We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking. ~ Santosh Kalwar

In an earlier post, I shared 3 journaling techniques we suggest using in our Journal for the Modern Goddess.  Today I would like to share another 3 journaling techniques:

1. Qualities and Attributes – Write down the qualities and attributes you possess and then write down ones you wish you did. Identify one quality you demonstrate well and write about the how and the why, then identify on quality you wished you possessed, and write how you could demonstrate it in your life. You’ll be amazed what comes forward during the writing process.

This technique can be adapted to use words that describe how you are feeling in this moment and you can write about why you are feeling the way you do.

2. Dialog – Another technique is to dialog. Dialogs are imagined conversations between two or more people or higher beings. It could be a dialog between two parts of a person.

Dialoguing could involve writing a conversation between a present or past relationship, someone who is living or deceased. It could be about your role as a mother, sister, aunty or friend. Dialoguing could involve writing about an event or circumstance, traditions, cultural background, marriage, religion.

Dialoguing helps you move through any patterns, resistances or disagreements you may be having with yourself or with others. If you need to discuss a situation with someone, this technique can be powerful as it will allow you to form your thoughts so that you can say what needs to be said in a constructive and diplomatic way.

3. List Making – List making is a great way to help writers block. You could create a list of 100 things you are grateful for, or if 100 is a little daunting start with 25 or 50. Some examples are listing ways you could nurture yourself, how you can improve your life, what you wish for, places you would like to visit, things you value in life, ways to be more creative, ways to be more productive etc.

Once you have your list you can ask yourself questions to get the writing process flowing.

Once you’ve experimented with these techniques, please do share your experience.

Blessings, Nicole x

This pouring thoughts out on paper has relieved me. I feel better and full of confidence and resolution. ~ Diet Eman, Things We Couldn’t Say

Feeling a little stuck? Not sure what to write or how to start? At a loss for ideas? There are a range of journaling techniques that you can use to get your thoughts on to paper. In the Journal for the Modern Goddess we suggest the following three (3) journaling techniques:

1. Asking Yourself Questions – In our guided sections (Dreams and Inspirations; Moving Forward; Gratitude and Happiness), we provide a number of questions that allows the journal owner to ask herself. By asking herself the questions she can start to journal her answers and allow her answers to flow.

Our questions are guides; therefore any journal writer can ask herself a range of questions such as “how do I feel at this moment in time?” “What makes me happy?” “What changes are going on around me and how do they affect me?” etc.

Asking yourself questions provides you with prompts to move from not writing to writing, and from there you can allow your pen to flow.

2. Guided Meditations – Our journal comes with a companion guided meditation CD and we encourage the journal owner to write down her experiences from the meditation and if there are any actions she may need to take to move her forward in her life.

Meditation allows a person to relax and journaling directly after listening to a meditation CD is powerful because the insights you gained through your journey can be put onto paper immediately.

3. Free Flow Writing – We have also offered journal pages for the journal owner to write whatever she feels like without being guided. Some call this “intuitive writing” and others call it “free writing”. Free flow writing has one rule, and that is, there are no rules.

Free flow writing is you put pen to paper and write whatever comes into your head. If it is “I don’t know what to write”, then you write that and any thought or feeling, you write and you don’t stop. At first you may set yourself a time limit of 10 minutes and over time you may increase the time.

During this time you do not worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar, capitalisation, paragraph breaks etc. Do not worry if it doesn’t make sense, because you are writing purely for you. Free flow writing leads you places you never would have imagined. Allow your thoughts to flow and your pen will naturally move without you having to think about it.

Overall journaling can be an effective tool of healing and self-empowerment for everyone. There are many more techniques beside the ones I’ve mentioned; however it is recommended that you find the techniques that suit you. Once you become confident in journaling, explore and experiment with other techniques.

What is your favourite journaling technique?

Blessings, Nicole x

Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself. ~ Robin S. Sharma

Journaling is the practice of documenting and exploring your thoughts and feelings surrounding the events and issues of your life. It is more than keeping a diary and recording the activities of your life.  Journaling allows you to clarify your thoughts and feelings, and process them so you can gain clarity and valuable self-knowledge.  It’s about looking within at your own thoughts and perceptions.

Here are my top seven (7) benefits of journaling:

1. Reduces Stress – Journaling has a proven benefit of reducing stress. The process of writing your thoughts and feelings down allows you to let go, and not carry as much with you throughout your day. This is a powerful form of self-expression, and through that expression you can gain clarity, release, and relief.

2. Increases Focus – Taking the time to journal can help you disentangle thoughts and ideas so that you can identify your true feelings and bring a clearer focus to what you want. This allows you to begin to live your life to the fullest.

[Read more…]

If you realised just how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative word. ~ Peace Pilgrim

Dove has done it again! If you’re a sensitive soul, have the tissues ready.

In celebration of International Women’s Day on the 8th March, the following film, “Mes Pensées” (“Inner Thoughts”) was launched on French TV.

Created by Dove France and Ogilvy & Mather Paris the film highlights how critical we can be to ourselves, and encourages women to start sharing positive thoughts about themselves, using the hashtag #PenséeQuiRendBelle or, in English, #OneBeautifulThought.

‘One Beautiful Thought’ is an empowering writing prompt for the start of your day.

My positive thought for the day: I have a kind heart.

What’s yours?

Blessings, Nicole x

It is virtually impossible to write a journal and not discover more about yourself.
~ Stephanie Dowrick

A journal is a record of your thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences.  It is more than a diary entry.  Journaling is a way of recording life and emotions, and discovering parts of yourself you may never have known existed.  Journaling can be script, drawing, painting, collage… whatever you feel you need it to be.

Journaling is not a modern phenomenon, with recordings traced back to 55AD China. During the Renaissance period the Western world began journaling regularly, and ladies of the court in tenth century Japan used pillow books to record their dreams and thoughts with images and poetry.  Travel logs were also used as journals in both the Eastern and Western worlds throughout history, and used to record details of places, people, navigational insights, botanical and other information.

Journaling is a great way to challenge our beliefs and assumptions.  It helps us delve into the experience and meanings of what is happening in our lives, as well as how these experiences are affecting us.

Journaling can be an intensely uplifting experience, but it can also be overwhelmingly emotional as we explore our past and search for answers to current dilemmas.  According to Hannah Braime of BecomingWhoYouAre.net, “Exploring uncomfortable emotions, incidents and facts can be challenging in all kinds of ways… (however) if you commit to facing discomfort, you have the opportunity to reap big rewards.”

People journal for a variety of reasons, in a variety of styles, using a variety of media.  Some people journal to record memories, to improve their writing, to develop self-discipline or help change bad habits, to reach new levels of self-discovery.  The reasons are endless, but overwhelmingly journaling gives people a space to develop their thoughts.

I journal to process challenging times, clear my mind and to help me get ‘unstuck’.  Why do you journal?.

Blessings, Nicole x