journaling class: lesson 4

Benefits of four more fundamental journaling techniques:


Writing lists
jump-starts your writing

Clarify your thoughts.


Identify patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior.


Discern the presence of a problem.


Generate possible solutions to a problem.


Gather a lot of information about a subject quickly.


Get past the obvious answer to the real answer.
Generic questions such as the following can help you spot the solution to whatever problem you may be facing at the moment:


What's the most important thing to do right now?


How am I feeling right now?


What resources are available to me?


How can I best use my resources?


What's the next question?



Sentence starters focus you immediately on a specific subject by inviting you to complete the sentence:


I used to be a person who . . .


I am now a person who . . .


I want to be a person who . . .


I am excited about . . .


I'm happiest when . . .


I'm proud of myself for . . .

Fill-in-the-blank phrases beg for completion and immediately capture your attention:


When I (blank), I always feel (blank).


When she or he (blank), I always feel (blank).


If only I didn't have to (blank), I'd be (blank).


Every time I (blank), I want to (blank).

Writing prompts
a question, sentence starter, or fill-in-the-blank phrase that moves you to action or puts your writing in motion

Writing dialogues
write out the imaginary words of two parties

Dialogues help you to discover information and insight about a subject or situation that you may not know you have.


Dialogues with persons (living, dead, or not yet born).


Dialogues with events and circumstances (things that happen to you in your outer world).


Dialogues with works (past, present, or future jobs; your career; hobbies or leisure activities; creative works).


Dialogues with the body (health, illness, parts of the body, addictions or habits, allergies, sexuality, foods, nutrition, aches and pains).


Dialogues with societies (culture, history, race, tribe, religion, ethnic group, clan, political party, socioeconomic class, or neighborhood).


Dialogues with inner wisdom (God or a higher power, spiritual guides, or angels).


Dialogues with emotions and feelings (past or present feelings and emotions, grief, doubts, passions).


Dialogues with material objects and possessions (belongings, money).


Dialogues with sub-personalities and symbols (dream characters, dream symbols, images, parts of yourself).


Dialogues with resistances and blocks (procrastination, doubts, fears, inner critics, anything that stops or blocks you).

five stages as critical to recognize and honor:


Greeting your dialogue partner and defining the topic you wish to discuss.


Negotiating the terms of your conversation.


Body of the conversation.


Problem resolution.


Final contract, commitment, or close.


HHHHMMMM...this is a bit weird to me. i'm not sure that i can get my head around that one.

Writing unsent letters
to express such deep emotions as anger or grief.
"an emotional enema. They move the crap right out of you." ROTFL!!!

give yourself a safe vessel into which you can pour anything and everything you feel about a particular wound, experience, or person



more on unsent letters tomorrow. not ready to delve into another chapter