DEAR DIARY

I started journaling at age 12. Like Anne Frank, I was too
young to worry whether I was doing it right or wrong. I
felt this daily practice put me in the company of important
journal keepers like Benjamin Franklin, Carl Jung, and of
course Elvis. Through the years, my journal morphed into
many things: A friend, a mirror, a teacher and an excuse to
sit alone at a romantic cafe.
At one point I even used it as a "Book of Shadows"
which is a modern pagan practice. Throughout history,
witches have been known to record their spells and charms
and keep a detailed account of the effects of their work.
Thus, I knew my journal was a spiritual tool, but I had no
idea of its transformative power until Julia Cameron
introduced me to The Artist’s Way.
In her spiritual path to creativity, Cameron prescribes
the Morning Pages. This practice gave me permission to
speak my truth, to release my judgments and to transcend my
small self. The Morning Pages are a type of meditation
wherein one witnesses their own consciousness without
attachment. In the last 5 years of teaching the Artist's
Way journey, I've seen dozens of students use this tool to
change careers, leave bad marriages, lose weight, take up
new hobbies, become professional artists and experience
self-realization.
Whether or not you are ready to experience the full
Artist Way journey, the Morning Pages are a beautiful
adjunct to any spiritual practice. Here are four basic
steps to personal transformation:
(1) Write daily, preferably immediately after waking.
This is when your conscious mind is closest to your
subconscious. Set your Alarm 30 minutes early and make this
your morning ritual. On the average it takes 20 minutes.
Find a comfortable and/or inspiring place to practice each
day. If you can't find the time to do it in the morning
then do it at your first opportunity during the day.
(2) Write long hand. This taps into the creative
hemisphere of the brain. (It can be a combination of
writing and printing.)
(3) Allow your stream of consciousness to flow. DO NOT
CENSOR or even edit yourself (resist the temptation to
check spelling or even cross out words.) Feel free to write
about: emotions, reactions, thoughts, realizations,
interactions with people or situations, ideas, dreams,
whatever occurs to you when the pen is on the paper. If
you're afraid of messing up a journal then use a cheap
spiral bound notebook. Your journal is private. Do not
show anyone, not even yourself--at least for the first few
weeks.
(4) Don't stop until you've reached 3 pages. The size
and shape of your journal doesn't matter, but don't write
more than 3 pages.
This process often elicits intense resistance from the
ego. As a Bliss coach, I either guide people past their
resistance to the morning pages, or lead them into
effective alternatives such as:
Manifestation journal
Automatic writing
Morning drawings
Gratitude journal
Travel journal
Prayer journal
Dream journal
Whatever type of journaling you practice, I invite you to
regard it as both a spiritual and creative act. Take this
opportunity to re-commit. Inspiration may strike at any
time, like a lightning bolt out of the clear blue sky.
Daily Journaling creates a downpour of new ideas and one
day you may find your pen has turned into a lightening rod.