Journaling is about empowerment through self-awareness. It is a process by which you meet your needs for emotional and spiritual cleansing. Journaling removes the cobwebs from your thought processes by recording the ideas, feelings and emotions that are currently distracting to you.
This process is about balance. Journaling gives you access to your inner thoughts and feelings, and removes them from the cluttered storehouse of your unconscious. Then, you can clearly see where you are going from day to day, what you are thinking and what you need to focus on as your growth unfolds.
The world opens up to you when you start journaling because your unconscious receives the message that you are ready to receive information from your inner world.
Self-empowerment through self-knowledge is about entering your world of unconscious activity where you have stored past traumas, hurt feelings and any un-examined life events. When you are open to this process, you will discover much about yourself that has heretofore remained hidden.
Journaling is not a short cut to creative writing, as some would have you believe. It is simply an access point to your inner life where valuable information about who and what you are can be uncovered.
Disregard any other ideas you may have about journaling, especially those that suggest you have to write creatively and with purpose. This is not the case. Journaling is about self-revelation. You are bringing your unconscious self to conscious awareness. Only by knowing what you believe in, and then acting on that information, can you make choices for the better.
The conditioning you received in your early years is still active, even if it no longer rises to conscious awareness. That's what repeating patterns of behavior are all about. We are being driven by some part of us that believes in unquestioned and outdated ideas. Once you see these patterns, and the ideas that drive them, you can interrupt your automatic responses and make new choices.
Prepare yourself for a rough ride, at times, as your unconscious protector-controller tries to steer you away from recognizing this inner activity. This part of you has a big investment in remaining hidden and will resist your pursuit of self-honesty and increased awareness.
In the end you will acquire what you want, because your submerged self wants to come forward and enjoy the same level of freedom you desire.
The old guard, the protector-controller, will put up resistance because it is about to lose its job. Successful journaling requires you listen to all the voices within, including this one. So when that part is active, put it on the page.
Your resistance will hiss and snarl at times of change, so let it do so in your journal. You will see this happen time and time again. It's a struggle, after all, for every part of you. When you choose to make a change for the better, it upsets the old inner balance. Let the resistance have its say in your journal. Only then can you set it aside and resume your forward motion.
Once you begin this process and engage in it regularly, your journaling will become self-activating. Whenever something inside you clamors for attention, you will find yourself reaching for the journal to let it out. Whatever needs attention, put it on the page - good, bad or indifferent. Do not edit or deny what is begging for attention. You will learn that these so-called "negative" parts of you are just scared. Once those feelings are out, you will immediately calm down.
Journaling is a very powerful process of self-communication. It will activate itself time and again as you become accustomed to using it. Begin simply by recording your feelings. Let your inner self tell you what is going on inside. Ask yourself feeling questions, mainly, because we are all capable of rationalizing our thoughts and feelings rather than experiencing them.
When you ask feeling questions, listen for feeling answers and write them down. Your protector-controller will try and dissuade you from going too deep. Feeling questions help you sidetrack that resistance.
"How do I feel about . . . .?" will help you reach the center of any difficulty while bypassing the defenses to awareness of your interior life.
You will discover things about yourself that are truly amazing, secrets you've never revealed to anyone. You will uncover regrets you have had about past experiences, hopes you hold for your future and secret desires that you have never acknowledged. This is your chance to do all that adventurous excavating while clearing your emotional and feeling centre of psychological debris.
This will be a time of great learning accompanied by great frustration. It is all part of the package. Journaling brings out everything and that is always to your benefit.
Do not give up on your recording practices just because things have calmed down. Your journaling sessions will become smoother as time marches on, and you'll be better equipped, in terms of emotional and spiritual strength, to handle each and every crisis that comes your way.
Journaling takes you to the Well of Wisdom from where all answers emerge. Eventually, you will find yourself confronted with the deity that is you, your own holy soul. This encounter will reveal much about who you are and help you secure that connection with your Higher Self.
In time, you will trust that connection so completely that you will begin to access it often, especially when big decisions are at stake. At this point, you will see yourself as a co-creator with your God Source and happily utilize that guidance for every aspect of your life. That is the power of journaling. It puts you in touch with your essential self, which puts you in touch with your Source. We are part of a Divine Matrix and we are all enriched by this connection.
Let Journaling be Your Friend from this point forward.
Maurice Turmel holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology. He was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years providing counseling and therapy to individuals, groups, organizations and families. He is the author of "The Voice - A Metaphor for Personal Development"; "Mythical Times - Exploring Life, Love & Purpose"; and "How to Cope with Grief and Loss - Support, Guidance and Direction for Your Healing Journey". He has been a guest on numerous regional television and radio talk shows and hosts his own radio shows on live365.com/drmauriceturmel and on BlogTalkRadio.com
Email: drmoe2000@gmail.com
Websites: http://www.howtocopewithgriefandloss.com
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