To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
Ten reasons why I continue to do this blog
Published October 24, 2011 | 
I work full time by day (I’m a school teacher as many of you may know), I have a husband, two teenagers, and two cats. I have a home to tend to and yoga classes to attend.
Why do I continue to write posts and promote The Warm Milk Journal?
Let’s see… this will be my journal entry for the evening and so I will give you a list of reasons (list making is great for journal writing and for blog posts as people can easily read highlights with bullets or numbers rather than endless sentences…
In no particular order, I offer you reasons I continue to do this blog:
1. It is fun!
2. I love to write.
3. The teacher in me enjoys teaching, helping, and inspiring others.
4. It’s a great creative and social outlet.
5. I’ve met a lot of interesting people here and on Facebook and Twitter thanks to this blog.
6. It provides me with a great sense of purpose (we all need a mission after all)!
7. Insomnia and anxiety are issues that are near and dear to me. I truly suffered from them for so many years and it affected every aspect of my life. If I can help just one person overcome some of these challenges then this project will have been completely worth it.
8. It makes for great conversation at a dinner party (true)!
9. My cat, Mew, is getting the recognition that he has worked so hard for all his life from his Mew Way posts. lol
10: I love to connect with fellow, like-minded folks such as: people who also know what it is like to not get a good night sleep, have anxiety, are too nice, are people pleasers, perfectionists, cat lovers, like to write, journal writers, spiritual, positive livers, folks from Hawaii, Florida, Oklahoma, Seattle, and all over the world, people who enjoy good food, good coffee, good wines and beer, good teas, chocolate(!!), travelers, yoga enthusiasts, anyone who values good health, friendship, the outdoors….
Yes this last list can go on and on. I have met so many people through this “little” project of mine. Thank you for all of the comments here and on Facebook and Twitter.
I am glad we can be here for each other.
How can I not continue to do this blog?
In peace,
Debra
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Posted in Benefits of Journal Writing, Blogging, Facebook, journal writing, lists, Positive living, The Warm Milk Journal, Twitter | 
creative outlet, inspiring others, journal writing, meeting others, Reasons for blogging, teaching and helping, The mission of The Warm Milk Journal, Why I blog, writing | 
9 CommentsA Free Writing Journal Session
Published July 18, 2011 | 
Have your journal nearby.
Close your eyes for a moment and breathe.
Do your best to empty your mind of any thoughts. Just breathe.
When you are ready to, open your eyes. Breathe.
Open your journal and write anything that comes out. Just write. Don’t judge or edit.
Free writing is a wonderful exercise to let your inner wisdom come out, loosen up your creativity flow, and Just Because (how do you like that for a reason)?
Try free writing. I enjoy doing this when I am sitting outside either in my back patio or on the beach. Right before bed is a good time to do this exercise as well.
Happy Writing,
Debra
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What are you welcoming into your life right now? A journal writing exercise
Published May 4, 2011 | 
To welcome something takes an openness: an open heart, spirit, arms, mind, etc. To sincerely welcome something also includes a good dose of enthusiasm.
What we focus on grows. What are you welcoming and what would you like to welcome in if you could not hold yourself back? Hmm…?
Ready, set, write!
My entry tonight may look like this:
I welcome into my life right now:
1. Love
2. Opportunities to write and get paid for my writing.
3. New friends!
4. Freedom to live life on my terms
5. Abundance: good food, good relationships, good projects, good financial prospects
6. Adventure!
Have a blessed evening, friends.
Debra
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Five benefits to keeping a gratitude journal
Published January 17, 2011 |
How many of you are keeping a gratitude journal? I find it to be very beneficial to jot down a few things I am thankful for either in the morning or right before I go to bed.
Developing an attitude of gratitude provides these five benefits:
- helping us to stay focused on all the good and abundance all around us
- redirects our minds if we are thinking about something negative or experiencing a negative emotional state such as sadness, fear, anxiety, etc.
- What we appreciate appreciates so we will manifest more of the good stuff if we are thankful for it now
- Keeps us centered, peaceful, more joyful, and more connected spiritually to others and God
- It improves the quality of our relationships for we appreciate the special people in our life more and we are pleasant to be around as well
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to begin a gratitude journal. The beauty of this practice is that it does not require much time. It’s amazing how rapidly thinking about what you are thankful for can turn your state of mind around to a more positive one.
My gratitude list for this morning might look something like this.
This morning, I am thankful for:
- My home
- My fiance
- My cat, mew
- My children
- My comfortable bed
- This rainy day so that I can happily nest and write all day
I’ll stop here. Your turn, dear reader….
Have a blessed day,
Debra : )
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Five ways to get into that wonderful creative space that will bring you more joy,peace, and restful sleep in your life
Published January 6, 2011 | 
I am often at my happiest when I am being creative. There is something very spiritual and almost magical when I am in that flowing space of creativity. The more time I spend in this space the more peace and joy I feel ,and the better I sleep at night.
Here are five ways that I ease myself into this blissful space and you can too!
- I am taking a newspaper diet. I’ve always loved my newspaper in the morning but for this week I have not even glanced at my beloved paper. Instead of immediately filling my consciousness with the newest crimes committed in our city, I am drinking my coffee in silence and centering. I meditate. I pray. I write in my gratitude journal. I read inspirational articles. I stretch, breathe, and do some yoga poses and resistance exercises. I greet and wish a wonderful day to my friends on Twitter.
- I write. I love to write! I always have! I like to write in my journal. I love to write here at The Warm Milk Journal. Some writers struggle with writer’s block. I do not have this problem. Ideas are everywhere. I observe the world and people around me. I read all the time. I meditate. Ideas just surface. Sometimes something I have read inspires a post for the Warm Milk Journal. I may use a personal experience to prompt my writing. The real magic happens, however, when I really have no idea initially what I will write about when I turn my computer on. For all you bloggers out there I have a strategy I will share with you. I like to look at photos and when an image captivates me in some why I download it and write an article from whatever inspires me when I look at the picture. Try it! It really works and you will never lack for creative ideas for content on your websites and blogs. I love to write poems and stories too. The best ones come out of me with very little effort. They literally flow out from me. Pure inspiration. Pure creative magic. Bliss.
- I dance. Put on some music and dance around like a kid in your living room. For New Years my fiance and I rented some ballroom dancing dvds from the library and played them to get some new ideas for our dance moves. It was fun!
- Draw. doodle. color. paint. Put on some music, pour yourself a glass of wine and create!
- Cook. Experiment with different ingredients and spices. Grow a few herbs in your garden. Invest in some cookbooks or magazines such as Cooking Light. Be free enough to use the recipe as a foundation but make it your own. Have fun!
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Feeling frustrated? Write it down! Better for worries to be on paper than on your mind…
Published July 23, 2010 | 
Sometimes we just get in a worrying state of mind. It can keep us from being productive during the day. It can cause us to lose sleep at night. This is when a “worry journal” can be useful. We’ve talked about this idea before. The idea is to give your “monkey” mind time to release whatever is currently bothering it. You can even have a set time to write your worries down.
If it is late at night and your worries are keeping you from sleeping, you can get up and write in your journal. Get it down on paper. You may find it gives you some relief to write down “worst case scenarios” and possible solutions. We often build up “problems” in our mind. Writing things down may give you some perspective and help you realize that it is not as bad as you were thinking it to be.
Another idea would be to not write in a journal but just on a piece of paper. Write down all your worries and junk that is upsetting your peace- then crumple the paper up or you can rip it up and throw it away or burn it- whatever would help you to release it.
Releasing your worries will help bring you back to balance so that you can get to sleep or get to the task of living again.
Peace,
Debra : )
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Posted in anxiety, Benefits of Journal Writing, insomnia, stress, Tips to help insomnia | anxiety, insomnia, journal, peace, releasing worry, stress, worries, worry journey, writing | Leave a commentWriting a story in my mind
Published April 9, 2010 | Something that has helped me fall back asleep during restless, sleepless nights is thinking of a story I want to write.
I think of the setting, characters, plot development, etc. I think of as many details as possible as I lie there in my bed. Before I know it, I have fallen back asleep. Perhaps this works because it got my mind off my worries or the fact that I was not sleeping.
We can use our journals to write down these ideas as well- and, who knows? We may have some great ideas there for some future stories to write. I often think when we are in that semiconscious state our minds are often more creative, more intuitive, and more spiritual.
Another thing I might do when I am in this semi-asleep, semi-awake state is tap into my dream world. Sometimes I can bring up dreams I had many years ago! When I do this, I enjoy the images and then fall back into a nice sleep.
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Posted in Meditations, Self-empowerment, Tips to help insomnia | dreams, insomnia, intuition, writing | Leave a commentWrite down your dreams and nightmares
Published February 28, 2010 | If you are awakened in the middle of the night by a dream (good or bad)- write down what you remember with as much detail as possible. Don’t be overly concerned with interpreting these dreams. Just write them down and let them go.
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