Sunday Journal Prompt

Who or what are the “eggs” in your life?

 

At our family’s annual egg hunt, the children ran around their grandparents’ yard in search of eggs. I love the sense of peace conveyed in this photo of my niece Kate, gently holding two eggs she found. What are the “eggs” in your life that you cherish—who or what brings you peace? 

 

 

Who or what brings you a sense of peace? How can you gently hold onto him, her, it or them?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

Clear away the muck.

 

 

While walking on a beach recently, I noticed mounds of seaweed that hadn’t been there the day before. When people with shovels and wheelbarrows later worked hard to clear it away, I thought of how we benefit from clearing the gunk away on a regular basis. Some people choose to go for a run after work—time to process their day and clear their minds. Perhaps you benefit from listening to music, walking in the woods, writing in a journal, confiding in a loved one, or meditating.

 

 

What resets you?

How can you implement it more often?

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

 

The German word for holiday represents “wholeness.”

 

 

Getting outside of our daily routine and location often shifts our perspective. In fact, I do some of my best thinking, writing and reflecting while traveling—when I tend to examine what I may have considered as holes in my life and instead see that I am whole.  

 

Rather than focusing on what you may perceive as "holes" in your life, how can you think of yourself as "whole"?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

 Our thoughts and emotions affect our bodies—and our energy levels. 

 

Chemicals called neuropeptides are produced every time we have a thought or feeling—and the type of neuropeptides depends on the “quality of thought or feeling,” according to Deepak Chopra, M.D., in his book Boundless Energy, targeted to those with chronic fatigue. Neuropeptide receptors extend beyond the brain and nervous system, and have been found throughout the digestive system, the heart, the lungs, kidneys and in the immune system. “This indicates that neuropeptides have a powerful effect on all physiological processes, including energy production and immunity,” Chopra states. In other words, our thoughts and emotions affect our bodies.

What we take in—what we read, watch, listen to—and whom we spend time with affects our thoughts and emotions, and also our energy levels. After spending too much time with certain people in my life or thinking about something that angered me, I often need a nap. To stay healthy and energized, I try to carefully choose what I read, watch and listen to, and regulate how much time I spend with energy-zapping tasks and people in my life. 

 

What are you “taking in”? How does what you read, watch and listen to—and whom you spend time with—affect your thoughts and emotions? What steps can you take to boost your energy?