The Journaling Journey
I had a very unstable relationship with my dad, right up to the day he died. But he gave me some of the best advice, that I will always be incredibly grateful for. He told me to always journal so that I could look back on my life and remember the moments that impacted me. It sounded like the deepest truth that my heart needed at the time.
During my teenage years, I would spend hours (maybe even days) curled up somewhere in my bedroom dreaming and writing. Outside my bedroom felt like a minefield of tension and emotional absence. If you walked into my room, you would most likely find me laying sprawled out on my floor with my journal, a candle, my large stereo system rotating through my latest favourite CDs (remember those?!). Journaling, creating with words was my most favourite outlet to express my feelings. It felt like a safe space to land, where I didn’t have to overthink what I wrote, and I was allowed to be completely myself. Thankfully, my journal did feel like a safe space. I never felt like my family invaded my privacy and I’m very grateful for that. (My heart goes out to you if this wasn’t the case. I hope that you can build that trust again and find a safe space in your journal to voice your truth.)
My journaling practice was on and off again throughout my early twenties and although I always enjoyed writing in my journal, it wasn’t a consistent practice until the last couple of years. Finding time to write often felt like a luxury for special occasions, especially with young children.
In 2020, when the world shut down and everything went upside down, I needed something that I could rely on. A place to unleash the waves of emotions rising and falling within my heart. Allowing my pen to flow on my page felt like the best therapy and I realized how much I had missed writing and how important it was for me to find some regular rhythm with this sacred practice.
Consistency doesn’t have to be every day. It doesn’t have to be pages and pages long. Some days my journaling is just a sentence or two or a question that keeps rolling around in my mind. Other days, its pages in length, keeping me up until late in the night. Regardless, getting the words out of my head and onto the page holds great relief. The release of emotions and energy pent up in my thoughts coming out onto the page helps me breathe a little bit deeper in my life. Practicing writing is a form of meditation or prayer to my Divine Source. It is my way to connect to my deepest wisdom, that is so easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of life.
We all have this intuition within us, our lifeline to a universal knowledge that will always offer us guidance when we ask. I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself in front of a blank page uncertain of where I am going in life and terrified to write a single word on the page. (“Where do I even begin?”) So I start with a simple sentence or a question that I am struggling to find an answer that makes sense to me. And I let my pen keep going. That’s the trick. Don’t hold back, let it continue, noticing what comes up. Observe the way your hand just seems to know the words to write without you thinking about it. Whenever this happens to me, I am in awe at how brilliant the response is that appears on my page.
This is a great way to build up your intuition as well. Start slowly with small, comfortable questions or topics like:
· how do I want to spend this upcoming weekend?
· What is an activity for fun I want to plan?
· What do I really appreciate about my life in this season?
Trust and remind yourself that you are safe here and now to answer these questions without having a plan, without having a direction and see where it takes you.
Journal writing doesn’t need to make sense to anyone but you (maybe it doesn’t even make sense to you). This form of writing is about allowing emotions to be released from within so that we aren’t carrying excessive baggage around with us when it’s not necessary. Let it go, let it be messy!
If you would like some support or encouragement building your journaling practice, know that I’m here for you to answer any questions you may have. Cheering you on through this beautiful growth journey that we are walking along.
Happy Writing!