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 overwhelmingly isolating as a shy girl.
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 ‘listen’ to my deepest feelings, and give me reassurance.
It was the beginnings of how I learned to journal that later developed as a co-creative process of ‘asking and receiving‘ through writing.
A Powerful Practice
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 – I was missing a critical piece.
The Spark Inside of You
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.
If you need some simple evidence that consciousness exists in our vast universe – check out this classic experiment in quantum physics:
We are made of energy that has awareness – 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.
Writing allows you the freedom to say, feel, and express whatever you want in your own words without judgment. In our lives – we rarely have space to freely say and think whatever we want and feel.
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 ‘play full out’.
“Following your bliss” 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.
A Co-Creative Process
You’ve heard the phrase: ask and you shall receive. When you ask questions with an attitude of humble respect, and openness with a pen in hand – you might be truly surprised by what shows up on the page.
If a client writes to me about an issue, I’ve noticed a lot of my best writing flows out of me from a co-creative process.
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.
When writers get inspiration they call it working with their muse. You can find this co-creativity everywhere in books, films, art, music – even business and science if you take a deeper look behind how anything is created.
It’s also available in you! You are a creative being.
I and Myself: the Impersonal and the Personal
Spiritual author, Eckhart Tolle shared how he awakened when he examined his thought “I can’t live with myself any longer”. Who was the “I” that couldn’t with “myself”? he asked.
He had a sudden realization that there were 2 voices in his head: ‘I’, and ‘myself’. He went on to co-create his powerful writings that include “The Power of Now”, and “A New Earth” on higher consciousness, and practical spiritual wisdom.
Who Are You?
Here’s a way that’s really helped me understand who I really AM, and has taken my writing to new levels of inspired awareness, and huge insights.
First off – you are a spiritual being having a human experience. There’s an Impersonal “I” or what I call your “higher divine self” (or ‘God’ within you), and a Personal “I”.
Together these make up your “soul signature”.
Our personal “I” moves between what’s healthy and unhealthy with the way we choose our thoughts (towards or away from “God’s will”, which essentially is LOVE).
Our personal “I” can get affected by past conditioning, and fears that make us feel ‘not good enough’ on some level.
If someone isn’t following your ‘personal ways”, and you react in ways that prevent someone from being true to themselves then love becomes ‘conditional’.
Where the Ego Fits In
The ‘personal I’ contains the ego. Here’s a definition I received through a co-creative process that helped me:
“The 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’s the parts that can be harmful, and inhibiting.”
An unhealthy ego holds your ’emotional baggage’ and doesn’t reflect your spiritual nature.
The ego itself is not ‘bad’ – it’s part of your personality. It can be balanced or unbalanced depending on how it evolves.
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.
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.
Without this practice of connecting to your ‘whole self’ (journaling is a way to practice it!) – it’s easy to ‘take things personally’ getting offended or defensive.
We react personally instead of responding more consciously from a higher place.
It’s been said that ‘God is impersonal’ – there’s no judgment here. God doesn’t ever take you personally!
A Practice of Stillness
The way to lead from within requires a practice of ‘stillness’ that writing can provide. It does not just mean being still, and calm without thoughts.
It means slowing down to be present and connected to ALL of YOU (the personal and impersonal divine YOU) in any given moment.
Journalling is really a practice of getting the self-destructive parts of your ‘personal self’ out of your own way. Other ways include yoga, meditation, and being in nature.
You want to listen and connect to your highest self where your own answers can be found.
Anytime you feel engaged so deeply that time disappears is where I find stillness. I’m aware of this place when I read certain books that come alive where my truth bells are literally ringing!
Writing for Your Answers
We all have the ability to channel inspiration and higher truth through journaling. It’s a ‘co-creative secret’ that goes back centuries.
It’s more formally known as “automatic writing”, but think of it as accessing your highest divine wisdom through the simple act of writing.
Divine guidance will not tell you what to do nor will warnings be given or promises made. That’s all coming from the personal you : )
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.
Writing with Your Goals
Writing down your goals has been proven to be more effective than not writing them down. It’s because the act of writing can hold a stronger intention that communicates”I’m committing energy here.”
Now just add in that higher part of you into the process! Ask for guidance here, and you will get answers. Be patient – it’s a practice : )
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.
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?
For joy – practice gratitude. For fulfillment – practice an “all is well” mantra. For freedom – create healthy boundaries, and learn to say “no thank you”.
What do you write in a journal – you may ask?
There is no right or wrong here. Julia Cameron teaches a clearing exercise of writing ‘morning pages’ where you dump out all the cloudy noise in your mind onto 3 pages.
This clears your conscious mind to leave space for your creativity to flow in during the day.
Whatever you write down focuses your energy here so I like to write down insights, gratitudes, and intentions for the day ahead. If you’re dealing with an issue that’s draining you, journaling your thoughts can help release blocked emotions and stuck energy.
Writing a letter to someone saying what you’ve always wanted to say, but haven’t expressed can be so freeing. You may or may not want to send it : )
The Weekly Review
One of the most powerful habits that creates huge momentum for what you want is a review of your past week.
Here’s the structure I use:
1. What were my goals or intentions this past week?
2. What happened this past week? (What actions did I take towards my goals?
What went well & what needs improvement?)
3. Any insights I read or heard?
4. Any lessons I had or breakthroughs I experienced?
5. Any challenges I’m coming up against?
6. What I’m excited about/grateful for:
7. My priorities for the week ahead are:
Just answering these questions helps get you into a practice of writing, and moves your energy closer to what you want to create.
Writing becomes pure magic when you understand that you are a powerful co-creator.
Will you start your practice of writing today?
