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Ten journal writing prompts to start off your day
Published March 29, 2012 | 
A few questions for your quiet journal writing time today:
1. What do I expect from this day?
2. What do I intend to contribute to today?
3. Is this a day to set some new goals?
4. Or, perhaps this is a day to just be… and see what happens?
5. What one out of the box thing can I do today to stretch myself?
6. What will make me laugh today?
7. What will I forgive today?
8. What and who do I love?
9. What shall I cross off my list of “shoulds”?
10. If this were the last day of my life, what would I do today?
Happy writing!
In Peace,
Debra
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Life Supports Me: A journal writing exercise
Published March 25, 2012 | 
Today for your journal writing time I invite you to think of all the ways life supports you. Don’t give it too much thought. Just write down anything that comes to mind. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many ways life is working with you. To make this exercise even more powerful add gratitude by giving thanks next to each entry.
I will begin so I can give you an example and then you may take over:
Life Supports Me:
1. My cat is always there to sweetly cuddle me or just to be nearby when I am writing, reading, cooking, or watching a movie. Thank you!
2. My husband is there to talk to and hold me when I am upset about something. Thank you!
3. My body is healthy and strong and enables me to do many necessary and wonderful activities throughout my day. Thank you!
4. My parents and brother are always just a phone call away if I ever need anything. Thank you!
5. I have wonderful neighbors who greet me cheerfully anytime I step outside and are just there ( just the other night my wine bottle opener busted and I just walked my bottle of wine next door and my neighbor opened it for me). Thank you!
6. Whenever I am at a loss about something, inspiration seems to strike just as I need it! Thank you!
7. Money is always there when I really need it. Thank you!
8. My bed and pillows support my body as I sleep. Thank you!
9. Just as I am feeling a little tired and burned out at work it is time for the weekend or a school vacation comes along. Thank you!
10. Recently my dream job opened up within walking distance of my home. No more commute! Thank you!
This is a simply marvelous exercise that I encourage you to try.
Happy writing.
In peace,
Debra
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This morning’s entry in my prayer journal
Published March 23, 2012 | 
Dear God,
Thank you for this morning and new day. As my body wakes up I become more aware of the possibilities that are before me.
Thank you for my family.
Thank you for my health.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Amen,
Debra
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A Meditation for tonight: soft , gentle, and tender Spring night
Published March 22, 2012 | 
Tonight, before you go to sleep, meditate on all things soft and gentle. You can think about the day or anything that comes to mind, so long as the image or feeling that comes out is one of softness, tenderness, or gentleness.
I will give you a few examples to get you started. This can be a journal writing exercise as well. You will probably end up feeling very calm and peaceful. You may even end up with a beautiful bedtime verse. Ready to give it a try?
Okay, let’s see…
Soft and gentle was the day today…
gentle breezes on the beach..
The warmth of the sun gently caressing me…
My daughter’s soft skin that I wanted to protect from the skin’s rays
How soft my hair felt after using my new coconut conditioner
My soft slippers I am wearing on my feet right now..
The soft blanket and covers that I will curl up under soon
The soft chorus of frogs I hear singing their lullaby in our pond out back..
Soft, gentle, tender is this Spring night
There is a peaceful softness that comes from a silent but happy household: after the “good nights” are said, the hugs and tender kisses are made..
The soft pillow awaits…sweet tender dreams are there somewhere patiently waiting.
Good night, soft and gentle Spring night!
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Cancelling negative thought patterns that cause anxiety, sleeplessness, and self-doubt: a journal writing exercise.
Published March 21, 2012 | 
Here is a list of common thought patterns that lead to anxiety and sleepless nights:
1. “I am not good enough”
2. “I don’t have enough”
3. “What are they thinking about me”?
4. “I look fat”
5. “I am a failure”
6. “I am broke”
7. “I am a paycheck away from being bankrupt and living on the street”.
8. “That’s impossible!”
9. “I can’t”
10. “I’m no good at___”
These are just a few “bad tapes” that many of us torture ourselves with on a regular basis, over and over again.
We are not born anxious or fearful or self-loathing!
We come out into the world these beautiful perfectly wonderful creatures!
Sometime between the time we were born to the person we are now we have learned and been conditioned to fear and be anxious and feel bad about ourselves(either by parents, siblings,teachers, friends, and other people our environment,media, our culture,etc).
Well, the good news is that we can work on cancelling all this bad thinking.
Tonight in your journal please write down a list of your negative thought patterns that you play on a regular basis. You know you have them. Now write them down. Or if you can’t think of any right now, have a notebook handy and when you catch yourself doing it, you can jot it down. Enlist a spouse or close friend to help. They can “bust you” if they hear you utter any negative self talk.
Once you write a fearful or anxious thought down, draw a big X across the phrase. That step alone would be really great. I also like to imagine myself cutting my own throat when I am thinking or saying one of these toxic messages to myself while yelling: CANCEL!!!!!
Now, you can actually re-write your own thought patterns to the reverse (the positive tape instead)
For example
1. “I can’t” can be cancelled and X’d and then “I can!” can take it’s place.
2. “I am fat” can be cancelled and X’d (really imagine yourself slashing your throat here!) can instead be “I love and appreciate my healthy and beautiful body”.
3. When you see something that you think you can’t afford such as a nice car on the highway, a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood, or a pretty Spring dress on the clothes rack, cancel “I can’t afford this”, and replace it with: “I can afford that!”.
You get the idea. It takes a little time. Be patient with yourself. Perhaps tackle one negative thought pattern at a time.
Before long you will be confident, worry-free, and sleeping like that innocent perfect baby you began your life as!
Cheers to that!
In Peace,
Debra
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Posted in Affirmations, anxiety, Benefits of Journal Writing, Depression, Getting a good night sleep, insomnia, Journal Prompts, journal writing, panic attack, Positive living, Self-empowerment, stress, worry | 
anxiety, cancelling negative self talk, cut throat image, doubting yourself, loss of sleep, negative tapes, self confidence, we were not born with anxiety, worry, writing for healing | 
1 CommentAnxious thoughts flirting with you? 8 ways to stop anxiety before it outright bites and attacks you.
Published March 18, 2012 | 
Anxiety can be subtle and sneaky at times. It may show up unassuming at first…a funny feeling in your stomach, a slight headache, a worry starting up in your mind…
If we let it, anxiety will continue on this journey until it grips, bites, and attacks you in the form of: panic attacks, sleepless nights, depression, and the feeling of helplessness.
Newsflash: we are far from helpless.
Anxiety and the fear it promotes does not become anything of consequence if we don’t grant it a ticket for its reckless ride on us (our bodies, our peace of mind,our jobs, our relationships, our sleep, our health, our life)!
When you first feel that first hint of anxiety presenting itself, here are eight ways to shoo the offender away:
1. Breathe deeply and slowly
2. Realize you are bigger than this. YOU are the one with all of the control and power.
3. Each time you focus you create a new reality. You can choose to not put any energy into anxiety’s arrival.
4. Laugh at it and look it straight on! Fears can’t get much of a grip on us if we face them. So often we will look back and think “why was I so worried or what was I panicked about”?
5. Get busy doing something: exercise, a project, helping someone else.. Keeping our minds and bodies busy at something will often help.
6. You can take John Parkin’s advice in his book: f**ck it . Essentially the message of this great little book is not to care or attach meaning of things in our lives so much and we will be free…let it go, release. Peace!
7. Write in your journal. Writing can be very healing. If you feel worried about something or feel something is not quite right, get it out on paper.
8. Always remember that fear is not real. This too shall pass. Let those anxious thoughts that are flirting with you right now pass by like the clouds on a beautiful breezy Spring day. They will go away!
In Peace,
Debra
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Dealing with difficult people
Published March 4, 2012 | 
Part of daily life with imperfect humans is dealing with difficult people…
In your personal life: spouses, misbehaving children, family members and in laws, noisy neighbors, etc.
At work: gossipy colleagues, micromanaging bosses, complaining customers, etc.
These are just a few examples. Encounters with these people happen to most of us frequently, if not every day.
These events and interactions are stressful. For those of us with people pleasing tendencies they can be the source of great anxiety and loss of sleep.
The thing about life and people is that no matter how hard we try, not everybody is going to like us or behave the way we want them to. We can be the caring and wonderful people that we are and we are still going to have unrational, disgruntled customers or out of control toddlers.
What can we do so that we can have peace restored within us and get our sleep at night?
1. Breathe!
2. Take care of ourselves by eating right and getting exercise if we feel particularly stressed about a person or situation.
3. Remember that we can’t control what other people are going to say and do.
4. Even our best of intentions are going to backfire when it comes to other people.
5. We are not responsible for others’ behavior; only our own.
6. If we have done our best, we can give ourselves permission to let it go.
7. People are going to be unreasonable at times and that is not a personal reflection about us. In fact, it is not about us at all. So… don’t take what others say or do personally!
8. If we are feeling personally attacked we may choose to assert ourselves or walk away. Either choice is a good one depending on the situation.
9. Don’t worry about what others think of us. It is none of our business.
10. Remember that we can’t and won’t please everybody.
11. We can limit interactions and time with people who are consistently negative or abusive. We are free to choose who we spend our time with.
12. We are in charge of the way we react to difficult people and situations.
13. We give others too much power if we let them affect our peace of mind and sleep.
14. You may find it helpful to talk it out with someone you trust
15. Writing things down may be helpful too.
Do your best to let difficult people go. Their words and actions do not have to directly affect you if you don’t let them.
You can be like Teflon and just let things slide off you and not stick.
You have the power, not others!
In Peace,
Debra
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Posted in anxiety, Depression, Family life, Getting a good night sleep, Happiness, insomnia, journal writing, Parenthood, Positive living, Self-empowerment, stress, worry | crying toddlers, dealing with difficult people, giving away our power, how we react to others, people pleasing, stress, unhappy customers, writing things down | Leave a commentIn another life I could have been a Flamenco Dancer (among other things): a fun journal writing exercise
Published February 27, 2012 | 
Let’s have some fun with our journal writing tonight, shall we?
This exercise will get your imagination and spirit soaring. I will keep the directions simple.
On the top of your journal entry, write: ” In another life I could have been…” Then simply write. Do not edit. See what comes out and have some fun with it.
I can’t wait to start this one. Let’s see..
In another life I could have been…
1. A Flamenco dancer
2. A cat
3. A dolphin trainer
4. A travel writer
5. A barista
6. An activities director on a cruise ship or a nursing home
7. A cook serving up good food to surfers in a roadside food truck in Hawaii
8. A classical guitarist
9. A journalist who gets to interview famous people
10. An impressionist painter
Your turn!
In peace,
Debra
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What I love and what I appreciate about the things I love. Tonight’s journal writing session.
Published February 21, 2012 | What we appreciate appreciates.
What we focus on grows.
Why not focus on what we love and how we appreciate what we love?
It’s journal writing time, let’s see…
I love my husband!
(yes, this is really me and John taken on our wedding day last March..already almost a year ago!)
What I appreciate about him is his kindness, friendship, and all the many things he does to take care of the house and our family (including cleaning the cat boxes!)
I love my job!
What I appreciate about my job (I’m a fifth grade school teacher) is: I can help and inspire young people, two days are never the same, I am challenged intellectually and creatively all the time. Yes, I am learning right along with my students: a truly wonderful thing!
I love cats!
What I appreciate about cats is their beauty, softness, companionship, their spirit, everything! I just love cats.
(My sweet cat Mew, of course)
I love Florida!
(A Florida sunset is the best!)
What I appreciate about Florida is that it is my home, it is entrusting me to teach it’s young (by giving me my teaching certificate), the climate, the beach, the palm trees, the fact that it stays green here all year long, and all the friendly people who live here.
This exercise is really fun. I find myself on a roll here. I do not wish to be a bore so I will finish my entry in my private journal and permit you to begin yours!
Have fun!
Debra : )
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Posted in Gratitude list, Happiness, Journal Prompts, journal writing, lists, Love, Self-empowerment | appreciate, journal writing, love | Leave a commentFive journal writing prompts to jumpstart your day
Published February 13, 2012 | 
Good morning!
As you wake up and enjoy your coffee or tea,
I offer five journal writing prompts for you:
1. What do I find refreshing?
2. Where and how do I feel heavy?
3. Where and how do I feel light?
4. What would I like to learn today?
5. How might I teach or help someone else today?
Have a blessed day,
Debra
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