#JournalChat Live Facebook Group Event with special guests, Naomi Arnold, Vicki Taylor and Rafranz Davis; Your Journaling: Life Intentions (Align Your Day) Part II

Dawn Herring

20 hrs

My journaling definitely helps me stay Aligned with my purpose for my day to day routine and flow. And it also helps me look back on how things went, what I'm happy about that happened, and what I'd like to change.
Plus my nightly doodle helps me summarize what my day meant to me.

Ex: yesterday, my doodled word was Communicate! 

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  Jen Mor and 3 others like this.
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  Naomi Arnold I love this, especially the nightly doodle part! I believe that setting intentions for our day can really help us full fill them and feel aligned with ourselves and our purpose. It calls our awareness to what we feel we need, and we can easily see a pattern if we are not fulfilling them. This causes us to reflect on how much we really want or need them. Why we are resisting them. And perhaps some alternative methods we could try to implementing them. Writing down our intentions on paper, and then not following through on them, calls us out on our authenticity I guess. I love this. It makes me much more aware of whether I am living what I preach.

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  Carter Matthews I use doodling too in my journal as well as zentangles and getting ideas of graffiti that I will sketch out, draw and some of them I have even completed by coloring them in with markers, or even painting them. However, I doodle on the daily, and no I am not a professional artist or anything like that, but doodling helped me to stay consciously aware at all times (if I am confusing, please let me know, and I can break this down more). But! I have never made a doodle that was based on a word or a symbol to represent my day though. So I find that to be very interesting.. I want to try that now!

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  Dawn Herring Glad you like my daily doodle idea, Carter. I think it's great that you already to doodles and graffiti. You are more than welcome to share if you'd like. And you're welcome to go into as much detail as you'd like. I find other's practices fascinating to learn from; we honor Who We Are with our own approaches. 

  19 hrs · Like · 1
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  Naomi Arnold As I was saying yesterday, I am only just starting to try visual journaling and it totally intrigues and inspires me Carter and Dawn. If you ever feel the urge Carter, I'd love if you'd pop on and show us some of your artwork. It opens up a whole new realm to us doesn't it? Art, I mean. I absolutely love this about it. Oh and you're not being confusing at all! 

  19 hrs · Like
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  Dawn Herring I appreciate any visual aspect to journaling that folks share since it is a representation of what they feel inside. It takes courage to get visual, just as it does to write it down in words.

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• Dawn Herring

  20 hrs

  Special Guest Naomi Arnold shares: I find that using prompts can be a great way for those who struggle to be regular to be more consistent - these prompts can inspire you when you have journaling block. As for finding/making time... I think it depends on your personality really. For some people, making it a habit and part of their morning and/or evening ritual is key. Keeping it next to their bed and grabbing it (Instead of their phones! Keep your phone out of reach!) first thing in the morning works for many. Others carry their journal around with them at all times for when inspiration strikes. Some have 5-10 minute breaks in their work day to divulge. We are all different - it’s a matter of experimenting and seeing what works best for us.

  **These are great tips for those who struggle to stay with journaling.

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    Naomi Arnold likes this.
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    Naomi Arnold Thanks Dawn. Another tip is to have some prompts printed and in a prominent place for you to see - that way, when you have a spare five minutes, you are more likely to whip out your journal and write, if a prompt is there to inspire you 

    19 hrs · Like
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    Dawn Herring That's a great idea, especially for those who are visually inclined. 

    19 hrs · Like · 1

  • Dawn Herring

    19 hrs

    Special Guest Naomi shares: I believe that setting intentions for our day can really help us full fill them and feel aligned with ourselves and our purpose. It calls our awareness to what we feel we need, and we can easily see a pattern if we are not fulfilling them. This causes us to reflect on how much we really want or need them. Why we are resisting them. And perhaps some alternative methods we could try to implementing them. Writing down our intentions on paper, and then not following through on them, calls us out on our authenticity I guess. I love this. It makes me much more aware of whether I am living what I preach.

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      Dawn Herring I love what you said about calling our awareness to what we feel we need, Naomi. This is a wonderful way of honoring ourselves.

      19 hrs · Like · 2
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      Carter Matthews this was cool..

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      Naomi Arnold Oh yes, and it's so important to honour ourselves more. We are brought up to sometimes think that putting our own needs first is selfish, but often those who care the most for others, those who are the most sensitive, who are creative types, are often the people who need to focus the most attention on being aware of their own needs and honouring themselves. I speak from previous experience here, and from the experience of my clients

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      Dawn Herring I can't agree more, Naomi. I totally get the growing up adage of putting others first. But if we don't honor and take care of ourselves, we won't have enough to give out. So it's not only not selfish, it's necessary!

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      Naomi Arnold Exactly Dawn!!! You can't continue to help others to the best of your ability if you're running on an empty tank!

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      Dawn Herring No you can't. That's just essentially leads to exhaustion, which is unhealthy and unnecessary. We just need to recognize it as such and make positive change.

      19 hrs · Like · 2

    Dawn Herring

    19 hrs

    We all need something to look forward to, to keep things moving in a positive direction. So planning something for yourself is a great place to start, another prompt from Naomi's article.

    How can you use your journaling to remind yourself to do something YOU enjoy! Talk about refreshment! 

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      Jen Mor and Naomi Arnold like this.
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      Naomi Arnold This is one of my fave prompts Dawn - mainly because it is one that I know I personally need in order to keep me balanced (and productive). I am a big giver - so need to remember to take time out for me sometimes. Including this in my journal practice ...See More

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      Naomi Arnold PS. And for me, journaling is one of the things I like to do for me time and self care   

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      Dawn Herring I so agree, Naomi. I hear this from a lot of folks, needing more ME time. I encourage it as Daily Refreshment Authentic to Your Personality, Preferences and Purpose in Life. I love how you Honor Yourself that way and encourage your clients to do the same and what a difference it makes. Yay! 

      19 hrs · Like · 1
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