Journal Writers BookFIVE ESSENTIALS
OF A HIGH FLYING
JOURNALLING
PRACTICE

Journalling Practice Essentials
JournallingThe essentials of the Journal Writing for Success approach to modern journal writing

There is ho-hum journalling commonly practised as a pastime that doesn’t change your life in any way. If you tell people you’re into journal writing, they may think that’s what you’re doing – writing about what your aunt gave you for tea in 2006, or documenting your war with your body! The practice of modern journalling has nothing at all to do with a boring re-iteration of what already is! Closely tracking things that you don’t like can, perversely, even reinforce them.

Modern journalling is about achieving clarity and purpose

It’s about you becoming more you, and increasing your happiness, wellbeing and flow wherever you can. You listen and tune in to your hopes, dreams and desires, and you also listen to the beliefs and conditioning that make you shut them down, and you work to liberate yourself.

Modern journalling is a fusion of spiritual practice, personal and business coaching, self expression and dynamic life planning. If it’s not fun or you’re not sure where to take it, a little guidance can make all the difference. There’s just no other method where you’re so completely in charge and where you can cultivate being present with yourself and combine this with creativity, self expression and moving up on through your own self imposed limitations as well as the glass ceilings imposed upon you.

Journalling is not about creating a final product, but a way of life. You have the opportunity to use creative tools to reflect on your life and grow your unique authentic self. You can express yourself, work out your ideas, go over the edge and come back shining and resourced.

Journal writing book reviewsHere are the five essentials that combine together in a unique way in modern journal writing.
  1. Presence, which also includes self respect, love of yourself and an open heart.  Being present to and with yourself is the greatest gift you can give both yourself and those around you. Being present while journalling is fun and easy compared with many forms of meditation,  as it is easier to maintain your concentration and focus while you are writing a journal prompt.  You earn to give yourself spaciousness, and clarity arises as a natural result.
  2. Focus. Focused attention, or focus combined with presence, is a tremendous resource, and it’s the way you can attain every single important thing that’s worth having.  To be joyfully in the moment and give a topic all of your attention, not with your attention split in all different directions, makes you dynamically effective. Focus needs to be combined with being present, centred and open-hearted, otherwise it can be purely intellectual.  An intellectual focus alone will not offer you the most satisfying solutions to your needs and problems.
  3. Creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness. Many brilliant ideas are birthed during journalling sessions because journalling provides all the elements needed for creativity: a stimulus to move you into flow, the encouragement and enjoyment to stay there, and acceptance of the value of the journey in and of itself. You go beyond narrative, beyond the ordinary everyday mind. I have seen many people’s lives rise and fall based on how much space they give to their creativity and how much respect and serious attention they give it. It is shocking that imagination and creativity have, in some circles, been reduced to something trivial, “just a hobby” and not connected with how you earn a living.
  4. Recognising where you really are, and where you want to get to. This can be challenging but it is a necessary first stage in learning what you want  – from recognising what you do not want, or what does not serve you any longer.  You listen to your hopes, dreams and desires, and you also listen to the beliefs, assumptions and conditioning that makes you shut them down. When you become aware of how your beliefs and assumptions have been controlling you, you can begin to close the gap and set your heart on what really calls you in life. This successful journalling approach rests on being able to leverage the art of guided and constructive self reflection.
  5. Vibrational alignment. You can use your journal as the focal point where you work on setting the bar on how you want to feel. When you are struggling, focus on gratitude and appreciation of what is working, and what is relatively ok. This in itself makes a big difference to how you feel and how effective you are in all kinds of situations. When you can make one small improvement in an area of life that is not too challenging, you can take another step. You gather momentum by getting into positive flow in any area that you can, a principle known as “entrainment” or “shoaling”.   There is simply no better place to carry out this work than in your journal.
Journal Writers Companion Book Alyss Thomas Review

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