p>Your life is directed by your free will, and what you can gain from journalling co-creatively is more clarity of your own truth for the choices you want.<\/p>\n<h3>Writing with Your Goals<\/h3>\n<p>Writing down your goals has been proven to be more effective than not writing them down. It\u2019s because the act of writing can hold a stronger intention that communicates\u201dI\u2019m committing energy here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now just add in that higher part of you into the process! Ask for guidance here, and you will get answers. Be patient \u2013 it\u2019s a practice : )<\/p>\n<p>Have you written down your goals for 2019? Making your goals visible daily keeps them in your conscious thoughts to help create the energy you want for them to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Having clear intentions with your goals takes them to a higher level. Why do you want that goal? What kind of energy are you seeking that you need to find a match for internally first?<\/p>\n<p>For joy \u2013 practice gratitude. For fulfillment \u2013 practice an \u201call is well\u201d mantra. For freedom \u2013 create healthy boundaries, and learn to say \u201cno thank you\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3>What do you write in a journal \u2013 you may ask?<\/h3>\n<p>There is no right or wrong here. Julia Cameron teaches a clearing exercise of writing \u2018morning pages\u2019 where you dump out all the cloudy noise in your mind onto 3 pages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This clears your conscious mind to leave space for your creativity to flow in during the day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever you write down focuses your energy here so I like to write down insights, gratitudes, and intentions for the day ahead. If you\u2019re dealing with an issue that\u2019s draining you, journaling your thoughts can help release blocked emotions and stuck energy.<\/p>\n<p>Writing a letter to someone saying what you\u2019ve always wanted to say, but haven\u2019t expressed can be so freeing. You may or may not want to send it : )<\/p>\n<h3>The Weekly Review<\/h3>\n<p>One of the most powerful habits that creates huge momentum for what you want is a review of your past week.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the structure I use:<\/p>\n<p>1. What were my goals or intentions this past week?<br \/>\n2. What happened this past week? (What actions did I take towards my goals?<br \/>\nWhat went well & what needs improvement?)<br \/>\n3. Any insights I read or heard?<br \/>\n4. Any lessons I had or breakthroughs I experienced?<br \/>\n5. Any challenges I\u2019m coming up against?<br \/>\n6. What I\u2019m excited about\/grateful for:<br \/>\n7. My priorities for the week ahead are:<\/p>\n<p>Just answering these questions helps get you into a practice of writing, and moves your energy closer to what you want to create.<\/p>\n<p>Writing becomes pure magic when you understand that you are a powerful co-creator.<\/p>\n<p>Will you start your practice of writing today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Journaling has become a powerful practice for those striving to slow down, and be more present in our busy lives, but what exactly does this practice give you? I started journaling when I was 11 years old entering 6th grade at a new school. Not knowing a single soul, and missing my old friends felt [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[82,170,171],"class_list":["post-6969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-being-present","tag-automatic-writing","tag-journaling","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6969"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9345,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6969\/revisions\/9345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolynhidalgo.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}