Create more joy!

Introduction

Journaling is one of the most important activities that you can do for self-analysis, self-awareness and mindfulness to help you move forward in your life.  I know that’s a very profound statement about something that has been around for centuries, and in recent times, as a means of venting teenage nostalgic hormonal outbursts.  Aha! Is there a healing element to teenagers expressing themselves in this way?  Is it a place to make sense of their lives and record the good, the bad and the not-so-good?  Yes, of course, but on a deeper level than what is on the surface.  The nostalgia comes later, when reading over those pages of life’s lessons, and you identify where you are now and how far you have come, in comparison.  There may be an identification of who had an influence on you in your life journey and what situations have unfolded to shape who you are today. You may see the paths in which your life has weaved, ascended and descended to the crossroads, that winded you to where you are today.

I began journaling a number of years ago when my Reiki path was in its infancy, but my Spiritual path was a bit further down the road.  It was suggested that we keep a record, a diary, a journal of what transpired over the 21 days of self-healing, which is the norm after a Reiki attunement. I thought that this was the key to tracking my life and ensuring the good, the mystical and the inspired moments were recorded and never forgotten.  It transpired that it also helped me observe and record my daily interactions, actions, situations and events that unfolded.  I began to view elements within my life as my creation, which led to a greater awareness of my emotions and triggers that I needed to acknowledge and change.  I knew that I would have more opportunities to change my actions, or even better, not to react and take the mindful route of being present. Everything cycles in life until we get the message.

These cycles are the returning of a pre-sent moment to give us the insight we need about ourselves, so we can move on in our lives with a clear understanding of who we really are, in the scheme of creation.  I know I’m jumping way ahead and getting a bit deep, but ultimately our story begins at birth, and we spend our lives searching for something, nearly remembering that which slips through our mind, like a deja vu or an imprint of a memory that we once had before.

Until we are aware of our own lives and take responsibility for our actions by releasing and letting go, we can take a step forward in remembering why we are here and our role within our story.

Reiki practice, Logging and tracking

Using your journal to document self-treatments is a great way to gain insights into your emotions, thoughts, and the healing process that occurs.

Logging and tracking the treatments you perform on others is a powerful way to assess your progression in healing.  Gaining insight into your own particular, unique way of healing and the intuitive communication process that happens during a session.  Communication often occurs through metaphors, picture messages, words, feelings, and even songs.  Logging these is a great way to know what the message means.  Logging sensations, movements, actions, and colours, etc. (the list goes on), but it’s essential to record them for future reference.

If you meditate, you can record your experiences, and you may be presented with insights that assist you in life.  Going a little deeper, it’s paramount to record experiences, insights, and soul communications, whether from your higher self or your guides.  These experiences are entangled with the different layers of consciousness and can easily be misinterpreted or pieces forgotten, so it’s good practice to log these right away.

Journaling as a powerful tool for self-transformation

Every day is an opportunity to heal and transform.  Scientific research suggests that the act of writing or typing engages your left brain, which is characterised as logical, analytical, and rational. While your left brain is preoccupied, your right brain is free to create, intuit and feel. Writing, therefore, removes mental blocks, helps to externalise thoughts and feelings, almost like a ‘brain dump’.  This allows you to momentarily clear the filters, blocks and resistance to gain intuitive insight about yourself and creates the space for a balanced ‘ brain connection’.

The brain is the information screen of our thoughts, but it is our subconscious that is the storage house.  Interestingly, the negative aspects of our lives tend to be readily recalled at the drop of a hat, whether they were invited or not.  Good memories and emotions seem to be scarce and far between for some, as the bad often takes precedence over the good.  Even though there are so many good memories, they don’t get a look in due to the programming of the mind.  The programming could be filled with thoughts and beliefs surrounding guilt, blame, and possibly feelings of unworthiness.  Once something ‘bad’ happens, it puts the mind into a spiral of attracting similar and familiar recalls of bad experiences, which justifies and confirms the initial memory recall and associated feelings.  It is a self-fulfilling mechanism, which constantly reinforces itself.  The underlying principle of this cycle of ‘bad’ memories or emotions is a protection system set up by your subconscious, so that you do not get hurt again or experience an unfavourable situation again.

How about being able to recall good memories and change the way our storage house sends these thoughts and feelings to the brain? This is achieved by instilling positivity into your life and replacing those old thought patterns.

We need to take a step backwards to move forward. Yes, you read this correctly! By stepping back into our subconscious resources to recall good, positive memories and feelings, we can reprogram our minds. When we think and feel about all the good things in our lives, we empower ourselves, break the pattern of unworthiness, and start being grateful.  We are also sending the message to our subconscious that it is safe, we are safe, and we no longer need to be protected.

Gratefulness and appreciation are powerful emotions and among the highest vibrational states to be, next to joy and love. How about cultivating a sense of joy through gratitude and appreciation for the things in your life, simply by remembering and writing them down? This practice also releases endorphins and dopamine that will physiologically boost your mood.

Sounds simple, right? That’s how simple it can be! With every bad memory recall, there is always a corresponding dualistic positive memory. Whether it is a memory of a certain interaction with a person, a situation, or an event, there is always positivity. One personal example is a memory of my grandad in a coffin in my family home, I was only six. I had no understanding of the death experience and no idea what was going on and why my father figure was no longer with us. The positive memory I have is not of that scene, but of how he always walked me to school and the good memories I have to cherish, like the ‘Chips-highway patrol’ book he purchased for me in Smithfield Market when I was crippled with a migraine. I am grateful I got to know him, and I can still feel the connection now as I type because of this feeling of love, appreciation and gratitude raising my vibration.

Another example is when I had a head injury a few years back.  It was crippling and a trying time for me, as I was bedded for six months and I still displayed symptoms for several years after. I know that if that hadn’t happened, I would be on a slightly different path, and I wouldn’t have had those specific experiences. One of which led me to travel to India to connect with the Himalayan mountains, Tibetan Buddhists and other people around the world.  The incident ultimately allowed me to connect to myself on a deeper level.

What we are doing with this practice is associating the good with the bad, so we can achieve a more balanced emotional state when recalling memories, and also have the tools to overcome other situations that may arise in our lives. Effectively, we are reprogramming our well-being by practising positive emotional states through positive memory recall.

Positive reinforcement journaling (Gratitude List)

How about sitting every day or once a week and recalling the happy times in your life? Even if that is a stretch right now, why not start with the simple things:

• Perhaps the places you have travelled to.  The sunsets you have seen and experienced, the sound of the waves on the beach and how peaceful it made you feel.
• How about those events, concerts, workshops you have attended or people you have met along your journey in life? How they have impacted you positively and the learning, tools and direction that you have taken or may have taken, as a result.
• Perhaps you were walking down the street with a loved one, holding hands and recalling how it made you feel, along with the sounds of the wind or the scent of cologne or perfume. That sense of comfort, security and contentment.
• The way your friend, family or partner made a particular meal or dish and the smell, taste and love with which it was made.  A pet that you loved and how they made you feel.
• Something you have achieved in life, such as an award, passing an exam or even a driving test. Perhaps it’s something you’ve overcome, gained, or feel proud of. Delve into those feelings of empowerment, strength, courage, satisfaction and accomplishment.

Reach into and harness all those feelings in your life. Formulate a daily gratitude list of everything in your life and transform those thoughts into a positive outlook. Own and honour them as your truth too! Integrate them into your way of life, into your being.  Recording, writing them down, feeling, seeing, and experiencing them over and over again through your journal. Reflect on them each time you feel down, fearful or discouraged, for these positive feelings will transform your life, transform your thinking and reprogram your brain.

Acknowledge your subconscious thoughts, recollections, triggers, and way of being, as they are a benevolent gift that shows you the things that need letting go.

Positive reinforcement can help you with your daily confusions, questions, procrastinations and self-doubts. We create what we think and feel, but we also act upon these same attributes. Start building positive memories. Why not create happiness and joy NOW! Why not act from a state of joy and gratitude?

A great way to enhance this process is to include affirmations.  You can write affirmations alongside your goals and even create daily affirmations to help transform patterns.

Manifesting through journaling

As you begin to log everything, you may become more aware and mindful of yourself, and in turn, you begin to remove obstacles and resistance to certain things in your life. The next step is to use journaling for manifesting and consciously creating your reality and the things in your life.  You can add goals, dreams, aspirations, and desires that you wish to draw to you.  Accompany this with a vision board or use your journal as a collection of visuals like a scrapbook section with pictures.   Get creative! There are lots of ways this can be done, but we’ll get into that another time.

How and where to start your journal

The first step is to buy a notebook to write in.  Maybe a notebook that reflects your personality.  A particular design, pattern, texture or cover adds a personal touch.  You can put personal photos, symbols, places or faces within the first few pages, if you like.  Again, you are establishing a connection to a vital tool in your life. Alternatively, you can use an electronic journal, as I did, and I continue to use.  As I knew i could never read my writing (i’m a scribbler) the only other way was to compile a journal on my laptop.  I started with Word documents, which was not a good system for keeping everything succinct and organised.  I came across a great free program which was perfect for holding everything together and searching keywords to make important connections.  I could add images and links but most importantly i could search certain key words to link ideas, visions or insights that i had.  You can also add a password to access the program, if necessary.

Free software program I used: http://www.splinterware.com/products/idailydiary.htm

My layout for each page in the diary was based on specific attributes which were personal to me, some of which are below:

• Daily Interactions
• Meditation
• Self treatments
• Sessions for others
• Dreams

I found that altered states of consciousness, such as those in meditation, healing, daydreams and dreams, are all tools to give you insight into areas of your life and more.  They can all be connected if the same insight is coming through, so be aware of synchronicities and common themes.  We are essentially beginning to listen to our soul!

Set aside time daily, preferably in the morning or evening, to log entries in your journal.  If you are attuned to Reiki or another healing modality, then call it in, as it assists in raising your vibration, helps balance your mind for coherence, and facilitates a better connection. This isn’t necessary, though, so if you are not attuned to a healing modality, close your eyes and take deep breaths until you are relaxed, allowing your thoughts to flow from a balanced state.

You could also add an intention before you start: ‘ I wish to connect to my higher mind to give me insight into my life.  Let my thoughts and feelings flow with ease, as I am a clear channel of communication. Help me release and transform my patterns, as i allow the stream of positivity, wisdom, and creation enter into my being. ‘

You will start to develop your own approach to journaling and determine what works for you. If you forget one day, catch up on the next; don’t be hard on yourself.  Do not see it as another thing on the ‘to-do’ list. Once you get into the flow, it will become second nature.

Enjoy!