Healing During the Holidays...

Journal Your Way Through

By Contributor,
Angela B. Thompson

‘Tis the Season for Journaling!

 

Some of us find the holidays one of the most enjoyable times of the year, while others find it a very difficult time to get through because of personal, financial or emotional concerns. Through journaling you can record your thoughts, dreams, emotions, aspirations, fears, triumphs and experiences in a small writing book, PC, electronic tablet, or notebook. 

Journaling is self expressive.  No one is looking over your shoulder.  So you do not have to be concerned with grammar or spelling. It’s an intimate way to be self-expressive with SELF. If you can look at your situation(s) in a mature way, what would you change?

The psychological definition for the term MATURITY is used to indicate how a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner (Wikipedia.com). What’s appropriate to one may not necessarily be appropriate to another.  That’s the beauty in journaling.  You can be as free and expressive as you want!

No matter how old one becomes there is always a lesson to be learned.  There is something to be said about the process of maturity.  Not necessarily with age comes maturity, but maturity is an aged process. 

Living in a world that has embraced the fast pace, everything has to be quick, fast and in a hurry in order to be a measure of importance and value.  There are some things that are learned in progression, over a period of time.  Take for instance, any fine cook or chef will tell you that from experience some of the most delectable meals are made on a slow burner, savoring the essence and the flavor of that particular dish; allowing the natural flavoring, the nectar and nutrients to deliciously blend together. 

Journaling Exercise 1:

Question:  What areas of your life do you need to put on the slow burner, add some spice to and stir up?  Take as long as you like to freewrite (write without stopping) any thoughts that come to mind after reading this question.  Don’t worry about the grammar, spelling or forming complete sentences.  Express yourself freely and naturally. Just as a fine wine once aged is sipped and hits the palate; or the magnificence of the morning glory flower covered with dew unfolding its beauty at daybreak; or the conception of life, the act of birth, and the nurturing of our children- these progressions cannot be appreciated without the necessary steps preceding its natural order. 

 

Through journaling you can form a creative expression that gives you the opportunity to turn the filter off to openly listen and communicate with yourself (emotionally, socially and wholly) while working through your holiday challenges.

Journaling Exercise 2:

Instead of complaining about life’s little lessons, how about taking the mature route and plan a better future for 2013?  List five things that you want to accomplish next year and what resources you may need to accomplish your goals in year 2013. 

Happy Journaling!~~

Angela B. Thompson is an author and expressive writing coach.  She believes in the power of words transforming the ordinary to extraordinary.  She teaches others to find their own creative expression through their written inspiration.   For more info on her work—express yourself at: www.realyricals.weebly.com