Sunday Journal Prompt

The Positivity of “Negative Space”  

 

While having tea with a friend from China recently, I learned the term “liu bai,” which she said means “to remain white.” My face must have registered confusion, as she further defined it for me: “to leave empty,” as in, “I leave emptiness in my plannings,” which, she said, has led to “a more purposeful life.”

I’m interested in the language itself—the negative association of the word “empty.” In fact, the Western photography/design term for the bai—what my Chinese friend refers to as “white” —is “negative space.” The term “empty” itself is defined as “not filled.” Yet this negative space yields such positive results.  

I’ve begun to create more “white space” in my life, unscheduled time during which I may choose to take walks, pet my cat, drink tea, watch squirrels playing outside my window, meditate—just be. This has been hard for me, especially when household chores await and work deadlines loom (or have already passed). But I’m discovering that giving myself more “white space” boosts the quality of my work, and my interactions with friends, colleagues and students are even more meaningful.

How can you build more “white space” into your days to create a more purposeful life?

 

 

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

 Bruce 2006-2016

 

 

Our family was dealt a blow this weekend—our kitty Bruce passed away unexpectedly. No accident, no warning. His brother Grayson led me to the body, which we rushed to the emergency veterinarian, who couldn't find a heartbeat. She felt a mass in his abdomen, so it may have been undiagnosed cancer. He’d been his typical affectionate self all week, a “dog in a cat suit,” who played fetch, growled at the garbage men, walked around the neighborhood beside us and often joined me on my yoga mat.

When we returned home, perched in our tree was a black raven—known for centuries as messengers from beyond. None of us had ever seen a raven near our home before. Just two days earlier, a friend’s father in a Hospice facility passed away. At the same time—11:30 p.m.—his alarm clock sounded off back at his apartment beside his bed, seemingly alerting his wife who was there; she said that he’d never set that alarm before. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’ve heard so many stories like these over the years. To me, it’s exciting to consider that our deceased loved ones may somehow be able to communicate with us.
 

 

Have you ever felt the presence of or sensed communication from a loved one on the other side? If so, what message might he or she have been sending?

 

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Struggles don’t happen to us but for us.” 

 – Cheryl Paige, Writer and Energy Healer

 

 

 

In her MindBodyGreen.com article about happiness, Cheryl Paige chose to italicize the prepositions in my favorite line: “Struggles don’t happen to us but for us.” It’s easy to feel like a victim and blame others for our unrest—a feeling that leaves us feeling powerless. Trapped.

 

Yet, simply replacing the word “to” with “for” can make a difference: We can see our struggles as beneficial—not as obstacles, but as launching pads. This shift of perception can imbibe hope into what may have well felt like a hopeless situation.

 

 

How have you benefited, over time, from one of your struggles?

How can you keep this in mind during your next challenge?

 

 

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?