Take a breath and pat yourself on the back.....:-)

Too often, we work ourselves into a frenzy always focussing on the next step and we lose track of all that we have accomplished.  This is a journaling prompt that I used yesterday, which provided me with incredible energy and validation.  

The prompt: "I am proud of what I achieved today!  Among the many things, I am really proud of..."
and this is where you can create a list in point form or by sentence.  The magic of journaling reveals itself when the user is completely honest with themselves and does not edit their thoughts.   After doing this activity, I felt that I had provided some value to my family, my career, and my.....life!

A quote that changes your world....

Every now and then, we come across a quote that truly changes our perception and takes our thought process to a whole new level.  These quotes seem to pop up at the most perfect times when we actually need to see them.
Yesterday, the quote that spoke to me was while I was in my doctor's office waiting for my first appointment to begin.

"Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing." - Oscar Wilde

This quote took me back to my days after university where I had dreams of coming out and getting a six figure salary job and starting my life.  The truth of the matter was, as it is for a lot of students, it wasn't that easy.  I went through many jobs, many I didn't like, to find one that I truly love.  Reading this quote yesterday reminded me that life is a journey and that all my experience has just made me a stronger individual than I was after graduating university.

Journaling activity:
Find a quote that resonates with you and spend some time journaling about why it speaks to you, your life, and your ongoing journey.

My Wants, Vision and Mission!

Happy New Year!  I hope all is going well with your resolutions!

It is quite normal to hear about resolutions that have already failed and it has me thinking whether we really choose resolutions that align with society’s beliefs rather than our own deepest desires.  Some people even choose to not come up with new years resolutions as they feel it just sets them up for failure.  This is disappointing to hear as goals can truly help us maximize our true potential and a new year is a great excuse to start goal setting.

So, to discover those meaningful goals that you can achieve with all your heart, here is a journaling activity that might just help:  My Wants, Vision and Mission.

MY WANTS, VISION & MISSION

Note: This technique is meant to give clarity to one who is facing uncertainty.  This technique can apply to any situation big or small where the outcome may not be decided. 

a) Sometimes to discover what we truly want in our lives, it is helpful to start with all the things we do not want. 

Don’t Wants:  Write down your “don’t wants” of all the things that are less desirable and make a note of how you feel, just focusing on them.  Example: “I don’t want to spend less time with my family.”

Wants:  Now, write down all the opposite of your ‘don’t wants’ and try to be specific.  Example: “I want to spend 2 full hours with my family, 6 days a week.”

b)  Vision:  Summarize your ‘Wants’ as if it is in the present- as if you have already achieved or have your wants.  This can be a paragraph or a page, it is entirely up to you.  Example: “I am spending quality time with my family, 2 hours a day, 6 days a week and I am cherishing every minute of it.”

A second part of this activity includes challenging yourself even more and getting to specifics.  Using your wants to drive you, where do you see yourself in 3 months/6 months/one year?  What are the steps you are going to take towards getting to your vision? 

c) Mission:  What is the MISSION STATEMENT for your new attitude in life?  Write out a mantra, positive affirmation, poem, song, drawing etc. that describes how you are going to deal with conflict and fear in your life.  Or finish off the statement: “Whenever I encounter a challenge, I will…”

I would love to hear your thoughts on this activity and how you felt before and after doing it.  I know it’s magical power has brought some great abundance to my life.

Gautam Khanna

"Growth itself contains the germ of happiness."- Pearl S. Buck