{Day 13}: journaling 101

I was eighteen when I started my first journal. Oh, I had written down other things before that, like starting two or three diaries and never finishing them.

Remember those, with the lock and key on them? Nope. Never could stick with those. 

Instead, I began journaling in earnest in my eighteenth year after going through a deep heartbreak.

I bought a 5 x 7 three ring binder. I found some blue quilted fabric with flowers on it in my mom's sewing stash, and some white eyelet trim. I covered that three ring binder by laying it out on the fabric and cutting carefully around it to make it fit just right. I sewed the eyelet lace and fabric around the binder by hand. 

My first journal. 

I made it mainly for writing my prayers and thoughts down. I wasn't told I "should" do this (then, I likely wouldn't have done it!), or that it would deepen my relationship with God or improve my mental health if I kept a journal. This was something that a little voice inside of me said would be a good idea. I've never looked back. 

Writing down prayers and thoughts has been a life-line for my soul. It's truly been a soul spa that I've turned to on a mostly daily basis to clear the soul clutter, pray or just sort out my feelings.

Often, just sitting down with pen and journal and writing out my emotions on a particular issue, the answer will somehow make itself known to me as I'm writing.  

It's like writing down my thoughts and feelings is the key that unlocks answers to my questions.  Often it is a great catalyst to problem solving.

Writing down my prayers helps me stay focused. It also provides a record of prayers, questions, and problems I needed answers to. I've been able to go back days, months, even years later and see how those things have been answered. And, thankfully, I've been able to see how I've grown and changed over the years as I've learned a few things. :)

Maybe you're saying to yourself, "I just can't journal. I've tried. It's not for me." Maybe, you're right. Maybe this isn't for you. 

What about writing down three things a day that you're grateful for? Even that is a spa for your soul as you take a few moments to focus on the good.

Thanks for joining me today, friends!

~Anne

Today is Day 13 of 31 Days of Soul Spas. I'm so glad you've joined me, or even if you're just popping in to see what this is all about, Welcome! You can head over to my first post in this series to get a list of all Soul Spa posts!

Writing for the month of October with a tribe of writers. We all picked our own topic and they can all be found over at write31days.com.

how to unearth the {JOY}

Linking up today with the community of writers at Lisa Jo Baker's blog for Five Minute Friday. Today her writing prompt is joy. The idea is to write for just five minutes on the prompt of the day. No backtracking or worrying about perfection. Won't you come and join us?

Sometimes the joy is hard to come by. 

Sometimes you wake up in the morning with a scowl on your face and you’d just as soon slip back under the covers and pull them over your head. 

Who wants to face a day without joy?

On those days where joy is hard to come by, what do you do? 

The joy seems to be the hidden treasure. It seems to be at the bottom of a stack of folded woolen blankets that have been stored for spring and summer.

One way, and really the best way I’ve discovered to unearth the joy is with pen and paper. Yes, that’s right. 

Two very simple tools. 

You don’t even need a shovel.

See, those negative emotions have been building up over time. 

Maybe over the week, or the month or the year. Or even your lifetime. The negative emotions have taken up residence and need to be sent on a permanent vacation.

1. Take your pen in your hand. 

Poised to write now, you have your journal or just a piece of paper in front of you.

2. Start writing. 

Write down the anger, the pressure, the responsibilities you have. No one needs to see this. This is for your eyes only.

There is something almost magical.

I can tell you from experience.

There is something magical about this process of letting the negative emotions come out of your heart and soul, down your arm and onto the paper.

It’s like draining the sink of dirty dishwater after your chores.

It clears your heart, your mind and your soul.

I strongly urge you to try this technique if joy has been hard to come by for you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for stopping by today, friend! Here's to finding the joy!

When you might need eight tissues

This is the first time I've been 'brave' enough to join in with the 5 Minute Friday group at lisajobaker.com. This week the prompt is the word, "brave".

The idea is to write for five minutes straight, unedited. Just raw words. Here is what I wrote today. Head over to Lisa's blog to join in!

********************************

GO:

I picked up my pen and grabbed my notebook. Experience tells me that this neck pain is not from a physical or structural cause. It is from negative emotions. I start to write about whatever comes into my head. My lack of good, consistent sleep, blah, blah. 

Then, I start to hit on something deeper. Some feelings that are very hurt. Some feelings that my sub-conscious has been holding onto for while. This time, just a short week or so, but long enough. As I write these feelings down, unedited, I start to sob. I sob so hard that my stomach aches into a tight knot. Before I know it, I’ve used up my napkin from breakfast and eight tissues to mop up the tears.

Why did I not realize that my body was holding on to all of these negative emotions? I kept writing and sobbing and before I knew it, forty five minutes went by.

I could feel guilty for holding on to these emotions.

I could put that on myself. 

But, I didn’t even know that I was doing it!

I’m choosing this time to let myself off the hook and instead embrace my inner self for being able to tap into these feelings and release them. I tell myself, “Anne, you are a brave soul to look deep inside at the pain and write it down. You are brave and I’m for you.”

As my pen layed down on the page, my pain lifted. I’m free.

STOP.