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Hello, and welcome to The Own Your Health podcast, I'm Cyndi Lynne, and I can't wait to help you step into your health power. If you've been listening to the podcast for any length of time, you know that I am kind of a fanatic when it comes to journaling. I think that there's very few problems in life that can't be solved with a big glass of water, a walk outside, and some time with your journal.
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And that probably sounds pretty simplistic, but those three things have helped me work through a lot in my life. One of the biggest questions I get most common from people is I don't. I sit down and I don't know what to write. I set aside the time and I've picked out a journal and I'm there, and I just don't know what to write or it feels like I'm in high school writing, Dear Diary, you know, I saw so and so in class today.
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And that's not what we're here for. So I'm glad you reach out. I'm glad you asked the questions. So today, to make it real simple, I'm going to give you three journaling prompts. Not that you're going to sit down and do all at the same time. But pick one on any given day, depending on how you feel.
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Chances are one of these will resonate with you because the first one will bring you into the present moment, the second one allows for specific reflection, and the third lets you dream a little bit.
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So, here they are. Grab a pen and paper, or you can listen again if you need to, but they're pretty specific in the way they're phrased. The first one is where do I feel? It's not what am I feeling?
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Or how am I feeling? But where do I feel? And I ask it specifically in this way because it forces us or allows us to pause, to scan our body and to see where we're experiencing emotion at any given moment.
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Now, if you're doing this and you're frustrated, is it kind of a churning in your gut? Is it a breathing different in your chest? Is it tension in your arms as you're holding your pen and your journal?
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Where do I feel? And. And don't be afraid to spend some time with that and then begin to write. And what you write doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. It's not designed for any audience.
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It's just for you to be able to put into words your thoughts and your feelings. So that's the first one. Where do I feel? The second one that allows for some reflection is what's my earliest memory?
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Think about it for a little bit. What is the earliest thing that you can remember? And maybe it's your earliest memory as a very small child. Maybe it's your earliest memory going to kindergarten.
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Maybe it's of a family member, maybe it's pleasant, maybe it's unpleasant, but it's a good prompt because it allows us to search, it allows us to look into the past, to do some reflection.
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Now, in the process of doing this, if you get sidetracked, and I'll put that in air quotes, if you get sidetracked, that's fine. Journal on a memory from your past that strikes you or comes to mind.
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But the specificity of what is my earliest memory is going to drive that focus and help your mind settle at least on one thing, even if it seems like a little bit of a detour from your very first memory. Now, on a day that you feel like being in the present, the first prompt is going to be helpful.
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There's days that that may not resonate with you at all, and you may want to reflect. Or there are days that you may want to dream a little bit. And so the prompt that allows you to move into the future is, what is my next great adventure?
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And this can just be fun. This doesn't have to be concrete. It doesn't have to be something that you have a budget for. It doesn't have to be something that you currently have the skill set for. Is your next great adventure travel? Is it some place you've never been?
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Is it a career change? Is it developing new relationships? Is your next great adventure trying some kind of art or just learning about art? What is the next great adventure?
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And here's the good news. You can put it down on paper and you don't have to do it. And in fact, the very process of writing this down, of getting this out, of putting the words not only out there but physically on the paper, allows you to try on what it would feel like to contemplate that adventure.
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So, for example, if in your mind you always thought that you wanted to travel to the Arctic Circle, right? It's fascinating. It's amazing. It's not something everybody does. As you sit down and journal about that, does it still resonate with you?
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Or is it something that was maybe a past dream? Or is it something that somebody maybe had you feel like you should aspire to, when in reality you would love to go hang out on a beach in the Caribbean?
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So writing these things down, especially our dreams. Our next adventure lets us try that on. Is it an older thought that we're even more passionate about now? Or is it something that's morphed or changed or grown with us over time?
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Putting it down on paper isn't a commitment to do it. It's an opportunity to, like I said, try it on. See what it feels like. See if it still is a dream. And then who knows. So you can use these prompts anytime, in any iteration, and you can do it over and over again because there will always be the next adventure.
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There'll always be an early memory. And you can always check in with where do I feel. So I hope this helps on your journaling adventure, and maybe journaling is your next great adventure.
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If you want some help with that, by all means, book a time, I'd love to chat. And if you have any more questions, send them on over. So happy journaling. And until next week, let's go out and own it.
