Your Best Investment

Quote from daily Insight Timer meditations.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. Being aware of my emotions, what sparks negative ones and what fuels positive ones are part of my journaling journey. My journal is my pause place to sit with my feelings, sift through the why, how, and what to do about them.

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to write about or where to start when life feels so heavy. How to begin a self-love and self-care journey and make it a ritual that is meaningful and healing.

I love using quotes as an access point. Every morning, I wake up early, sit in a special room, my sacred space, and meditate. I use Insight Timer because there are guided and musical options. There are lessons for beginners, stories for sleep. It’s a community of connection. Each morning there is a check-in and a quote to begin my day. This one sparked some prompts that I’m happy to share with you.

I’ll write the quote in my journal, decorate it with washi tape, use color pens and make it my own design.

Write from this quote. Free association of whatever comes up for you when you read it. Then if it serves you follow the prompts and explore. Feel free to pick and choose but I broke it down into three parts based on the quote.

Part One:

·      How many times in the past month have you lost patience with yourself?

·      Pick a situation whether from your journal or what comes to mind.

·      Write down what you said, how did you speak to yourself?

·      What was the situation?

·      What would you have said to a friend or family member?

·      As you’re writing about this what is coming up that you think makes you speak and treat yourself in that less than positive way?

·      How can you come to it with patience and grace for yourself especially if the result isn’t exactly what you envision or hope for?

Part Two:

·      What are you growing to improve your Self.

·      What does self-growth mean to you?

·      How can you make this month and growth sacred, special, fun, joyful, enlightening?

Part Three:

Think about one of your most prized possessions:

o   What steps to you take to ensure its value?

o   How do you take care of it?

o   How do you expect others to treat it?

o   Do you speak to it? What do you say?

o   Example: I say hi to my motorcycle, say how handsome and shiny he is. I polish it, keep it covered, check the oil, the tire pressure, make sure it’s parked where it won’t get hit or fall over.

Think about someone in your life who you love.

o   How do you treat/take care of that person?

o   How do you speak to them? What do you say?

o   How do you expect others to treat them?

o   How are you a stand in for them?

Do you treat and love yourself the way you treat someone you love?

o   In what ways?

o   If not, how can you or can you do more?

o   How will you be a stand for yourself and treat yourself sacred.

Track or take note of the words whether positive or negative that you say to yourself.

o   Make a word bubble on a journal page.

o   Write them in vibrant colors (Positive) or dull colors (Negative)

o   Write in your journal how using those words affected your overall self-growth and well-being.

These are some examples of what I teach at my free monthly journal workshops through The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library. It’s a hybrid program (online/in-person) and you don’t have to be a member of the library to join. It’s the first Wednesday of the month. Join my mailing list to keep updated!