Journaling Can Guide, Inspire and Heal
I came across an article about journaling and the many kinds of journals people keep. I don't know that mine is any one kind but it sure has provided me with an outlet for my emotions.
I started journaling when my youngest was 15. She was going through a tough time as a young adult wanting more freedom than her parents were willing to give. Looking back, she really wasn't that difficult at all, just being a typical teen-ager. At the time though it seemed like she was hell bent on making my life difficult. Journaling gave me a place to vent and basically feel sorry for myself without anyone making any judgements.
After she got her driver's license life seemed so much better to her and the two of us eventually became good friends again. Still I continued to write. Sometimes to vent, other times to write down my dreams, blessings I was grateful for or just write down things I had observed about life. Sometimes I'd read what I had written before and gained a little insight to happenings in my life. Things I would do differently, unresolved issues that needed attention or
successes and challenges.
I am still journaling 13 years later. My writing now includes my business , my grandchildren and my son in Iraq. I'll continue to vent (especially about the war) and be grateful for the many blessings in my life. I don't write everyday but I do when I feel that I need to express myself and don't necessarily need someone to respond.
I would recommend journaling for everyone. It can be a tool to help you find the beautiful things in life when things look bleak. I started writing in a simple notebook but I've seen beautiful journals that would really be fun to write in. If you've never done it, I suggest you try it. You'll get to know yourself a little bit better!
I also recommend you try some products from Gathered From The Garden LLC!
www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
I found an intesting article that builds on making New Year's Resolutions:
Live Your Dreams
From an article by Rosemary Molinary (Health, March 2006)
Life lists help you set and achieve important goals. Are you ready to start living your dreams?
The act of writing down a year’s worth of goals helped me move from “What if I did this?” to “When will I do this?” That’s also the idea behind life lists, which have become the power tools for helping people like me reshape their lives. They can’t be viewed as simple to-do lists, though. “A life list helps you focus on finally doing things you’ve imagined will make your life better,” says Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run International, a North Carolina–based running and character-building program for preteen girls.
Life lists can work for you, too. And these tips from the experts can help you get started.
Tap into your passions.
Before starting a list, consider this: If I were to take my last breath at 3 p.m. tomorrow, what will I regret not having done? “
Set a special day to make your list.
Each year, create your life list on a day that’s meaningful for you. Start by reviewing your previous year’s successes, accomplishments, and challenges. Then consider what you still want to have, to be, and to do.
Test your limits.
Don’t stick to ordinary tasks that you have never made time for or have avoided doing. Include challenges that take you into unfamiliar, even scary, territory.
Revisit and revise—often.
Your life changes over time, so should your list. Put it in a place where you see it every day. But don’t get stuck on the details. Being flexible allows you to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way.
— Rosie Molinary is a freelance writer living in
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Five Inspiring Women
I was checking out a website (Health.com) and I came across a short article about five inspiring women. It got me to thinking. Who would I pick as five women who have inspired me? I've worked with lots of women, lived with lots of women (in college and at home), talked with lots of women and read about a lot of women. It should be easy to pick five.
The first one that came to mind is my best friend, Gail. She was also my college roommate. She has a wonderful sense of humor, is compassionate, smart and we have the best of times. She is an adminstrator of a school, a mother, a wife, a sister and a dear friend. She's a great role model for young girls. I'm sure she has inspired many women, not just me.
The second one is my mother. We haven't always seen eye-to-eye on things throughout the years but I am inspired by her. She is very strong in her faith and her convictions. She is compassionate, generous, talented in many areas and extremely family oriented. I am inspired by her ability to keep all of these as she ages.
The more I thought about this, the more I realized I would have a hard time limiting this to just five. I have to include all of my sisters. (5 of them !) Each one of them has some truly unique talents and experiences. They are all extremely hard-working, intelligent, funny and creative. Each has coped with adversity with strength and grace. I have been inspired by each one as they travel their own distinct paths.
I have been inspired by my two daughters. They also are intelligent, funny, creative and nurturing women. They are successful in their careers, yet are still family oriented. I have especially enjoyed getting to know them as adults. I'm inspired by their courage to forge new paths. (Something I wasn't so willing to do at their age.) They aren't afraid to embrace change.
One last woman that has inspired me is one I really didn't know very well. It's my mother's mother. She died when I was eight years old. I have heard stories about how she raised 16 children- many of those years as a widow living on a farm. I'm sure she relied on her faith, her family and her guts to see her through those tough years. She managed to keep her family together. I'm inspired that she could do all of this in a time when women weren't supposed to be the strong ones. I'd like to think that if I had to face such trying times that I would have inherited some of her faith and her guts!
Who are the women who inspire you? Mine aren't moviestars or superstars. They are ordinary women who do extraordinary things every day. I think they should all stand up and take a bow!
Some of these women have inspired me and encouraged me in my handmade bath and body products business: Gathered From The Garden LLC. I'd like to send them a big THANK YOU!
I was checking out a website (Health.com) and I came across a short article about five inspiring women. It got me to thinking. Who would I pick as five women who have inspired me? I've worked with lots of women, lived with lots of women (in college and at home), talked with lots of women and read about a lot of women. It should be easy to pick five.
The first one that came to mind is my best friend, Gail. She was also my college roommate. She has a wonderful sense of humor, is compassionate, smart and we have the best of times. She is an adminstrator of a school, a mother, a wife, a sister and a dear friend. She's a great role model for young girls. I'm sure she has inspired many women, not just me.
The second one is my mother. We haven't always seen eye-to-eye on things throughout the years but I am inspired by her. She is very strong in her faith and her convictions. She is compassionate, generous, talented in many areas and extremely family oriented. I am inspired by her ability to keep all of these as she ages.
The more I thought about this, the more I realized I would have a hard time limiting this to just five. I have to include all of my sisters. (5 of them !) Each one of them has some truly unique talents and experiences. They are all extremely hard-working, intelligent, funny and creative. Each has coped with adversity with strength and grace. I have been inspired by each one as they travel their own distinct paths.
I have been inspired by my two daughters. They also are intelligent, funny, creative and nurturing women. They are successful in their careers, yet are still family oriented. I have especially enjoyed getting to know them as adults. I'm inspired by their courage to forge new paths. (Something I wasn't so willing to do at their age.) They aren't afraid to embrace change.
One last woman that has inspired me is one I really didn't know very well. It's my mother's mother. She died when I was eight years old. I have heard stories about how she raised 16 children- many of those years as a widow living on a farm. I'm sure she relied on her faith, her family and her guts to see her through those tough years. She managed to keep her family together. I'm inspired that she could do all of this in a time when women weren't supposed to be the strong ones. I'd like to think that if I had to face such trying times that I would have inherited some of her faith and her guts!
Who are the women who inspire you? Mine aren't moviestars or superstars. They are ordinary women who do extraordinary things every day. I think they should all stand up and take a bow!
Some of these women have inspired me and encouraged me in my handmade bath and body products business: Gathered From The Garden LLC. I'd like to send them a big THANK YOU!
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