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I have been journaling daily the past twenty years and this practice has been instrumental in making me discover more about “Who I Am” as Soul-Spirit and experience more meaning and fulfillment in my life even in the midst of so much challenges.

One important discovery I made is the importance of reviewing on a weekly, monthly and annual basis what I had journaled on daily. This is important to synthesize the learning, insights, and identify unconscious beliefs and defenses that block the experience of a better quality life.

Another discovery is the importance of asking myself questions that make me go deeper within my unconscious and reach higher in experiencing connection with Soul-Spirit.

I would like to share the following weekly review questions that I journal on to attain synthesis.

1. What was my peak performance for the week? What was my main challenge?

2. Insights, and learning for the week. What were the identified limiting beliefs/blocks to soul expression? What was soul needing to express? What did I learn about myself, others, my experiences and situations this week?

3. Feelings/Motives/Motivations for the week? What negative thoughts and emotions affected me during the week? What gave me the most meaning this week?

4. Imagination and Creativity. How did I use imagination and creativity to meet daily challenges and see the bigger picture?

5. How did I express gratitude? What was my experience of giving and receiving? How did I experience ABUNDANCE? What blocked it? What do I need to BE to experience it more?

6. Relationships. Which relationships need further development? Who needs my acceptance and forgiveness? Who or what do I most appreciate? What am I willing to BE and do to have healthier, nurturing and interdependent relationships.

7. Time management. How did I make use of my time? What new choices might I make?

8. Financial management. What soul qualities must I manifest to BE a good steward?

9. Health/Reflections. What soul qualities must I manifest to experience Truth, Beauty, and Goodness and overcome body-ego-personality defenses. How did I experience stillness, relaxation, fun, love and nurture myself?

10. Goals and Plans. What are my most important short term goals? What responsibilities, commitments and goals need more focus, effort and re-commitment?

11. Essence. What was my essence this week?

SOUL QUESTIONS

Service – must be loving, understanding and empowering.

a. What am I currently doing to overcome some specific ignorance and gain understanding?
b. What am I currently doing to overcome some specific selfishness and become more open?
c. What choices am I currently making that serve to empower others?
d. How would I describe my current service in life?

Note: I would like to give credit to Higher Awareness and The Soul Journey (please see my Friends and Links below) for the valuable lessons I learned in journaling the right way and in the importance of asking myself questions to journal on rather than just keep on writing without synthesizing. Somewhere in my website I have already shared the questions to ask for daily journaling.

In the Alchemist Dream program of Andrew and Bonnie Schneider they write about fear and how it can be used by others as a control tool. View full article »

Me: I hate you Fear!
Fear: Why?
Me: Because you are blocking me from doing what I would like to do which is to go walking alone by myself. No member of my family has the flexible time to accompany me on my walking schedule. I need to go walking because it is good for my health and I consider health wealth. But I am afraid to walk alone because of you!
Fear: Huh? Because of me? What have I done?
Me: Everyday I hear about muggings, pickpockets, violence, robberies accidents and all sorts of negative happenings in the streets of Metro Manila. Now because of you – FEAR – I am afraid to walk alone.
Fear: Are you sure something bad or harmful will happen if you go walking alone?
Me: I am not sure but it could happen.
Fear: Oh so you are blaming me for something harmful that you are not even sure will happen! Yet you say that walking is important for you because you consider it wealth. If its that important to you then why are you allowing me to stop you from doing it? Maybe you are just too lazy and you are using me as a convenient excuse!
Me: Why how dare you! Of course not!
Fear: Then choose – Your health or me – FEAR. Which will it be?
Me: Its not that easy because you can be so overpowering. I wish you would go away and never bother me anymore.
Fear: Oh sorry about that! You cannot get rid of me. Even our Big Boss has allowed my existence so there’s not much you can do about that. I suggest we become friends instead. I am not all that bad you know. Without me your life will probably be in a deeper mess. I provide you with the warning signals so you do not go overboard and become harmful to others. So why dont you go take your walk alone. I am not in your way – its your own limiting belief thats blocking your decision. Dont blame me!
Me: Okay fine. I will! Goodbye!
Fear: “Till we meet again” is more appropriate! Hahahahaha. . . .

1. One Word Essence Journaling

Spirit lives in the essence of things, not the thing itself.

Each night before bed, write out just one word that captures the essence of your day. Check in with your body, heart and head and make sure you have chosen the best word for the day. (We did not say it was going to be easy!)

After a few weeks, review your essence words and look for trends, insights or predominant experiences.

2. Headlining

The fewer the words, the stronger the impression.

Headlines concisely summarize any experiences. A good headline is typically less than 7 words. Start a page in your journal for daily headlines. Capture a key highlight, feeling, accomplishment or insight each day.

Eventually you will have a concise overview of the highlights in your life – your own newspaper! If you’re in the mood, have fun by using alliteration, exaggeration, humour, metaphors, rhyming, puns and dualities.

Consider combining these first 2 tools on one page. Create a 3 column form to record the date, one word essence and a wider column for your headline.

3. Daily Tracker

If it is important, track it. Hindsight is 20/20.

The Daily Tracker creates a great audit trail for what is important to you and what has happened in the past. It helps you see cycles that reoccur and identify causes and effects.

Make your own Daily Tracker form by creating 4 equal-width columns on a piece of paper or in your journal.

What is important for you to monitor in your life? Examples are: feelings and emotions, personal energy levels, money earned, people met, health changes, weight, relationships, accomplishments, appreciations, intuitive hunches, synchronicities, motives, ideas, dreams, insights, events, etc. Select and write your 4 most important topics at the top of each column on the form. Write a few words in each column daily.

For more journaling tools go to link below.

http://www.higherawareness.com

One of my favorite journaling tools is SMART QUESTIONS.  I learned that questions invoke a deep response from the subconscious mind.  I learned further that the answers to all the questions I wanted to ask about life in general and my life in particular could all be found inside of me.  Now I had the tool I needed to draw out those answers.

In the past, I had the bad habit of always telling myself what to do but after learning to ask SMART QUESTIONS and journal daily in finding the answers within me  then I begun to experience significant changes in my life rather than just the superficial temporary fleeting egoic changes that made me just go round and round in a vicious cycle.

Though  there are various journaling tools to meet various needs, I shall share with you (for now) only this one particular magical tool, SMART QUESTIONS. This is only one out of fourteen different journaling tools  we may utilize to meet the need to FOCUS INTENTION AND CREATE AWARENESS IN ONE’S LIFE!

SAMPLES OF SMART QUESTIONS are the following, called the  SEVEN  P ‘ s :

1.  Patterns, processes, procrastination, habits:

1.1  Where can I be more efficient in my life?

1.2  What 5 things have I been procrastinating?

1.3  What are my time wasters?

1.4  What excuses keep me stuck?

2.  Problems, past, pain:

2.1  Where am I vulnerable?

2.2  Where do I hold myself back?

2.3  What am I afraid of?

2.4  Where do I not like myself?

2.5  What stresses me?

2.6  How are my strengths perceived as weakness?

2.7  What major block needs to be resolved?

2.8  For what problems must I ask for solutions?

3.  Perceptions and perspectives of myself and others.

3.1  What are my needs/desires that I need to meet?

3.2  What are the needs/desires of my boss, partner, children or signifcant other that I need to respond to?

3.3  What is GOD’s agenda for me?

3.4  What contacts or friends do I want to develop more?

3.5  How can I enhance my interpersonal skills?

3.6  What negative or limiting thoughts keep jumping into my mind?

3.7  What key choices am I ready to make?

4.  Prosperity:

4.1  How can I create another or larger income stream?

4.2  How can I increase my overall abundance?

4.3  In what areas do I want to receive more learning?

4.4  How can I be more productive and effective?

5.  Principle and values:

5.1  What 3 areas in my life do I want to recommit to?

5.2  Where do I need to clarify my stand or position?

5.3  What deeds or actions need my forgiveness or acceptance?

5.4  What can I do to increase balance in my life?

5.5  What value is most important for me to express now?

6.  Purpose, potential, pasion, power, possibilities, path:

6.1  What are my deepest heart-felt desires, dreams and visions?

6.2   Where are my life purpose and goals unclear?

6.3  How can I experience a greater sense of meaning in my life?

6.4  What new ideas are teasing me these days?

6.5  What are some opportunities for me to give?

7.  Peace of mind, play, pleasure, pampering:

7.1  When do I feel greatest happiness in my life?

7.2  What can I do to have fun in all areas of my life?

7.3  How can I get to experience more stillness, solitude and peace in my life?

There are three conditions you need to comply to ensure effectiveness of this tool in improving the quality of your life.  FIRST, YOU MUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS HONESTLY.  SECOND, YOU MUST ASK THEM REPEATEDLY UNTIL YOU GAIN CLARITY. THIRD, YOU MUST WRITE THEM DOWN OR JOURNAL AND DAILY REVIEW TO EXPERIENCE EVOLVING FROM PERSONAL GROWTH AND AWARENESS TO DEEPER LEVEL OF SOUL CONSCIOUSNESS.

For more journaling tools please visit this link

I would like to share this journaling with you so that you too may experience focus and purpose in your journaling.

1. Summary of the day’s events. Ffor better assimilation journal backwards – from the end of the day to the beginning).  Identify main events and/or challenges.
2. Learnings and Insights. What did you learn from the events of the day – from the situations and the people.  What ideas, desires and needs did you discover within you.  What is unclear that requires clarity?   What early warning signals are calling for your attention?  What opportunities are being presented in this day?
3. Motivation and Intention. Describe what motivated you during the day. Did you come from a space of selfishness or altruism?  Knowledge or ignorance?  Service or laziness?  Control and manipulation or unconditional love?
4. Health. How did you take care of your mental health?  Did you nurture with Truth, Beauty, and Goodness?  How about your astral health?  Did you express your feelings honestly in a gentle and compassionate manner?  How about your physical health.  Were you conscious of your body and senses? Were you focused on breathing properly?  Eating the right quantity and quality of foods? Proper exercise?
5. Abundance and Wealth. How did you experience giving and receiving?  Did you give from joy of giving or did you give conditionally?  Did you allow yourself to receive with joy and gratitude as well?  If not, why not?  Did you follow a Financial Plan?  How is your financial health?  Are you earning more than you spend?  Why and why not.
6. Time management. Were you balance BEING and DOING?  Did you have time to do the things that you really like to do and enjoy?  If not, why not?
7. Relationships. What relationships posed a challenge to you?  Why? How did you connect to another, in a whole, healthy and nurturing way?  or in an unhealthy, co-dependent, dysfunctional manner?  Why and why not?
8. Imagination and Creativity. What opportunities did the day present for you to exercise imagination and creativity?
9. Spirituality, Prayers and Meditation; and Journaling. Did you allocate time for these two activities that will expand your awareness and develop and expand your soul consciousness?  If not, why not?  What question did you ask One God Spirit today?  Did you keep still and listen and sense the message from the Divine?  How did you ensure that the message was from the Divine and not from your own mind.
10. Essence. Describe in one word or phrase your essence this day.

To learn the right way to meditate and journal please follow this link

I hope that you will find this a useful reference for your own daily journaling guide and experience.  You may modify it to suit your own needs and requirements or your own unique personality.  Wish you all a  more meaningful and purposeful life!

I just love journaling!  I have been journaling for the past 20 years of my life.  But not until I discovered the Higher Awareness website did I learn that there was something more to just casually journaling being an outlet to pour out my feelings, frustrations, heartaches, pains, joys and achievements.   I realized that there was a rhyme and reason to journaling.  That with purpose and understanding of how it works it is one of the most effective tools to develop personal growth and awareness to GO DEEPER within myself to heal hurts, pain and wounds and to GO HIGHER within myself to discover and expand my potentials, gifts and talents.  I also learned that there are different journaling tools for different needs.

To quote from the workbook “Go Deeper. . . . Reach Higher”, some of the benefits of journaling are:

• Awareness and Authenticity
• Balance
• Clarity, commitment, creativity
• Decision making ability
• Expansion and Empowerment
• Focus, fun
• Goals and growth
• Healing and harmony
• Intuition, insights, imagination and inspiration
• Joy
• Knowledge of Self, Reality,  Truth
• Learning, love, letting go
• Manifestations, motivation, meaning
• Non-judgmental, clarifies needs
• Opening, optimism
• Peace of mind, planning, purpose
• Quality of life
• Results, release, relaxation
• Spiritual connection, serenity
• Truth and Transformation
• Understanding
• Values
• Wisdom and Wholeness
• Explanation, Exploration, Expansion
• You get to know yourself better
• Zest and better sleep

From the above pick two or three that you need to work on and in my next post I shall provide you with samples of Journaling tools that you may want to start with.  In the meantime, I suggest you access this link to learn more about journaling and how it can make a significant difference in the quality of your life.  Enjoy!