Tag Archives: journaling

2018 Week 48: Wish Book List

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Week 48’s task of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You is WISH BOOK LIST!

When I was growing up, we use to make our Christmas Wish List from the Sears Wish Book.  I remember pouring over the pages to pick one or two things I really wanted from Santa.  I’d fold over pages, circle things, and did careful study to narrow it down.

Your task this week is to grab your journal, set some time aside to sit in your HaMakom, and make your WISH LIST, so to speak, for your coming years.

It is the holiday season.  Time may seem precious.  You may wonder if you have the time and luxury to actually sit and do this task.

NOW, however, is the best time to be quiet, still, and do this task.  It will help with the holiday frenzy and you will be so focused come 2019.

Here is how to make your WISH LIST:

  • Fill in the blank to the statements forthcoming.  Just make a list.  See if you can make a list of 10-15 or more.  Don’t think too much.  Just make a list of the first things that come to your mind.

When my life is ideal I will be _____________. 

When my life is ideal I will have ___________.

When my life is ideal I will be doing __________.

  • Take that list and determine your TOP 5 IDEALS.  Do that by asking yourself, “would I rather have number 1 or number 2”.  Then take the one you pick and ask, “would I rather have number ___or number 3?”   Keep doing this till you have your top 5.
  • For each of your TOP 5 IDEALS, write a juicy paragraph being more descriptive about what that “ideal” would look like–the who, what, where.  Be as specific as you can.

That’s it!

What’s the point?

  • You are getting clear about what you want in your life.
  • You are becoming more aware of you, your heart’s desires, your purpose.
  • These are guide posts for your decisions. If you make decisions with your IDEAL WISH LIST in mind, watch how they will unfold in your life.

If you want to go the extra mile with this…

  1. Write each IDEAL on a separate note card
  2. Write three steps that would help you reach that IDEAL
  3. Keep the cards at your HaMakom and read them often…daily or weekly

Cheering You on to a Whole Time to Write Out Your Ideals Heart,

Barbara

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2018 Week 36: Bushwack Part Deux

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Task 36 of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You is an extension of Week 35:  BUSHWACK…Part Deux (two).

(If you are just joining this or missed last week, click here.)

Now that we have written out and become more aware of our thoughts, how does one go about BUSHWACKing a new trail in our mind…especially the thoughts that cause suffering?

Suffering?  

  • Any thought that causes pain and often manifesting as guilt, shame, sadness, anxiety, depression, anger, tension, stress, fear, self-hate.

  • A thought that leads to or is full of blaming another, justifying a behavior, and/or defending your self.

  • Thoughts that cause us to act un-lovingly towards our self or others.

If you came to me and said something to the effect of wanting more peace, joy, and  love in your life, we would spend the majority of our time looking at what you are thinking and believing.

Our thought life creates the life we live.  What we think we will bring about because what we think effects our choices and our behaviors.

If you did last week’s task, you’ve done the first step, which is AWARENESS of the thought.

Journaling is a great way to see and be aware of your thoughts.

Meditation is a wonderful way to watch your thoughts.

AWARENESS is the first step.

Second step?

SIT!!

STOP and SIT!

I know you will be in conversations and situations where you just can’t plop down for a SIT.   But you can recognize you are on the a “suffering trail” and halt yourself before doing something unloving towards another or yourself. Then go sit.

Your job while sitting is to be curious.

  • Did something trigger me to go down that trail?

  • What am I feeling?

  • Is that a past feeling?

  • Is there fear?  And about what?

  • What am I believing that might not be true?

Your task for this week is to SIT with one of your “suffering trails”…one of your thoughts that are causing you to live or act in a way other than you desire.

Bring your journal to your SIT, write it all out.

OR find a loving, non-judgmental friend who asks really good questions, and talk through it.

OR contact me and we will explore your trail together.

Cheering You on to a Whole Sit and Be Curious Heart,
Barbara

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2018 Week 32: Take Your Shoes Off

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Week 32’s task of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You is to TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES…Please!

Maybe you or you have friends that like to have shoes removed when coming into the house.

No matter the reason for this, it is a BOUNDARY that has been set to come in to yours or their home.

This week, take a look at your boundaries.

Boundaries are limits, lines, parameters, that you set in regards to your

  • stuff,

  • emotions,

  • health,

  • body,

  • spirituality.

Loving your self and loving others takes BOUNDARIES.

Check out THIS ARTICLE for an easy, quick description of boundaries.

Setting boundaries are not always easy.  One of the tell-tale signs of needing a boundary is a negative emotion–anger, blame, anxiety, frustration, depression, etc. 

I was never the best at this, but the more I got to know my self, the easier it was to recognize the need to set a boundary, understand what I needed, and speak up. Taking the time to journal helped with this process.  Journaling is a great way to voice emotions, learn about your self and what you need, and to do it in a safe place…your journal!

This week, take a look at your boundaries.  

Do you have a negative emotion floating around in you that might be telling you that a boundary is needed OR one that needs to be updated?

While BOUNDARIES sound LIMITING, it actually allows for more freedom and love. Feel free to share in the comments how you found that to be true in your life!

Cheering You on to a Whole Boundary Loved Heart,
Barbara

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CHECK IN for Week 19: Do You Know…?

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Checking in for Week 19  of 50 Weeks to a Lighter More Loving You.

Did you journal your list of WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

To have a Lighter More Loving You, knowing yourself is imperative. Knowing who you are, and part of that is knowing what makes you happy, will better serve you in…

  • your choices
  • fulfilling your purpose
  • finding what is meaningful in life
  • positively effecting others.

Sharing from a blog post from a guest writer on Becoming Minimalist, take a look at this list of happiness cultivators.  I’m sure you may find that some of yours fit into these categories.  And maybe there are few you’d like to try.

This information is from the University of Amherst professor Catherine A. Sanderson, author of Science of Happiness. She is known as “The Happiness Professor.” Sanderson explained that there are 10 ways to increase your everyday happiness, according to decades worth of scientific research:

1. Make little changes in your daily routine, such as getting more sleep, exercising, getting out into nature, and meditating.

2. Read more books. Read books to learn—research suggests that lifelong learners remain healthy and engaged, and live long lives. Read books as an escape from your everyday life, Read books—it will make you happy.

3. Find your right fit or match, both personally and professionally. If you love what you do and who you are with, you’ll position yourself for personal happiness and professional success.

4. Be grateful. Sanderson suggested two specific activities to help foster a greater sense of gratitude. First, keep a daily gratitude journal. Second, pay a “gratitude visit” to someone from your past who has had a significant impact on your life, and let them know how you feel.

5. Smile more—even if you don’t feel like it. Research shows that the simple act of smiling can trick your brain into a happier state.

6. Relish simple, everyday moments. Appreciating life’s small moments, such as a beautiful, sunny day, green shoots sprouting from the ground, and skipping rocks at the beach, teaches you to be more grateful for what you have, especially during moments of stress and angst.

7. Perform random acts of kindness. Do good deeds. Volunteer. Be charitable. Shop (for someone else!). Numerous studies have shown that you can help yourself by doing good for others.

8. Spend money on experiences versus things. Studies have shown that buying an object—a car, handbag, or kitchen gadget—can quickly lead to buyer’s remorse. On the other hand, investing in experiences—a concert, a camping trip, music lessons—leads to greater happiness. Experiences create “happiness residue,” and our perceptions of them often get better over time.

9. Avoid comparisons. Whatever you may think of someone else’s life, particularly as viewed through the phony, filtered lens of social media, it’s almost certainly messier than you imagine. It’s easier to embrace, and learn to love, your own imperfections, if you don’t conjure up myths about how perfect everyone else’s lives seem.

10. Build and maintain close relationships. According to Sanderson, having a small number of tight, meaningful relationships is one of the highest predictor of happiness.

Encouraging You to a Whole Happiness Known Heart,

Barbara

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