Sunday Journal Prompt

“Joy is the natural state of the mind that arises when the mind is free of desire and aversion.” 

– David Magone, yoga teacher

 

We value our freedom but often aren’t as free as we think we are, as our thoughts and emotions drag us down, yoga teacher David Magone shares. Rather than being imprisoned by thoughts about our unmet desires or our aversions, we can distance ourselves from them. We can let them go.

This doesn’t mean ignoring them. On the contrary, when we pay attention to negative emotions by practicing mindfulness, we are very aware that they are there. I think of this awareness as like the “reflective-I” in creative writing, the part of the self who looks back on—and learns from—the actions of an earlier version of the self. Through writing, we can observe our thoughts and emotions, interact with them and then choose to free our minds to make space for the return of joy.

What unmet desires occupy your thoughts? What aversions weigh you down? Empty them on the page to open the window for more joy.

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Progress is impossible without change.”

– George Bernard Shaw

 

Yesterday we moved our eldest son into his college dorm for his freshman year. While it’s fulfilling to have helped launch our son to his next stage, the change is bittersweet. As excited as we are for him and the new life that awaits him, the rest of us already feel his void at home. We’re in transition as we begin to discover what our “new normal” will be for the three of us. Knowing our family would need time to ourselves, I didn’t schedule other commitments this weekend or have other expectations of myself. During transitions times, I try to give myself space—time to walk, write, nap, think, process, plan and, in some cases, cry.
 

How can you nurture yourself during times of transition?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Mindfulness is attention without interpretation. It is focused on the moment and allows for connecting with others on a deeper level. The more we can cultivate mindfulness, the more we can stay truly present.”

 - Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach training materials

 

I recently read that we have up to 70,000 thoughts per day. That’s 48.6 thoughts per minute, according to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California. Imagine how exhausted we’d be if we interacted with each of them. 

Practicing mindfulness—be that savoring each bite of food, feeling the warmth of the sun on our backs or noticing the leaves on the trees during our drive to work—immerses us in the moment at hand. Focusing on our breath and on the sensory details of the present moment helps boost our energy levels and reduces our tendency to get mired in the downward spiral that thought-chasing can sometimes lead to. 

Immerse yourself in the sensory details of the present moment. What do you see, hear, smell, taste and feel? 



 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“We do not learn from experience ... we learn from reflecting on experience.”

– John Dewey

 

 

When we come to a “forked-road situation, a situation which is ambiguous, which presents a dilemma, which proposes alternatives,” that is when our thinking needs to go into high gear, according to American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey. Even though our focus may be on the future—what to do about a certain situation—reflection on what has happened and how we handled things in the past helps us learn and make informed decisions about how to proceed. 

Dewey compares reflection to climbing a tall tree to achieve a better standpoint and arrive at a more commanding view of the situation. Journaling offers us an opportunity to climb that metaphorical tree and reflect on what’s working well and what isn’t and, of course, learn.

 

 

What dilemma are you facing? Through your journal, consider metaphorically climbing a tall tree to reach a better perspective on it.