I like to think of wishes as goals-in-training. They're a great way to think about things you'd like to have, do or change. And the thinking doesn't have to end there. It can lead to thoughts about the steps you'll take to make your wishes come true. (I know not every wish is possible, but I love the prospect of working toward the ones that are.)
What are you wishing for today?
(This printable journal page is part of my new Life Story series.)
Switching gears to try something new: an ongoing collection of journal pages dedicated to capturing small, but meaningful, everyday moments as a way to explore your experiences and write your story – as it unfolds. I’ve started with six, but there are more in the works.
If you’d like to take a peek, you’ll find them here.
Our life stories. Finding meaning in our moments. Learning from experience. Becoming who we are. Enjoying the ride (or at least parts of it).
Some of the things I've been thinking about this week ... and for as long as I can remember.
I have a project in mind. It's both big and small. The thought of sharing it makes me really nervous. But it's the good kind of nervous, where curiosity wins out over second thoughts. I hope you'll stay tuned!
In the meantime, what important moments stand out in your life story so far?
This week, I'm writing a small blurb in my newsletter about finding meaning and beauty in everyday moments and now I can’t stop thinking about it.
It's an idea at the core of my journaling – and my life. This is hard to write -- maybe it shouldn't be -- but I think I revel in everyday moments because I find day-to-day life really hard. My natural disposition is pretty dark. Negative thoughts come far more easily to me than positive ones. So the positive stuff I do, write, and say – it’s almost always intentional, deliberate, fought for, chosen over something negative.
And you know what? I'm grateful for whatever it is in me that makes me work to find the good. It means I am always on the lookout for silver linings, for interesting things I missed in my initial evaluations, for bright spots and points of connection in the people I meet. It helps me take fewer things for granted. It helps me judge less and care more. It helps me love my life. And, for the most part, even when life is especially hard, I really do.
That’s what I want to share in my journal work online, the search for the good and the meaningful and -- most of all -- the finding of the good and meaningful in places we have access to right now and in moments we are experiencing right now. I have the feeling I’m not the only one who has to work hard for both.
This week’s printable journal page was an exploration of that search. Today, I cut and pasted two sections from the page (and some pretty pastel paper!) into my little notebook. I’ll write about the effort I’ve put into a collaboration with an amazing partner that led to an opportunity for us to speak at an international conference next week and I’ll work hard to frame this experience as an adventure – something to be enjoyed rather than worried over.
How about you? What efforts and adventures have you been up to so far this week?
This week's printable journal page is out! It follows up on last week's format, but also goes in its own direction. To be honest, I feel like I'm going on instinct here and I hope you don't mind exploring with me.
I was thinking about last week's noticing, but also about some of the daily sensations and experiences that can be good sources for reflection, in addition to be good things to record and to remember about our lives.
The thing about this page is that it approaches the week more by moments of experience than by chronological days.
I'm going to spend the week filling it out, little by little as I go, and I'll share some of my progress along the way.
For right now, though, the prompt that jumps out at me is taste. It has been a quiet day of writing and prepping for a talk next week, but it has also been a yummy day. Cranberry focaccia for breakfast -- which always reminds me of my mom's kitchen because I had it there first -- and lovely roast and mashed potato leftovers for lunch brought home late last night from my mother-in-law's kitchen -- which contain a unique blend of herbs and spices that everyone who knows her would recognize as hers.
How about you? Have there been any tasty moments in your day so far?
What would you think of a printable journal page that you could use two ways?
What if you could fill it out as an entire page OR, depending on your journaling needs/whims, cut it up and use some or all of the elements in your notebook/sketchbook/planner/bullet journal in whichever configuration works best for you?
I've been testing out the idea, first in my journal and then in Illustrator. This pic is my starting grid. It feels like it's full of possibilities. The next step is to add my words, lines, boxes, and borders for journaling and doodling.
I can't wait to show you the finished page on Monday!