Each year, I strive to add something new and special to our family holiday celebration. Whether it’s as simple as a new cookie recipe, a planned excursion to a community Christmas tree lighting, or inviting a guest to our celebration, I find that something special and most usually, goofy, ... Views: 849
I remember learning to write thank you notes as a child. I thought I was being schooled in manners. But I’ve realized that the greatest benefits of expressing gratitude are not about social etiquette at all.
People who keep regular gratitude journals are physically, healthier, more ... Views: 782
A good friend advised me one day that when life verges on “overwhelm,” that the best course is to take one “whelm” at a time. In trying to be the best wife, mother, friend, and professional that I can be, life can get “lifey” and I am forced to sit down, center myself, and go back to basics.
... Views: 747
At a recent meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, a young woman brought up the topic of anger to be discussed. She wanted to know how to get over her feelings of resentment over being an alcoholic. New to sobriety, the woman expressed her dismay over other “normal” people’s ability to handle liquor ... Views: 2107
Whether we are dealing with a career change, divorce, loss of a parent, empty nest, or simply the urging to expand our horizon, journal writing is an effective way to navigate the change.
Our physical surroundings may change and our perspectives may evolve, but how does one prepare for ... Views: 1153
New schools… new family dynamics… new relationships… new jobs… new bodies… new projects…new perspectives…
September has always been a season of change for me. As a mother, wife, daughter, teacher and business professional, many opportunities for development and growth seem to present ... Views: 708
There was so much we had to say to each other.
The doctors had just given my father an estimated six more months of life, if and only if, he followed the regimented chemotherapy treatment. True to character and with much self-reflection, my father refused the treatment – deciding instead to ... Views: 4002
Putting our thoughts on paper can be a powerful experience – especially so with a journaling tool called Unsent Letters. Unsent letters can be a great way to attain all of one of the Four C’s:
• Closure
• Clarity
• Confidence
• Calm
The three most powerful Unsent ... Views: 953
Have you experienced moments when everything seemed to “flow?” Moments when you didn’t have to struggle or force things to happen – as if a magic wand was leading the way?
For writers and journalers, “the flow” means having words literally flow effortlessly on the page versus a painful ... Views: 894
Much has been written about the physical health benefits of expressive journal writing: reduced stress, improved immune system function, reduced depressive symptoms, improved liver and lung function, and reduced blood pressure – to name a few. Of lesser emphasis in research papers and in the ... Views: 936
Looking for a meaningful activity to deepen your relationship with Christ this Lenten season? Start a Spiritual Journal! A spiritual journal is an excellent tool for creating an ongoing dialog with the Lord. You can explore your faith through your writing and reflection, allowing you to gain ... Views: 5011
One year, as I sat down to write my annual family Christmas letter (yes, I am one of “those people”), I was overcome with a severe case of writer’s block. It had been a difficult year and I could not motivate myself to write my usual greeting filled with joyous memoires of shared experiences and ... Views: 1410
Having recently moved my residence, I just had to take some time to reflect on the experience and the many parallels to my career, my family and my overall state of being – all of this of course neatly but randomly noted in my latest journal.
Hailed as yet another component within “the grand ... Views: 919