Journaling for self awareness: write your way to clarity

journaling for self awareness

2020 has been a highly uncertain and a very unusual year. No one would have imagined we would be locked up in our homes, that self-isolation and social distancing would become our new normal.

And yet here we are. Isolated. Distant. Uncertain of how and when all of this will end.

For those of us familiar with the tarot, this year represents Tower time. Everything that we knew as truth, everything that we took for granted, has been shaken right down to its foundations.

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The ultimate planning system for creative rebels

ultimate productivity and planning system for creative rebels

I have a secret to share: I have tried – and failed – at almost all the productivity and planning systems out there.

I am in awe of people who can schedule their time and plan out their days almost to the last minute. All the BuJo mavens, Pomodoro ninjas, Getting Things Done (GTD) warriors. The ones who make SMART goals – or any goals! – and ace them.

In fact, I’m pretty sure that when the productivity gene was being handed out, I was fast asleep.

Or maybe, like my father would say, I’m simply the rebel without a cause. Show me discipline and routine and I’ll show you anarchy and chaos!Continue reading

Three benefits of keeping a gratitude journal

Gratitude – it is a simple concept that most of us have grown up with: to give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. Be it through prayer or by saying a heartfelt “thank you”, gratitude is something we have been practicing since childhood.

There are also numerous scientific studies outlining the positive effects of regular gratitude journaling, ranging from improved self-esteem and athletic performance, to better relationships and reduced suicide risk, among others. There are websites devoted to gratitude journaling, ecourses to teach you gratitude, special gratitude planners, and a variety of blog hops devoted to monthly and weekly gratitude lists.Continue reading

Journey of a Seeker: Writing your way back to wholeness

Writing your way back to wholeness

On the journey of finding myself, I realized how little I knew myself. I was a daughter, sister, friend, wife – fragmented into these many roles, these labels that were all a part of me. But underneath those labels, who was I?

I remember, in a moment of despair, tearing up a photograph of myself into pieces and sticking them down randomly to represent the fragmentation that I felt within. That was one of my lowest points, around 12 years ago.Continue reading

My greatest treasure: A mirror to my heart #WriteBravely

What if I told you that my greatest treasure is a mirror? But it is no ordinary mirror – it’s a mirror to my heart, to my soul. It gives me a portal into my own innate wisdom, a way to navigate through the inevitable obstacles that arise during my days. It reflects back both light and shadows, helping me to gently work at uncovering my hurts, tending to them, and becoming whole again.

It works, like most magical mirrors do, with intention, with questions; the clearer the intent, the more focused the question, the stronger the mirror’s reflective powers.Continue reading

Passion projects, personal transformation and overcoming resistance

Tarot guidance for personal transformationI start each morning with a moment of mindfulness, spending some time with a simple question and a single card drawn from my Tarot deck.

Each morning the cards reflect back a nugget of wisdom – it could be a simple reminder telling me to stay focused on the task at hand; a not-so-subtle push to stop day dreaming and start doing already; or an indication of a broader energy that I may need to work with during the day.

For today’s daily Tarot pull, I sat with this simple question:

What do I need to know about personal transformation?

When I drew the card and wrote down the message in my Tarot journal, I immediately knew that this was something that needed to be shared. Continue reading

A field guide to self love

The first thought that crosses my mind as I’m drafting this post is what the bloody hell was I thinking? What can I, the person who struggles most with accepting myself, possibly say about self love?

And then I realize – just the fact that I was excited about doing this, shows how far I have come on this journey of loving myself.

field guide to self love journal prompts, meditationContinue reading

Decoding The Year: Turning the goal setting process inside out

“I’m breaking up with resolution setting,” I fumed. “It’s only February and I’ve fallen behind on everything!”

This was me, some years ago, ranting and railing to the husband. And as I got ever more angry with my lack of stick-with-it-ness, he quietly said: “Are you sure you’re approaching this whole goal setting thing the right way?”

That made me stop in my tracks and think – my resolutions were a list of things I “should” do:

  • Lose 10 kgs
  • Exercise everyday
  • Be more organized: Clean the living room and prepare for office at night
  • Organize the <insert latest pain point in the house>
  • Weekend getaways every month

You get the drift, right?Continue reading

#MicroBlogMondays: Dealing with overwhelm

Have you ever felt like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?

Work commitments. To-do lists. Hobby projects. Managing the house. Looking after a sick cat. Planning and preparing for exciting projects. And completely underestimating how long all of the different pieces might take.

to-do-overwhelm

And even when you set supposedly realistic goals for the day, you are unable to finish them. So what gives?Continue reading