Sunday Journal Prompt

“It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.”

– Lou Holtz 

We can ease the burden of extreme weather by being prepared for it: wearing a shade hat and sunglasses, a raincoat and umbrella, or a parka and snow boots. While we can’t check a weather app to see what unexpected stressors await us each day, we can prepare for them in other ways.

Feeling physically and emotionally strong enables us to better bear stress—to carry the load with more ease. In my case, journaling, exercise, healthy eating, meditation, rest, reasonable expectations of myself and others, and a manageable schedule help me to be less reactive to life’s dramas.

When I don’t take care of myself, I become reactive, passive-aggressive or defensive and then later regretful. That’s not the way I want to show up in my life, so it helps to remind myself often that I know how to ease the load I carry.

How can you ease the load you carry?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” 

– Dr. Otto Rank 

Our internal battles often lead to external heartache. We don’t always do what we say is important to us. Whether that’s sticking to a specific eating plan, exercising regularly or working on a long-term project, it can be easy to feel frustrated with ourselves for not following through. Sometimes self-disappointment results in our barking at or blaming others.

What would happen if we cut ourselves some slack? If we gave ourselves permission to get off track, perhaps we’d have more energy to get back on track instead of wasting it on battling ourselves or others.

In an effort to feel more harmony with what I think, say and do, this month I’m focusing on not complaining or making excuses but instead owning my choices. Experience has taught me that acceptance and forgiveness of myself and others lead to peace.

How can making peace with yourself lead to a more fulfilling life?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” 

– Mahatma Gandhi 

My friend Ruth described Japan as having a “well-preserved culture,” something I experienced firsthand. With an emphasis on doing one thing at a time, most people don’t walk and drink like they do in America. In fact, the only public trash cans I found were next to vending machines—where you’re expected to purchase and consume drinks then dispose of the containers in one place.

People bowed to the elderly, giving me the sense that I stood beside royalty when next to an old lady. The lack of graffiti and cleanliness showcased a respect for the environment I’d rarely seen in large cities, and unlocked bikes indicated a heightened level of trust. Prior to boarding my Japan Airlines flight home, the flight attendants bowed to the passengers at the gate, a gesture of gratitude for the opportunity to serve, a custom that made me cry.

I’d thought visiting a place I’d always wanted to go to would get it out of my system, but instead it fostered a stronger desire to return. In the meantime, I want to integrate the culture into my daily life. While I may not leave my bike or door unlocked or bow in gratitude to the students I teach, I can be more respectful to the elderly in my life and express appreciation more often. 

What cultural traditions have you discovered? How can you make them part of your daily life?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” 

– Anonymous 

Though travel is often associated with escape, I see it as a way to better know ourselves.

Who are we away from our regular routines, away from familiar people and places? When we have a day without the typical demands of life, what do we choose to do? And what cultural traditions discovered during our travels do we want to take back into our daily lives?

How has travel opened the door to self-discoveries?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Only a person who risks is free.”

 – Anonymous 

A naturally cautious person, I’ve found that it demands a lot of courage for me to take risks. Yet the times that I defy expectations or take a chance on something a bit scary—like voicing a counterargument at a department meeting or teaching at a men’s prison—are the moments in which I learn more about what I’m capable of and grow into the person I’m becoming.

By going outside of our comfort zones, we gain a newfound sense of ourselves.

How can you step outside of your comfort zone to gain newfound freedom?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Unplug to recharge.” 

– Susan C. Young 

Are you managing your energy well and using it for things that matter? Do you stop to recharge before you push yourself to critically low levels? These are questions asked by author and speaker Susan C. Young, a change expert who encourages us to recharge by unplugging ourselves from the world.

Mobile chargers or car cords may power up our low-battery phones, but unplugging ourselves is the secret to recharging our minds and bodies. In Health Forensics, author Steven Magee compares the human mind and body to a single-cell battery charged from the atmospheric DC voltage and the Earth.

When has unplugging in nature recharged you?

Sunday Journal Prompt

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” 

– Thich Nhat Hanh 

A street sign next to a seaside path in Laguna Beach, California signals us to “Breathe.” Though we wouldn’t exist without breathing, the quality of our breath matters. It becomes shallow when we are frightened or anxious and deepens with relaxation and sleep. While we can’t always control what comes at us in life, we can exercise control over our breath.

In my experience, consciously slowing down my breath during times of distress is the key to slowing down my heart rate and, I suspect, the rate at which cortisol races through my body. In The Voice of the Body, Dr. Alexander Lowen shares that in Asian and mystic philosophies, the breath holds the secret to the highest bliss—the reason why breathing is the dominant factor in the practice of yoga. 

How can you remind yourself to breathe deeply during distress?