Introducing a new series, "On Journaling." Every so often, I will write about the practice of journaling—how we can keep up with it, what it can do for us, and the role it plays in our lives. I hope these will be helpful to you in the ongoing development of your practice!
Your journal prompts this week:
What have been some periods of personal transformation in my life, when I very clearly felt or saw myself change or evolve into the next version of myself?
What often sparked these transformations and what helped them move along?
What role could journaling play in helping me transform or in helping me process transformation?
If I were to develop a journaling practice that supports me in creating transformation, what would that practice look like?
Transformation is a really popular word right now, and I fear it is in danger of being overused, especially in the coaching and self-help world. When words become in danger of being overused, they start to lose their potency. And they start to take on definitions or iterations that take over their identity, and not necessarily in a good way.
Many of us are selling transformational experiences and journeys. There's transformational coaching, transformational retreats, transformational workshops, courses, and classes. Over time, transformation has evolved into something that is sold, an experience that is promised when money is exchanged with a guide or teacher and a student.
The concept of a transformation has turned from an individual, deeply personal experience to one that needs to be facilitated, sparked, encouraged, and progressed by something outside of ourselves.
I'm not at all doubting the ability of experiences like these to create transformation. I think they do in many cases. But something about this emphasis on taking our transformational journey outside of ourselves, this obsession with seeking big transformational experiences, has always bothered me. And I think part of it is that these experiences are most often incredibly expensive and positioned as a must-have for our personal transformations to occur.
Of course, this is all part of what one might consider the good marketing behind a program or offer. Who wants to say no to an opportunity to transform into the next, higher version of themselves?
The problem is that there are people who have to say no because they can't afford it. And they are left wondering how they'll ever get the transformation they seek. It's a little like trying to get your first job, when every posting requests experience and you have none. How can you gain experience if you can't get a job? It's a similar situation now with transformation. You're ready for a transformation, but you can't afford it. But if you were already the higher version of yourself, perhaps you could!
I'll be honest, I have been this person at various points of my life, now being one of those points. I'm not able to afford the transformations others are selling. And there are times I've felt bad about myself, wondering how I'll ever get ahead if I can't pay for an expensive coach or retreat. And on top of it, I have a baby now and am both financially and time poor, so it's not in the cards for me on multiple levels. Hearing that I need to make the sacrifice to invest in myself, to take a big financial risk to prove I'm "ready," makes me feel even more upset and stuck.
But then I have to remind myself that the entire concept of expensive transformational experiences was invented by people trying to sell things. They're selling the unique experience they provide, but it doesn't mean their way is the only way you can transform.
The origin of a transformational experience is actually deeply personal, and there was never a rule that said a pricey experience or guide was required in order to create it. All that is required is YOU and the recognition and awareness of the transformation occurring.
I decided to look back on my life and assess what experiences or things were transformational for me and that didn't cost me a lot. Most often, writing was very much involved. This then led me to ask:
Can the practice of journaling, in and of itself, be transformative?
For me, I can look back and see that journaling often played an important role in either sparking the transformation or in processing it as it was occurring. I wrote a little about this in my essay, The Evolution of a Journaling Practice. Even as a kid, I'd sit down to write with the goal of reaching that point of epiphany, that grain of truth I was seeking in the chaos of all that was happening around me and to me. And all I had to do was sit down and write without restriction or judgment, whatever was coming to mind. It was my favorite part, honestly, of my journaling practice.
Thinking about my experience then led me to ask:
Can this transformative journaling experience be created, be available, to anyone?
I think it absolutely can be. It is all about the intention we set when we sit down to write. We can have all sorts of different intentions when we're journaling: to vent, to process, to play, to explore, to create. And to me, an intention in a soul journaling practice specifically is to find ourselves.
Soul journaling helps us discover the part of ourselves that is hidden under the day-to-day roles we play, it remind us who we really are. This then helps us "transform" in those moments into that person, to that version of ourselves.
Sometimes that version of ourselves can get left behind on the page when we end the practice—which is why we need to keep coming back to it. And it's also why I think it is valuable to reread past journal entries from time to time. This helps you to remember who you were, who you are, and who you're becoming.
I feel deeply that I want to help people see that they can absolutely create their own transformation, and they can do it through journaling. I call my practice a "soul journaling practice," but you can call it whatever you want.
If you want to facilitate transformation in your practice, here's a few suggestions to help you create the experience for yourself:
Set an intention before you write.
Create an environment around you that invites journaling, even if it is something small (some background music, a hot cup of tea or coffee).
Bring in any spiritual or meaningful tools or objects you like to use (crystals, oracle/Tarot cards, photos of loved ones, meaningful mementos, etc)
Free write whatever comes to mind, without any filters or judgment
Every so often, revisit what you wrote and any gems or messages that came through
These are some simple steps you can take to help create transformation for yourself now. And with a practice like journaling, transformation doesn't have to be one big flashy moment, it can be many small ones that build over time.
Please feel free to share in the comments below the role journaling has played for you in times of personal transformation. And also, feel free to share whether you've had transformational experiences that didn't cost you a lot of money, just to remind us all it is possible!
To explore what a transformative practice could look like for you, use the above journal prompts.
As always, if you want me to pull an Oracle or Tarot card for you this week for some guidance, you can also let me know in the comments below.
With much love and gratitude,
Marcy
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