For the first time in my life, I actually filled in every page of a journal with my thoughts. A complete journal! I am also meditating (in my own way) with consistency for the first time ever and it really has really improved my life in measurable ways.
I’ve always liked the idea of journaling and meditating, but I would always enthusiastically start and then lose interest and peter out after a few days. There are a few things that made all of the difference for me that I would love to share with you.
- I connected the activity to a higher purpose. I used to get really down on myself if I didn’t follow through with resolutions or goals I made for myself, but then I had a major AHAH moment where I realized that the majority of my goals were extrinsically motivated. Another way of saying that? I didn’t actually care that much if I did them! I liked the idea of doing these goals (like working out, writing in a journal or keeping my closet organized), but I didn’t care deeply enough about the benefit of those habits to go through the pain of making them stick in my life. With my journaling and meditating activity, I had finally reached a place personally where I wanted to feel better inside and was motivated to make a change in my habits to feel better. My brain was a bit of a magnet for worry, so I was spending a lot of my life ‘in my head’ worried about the future and totally taking my current reality (which is really awesome!) for granted. I listen to a spiritual teacher who really encourages what she calls a ‘list of positive aspects’ and meditation as a central part of raising your energetic vibration, so I figured I would give it a shot with a hope that it would help me feel better inside most of the time.
- I made it part of my routine. I’m sure you’ve read the research that talks about how important routine is to making habits stick. I decided I wanted to start my days off on a better, less frantic note, so I started getting up around 6:45 and meditating and gratitude journaling. I spend about an hour every morning in this practice and I’m here to tell you that this hour is the most treasured time in my day. I’ve never been a morning person. I still have to rip myself from the bed in the morning, but once I’m up and I have my coffee, I absolutely love the process.
- I did it my way. I’ve tried meditating all sorts of ways, but the thing that seems to work for me is to use a guided meditation. I’ve heard the one I listen to so many times that I literally have it memorized, but I find it soothing and it lulls me into quieting my brain for just a few moments. I’ve found that’s all I need. I also welcome my dogs into my meditation with me. I swear my dog Boomer really loves meditating and cuddling, so he will always join me on the couch for meditation. The other dog joins us sporadically, but he is on his own spiritual journey and I try not to pressure him. 😉 So, I listen to this guided meditation and I drink my coffee and I cuddle my dogs. Is this ‘real’ meditation? I don’t know! Most people would probably say that I am not doing it right, but I would tell those people to eff off. I feel SO much better after those ten minutes. I feel reconnected to my own soul and nurtured and loved in the deepest way. There is probably nothing on this earth I love more than my dogs (my partner Keith is loved equally) so I love starting my day this way. After meditating, I move onto my list of positive aspects. I just free write things I am thankful for. There is no page commitment. Sometimes I write pages and pages and sometimes I just write ‘I am thankful for myself’. I’m not saying it makes sense, but it makes me happy.
- I am SUPER flexible. Some mornings I am really tired and I decide to sleep in. Some mornings I really get in the flow and spend even more time journaling. Sometimes I am stressed at work and decide to step away and listen to the meditation and journal in a conference room for a bit to raise my vibration and stop negative thought patterns. Sometimes I’m a little bit over the process and skip it. I am a sagittarius, so I guess I don’t like hard and rigid rules that much. I just try to focus on the fact that it makes me feel good, almost immediately. That’s what keeps me coming back again and again. I also carry it with me everywhere I go. You never know when you might feel inspired to write something!
I’m usually a pretty happy person, but there is definitely a place in the back of my brain that feels like a deep, deep well of sadness. If I’m not careful, I can get drawn into that well and spiral into a dark place that makes it hard for me to feel positive and happy. I think most people feel the same. The flipside to that ability to feel deep sadness is an equal ability to feel happiness so deeply that it makes me want to cry with joy. A beautiful view or a sweet cuddle from my dog or a great song can cut me to my core with the deepest, soul-shaking happiness. I love that about myself. As I grow older, I am realizing that I am responsible for taking care of my own self and for doing the activities that help me tap into my sensitivity to the beautiful parts of life. They are so, so easy to access with just a little bit of effort. Journaling and meditating open the pathway to that happiness for me, so I stubbornly make room for them almost every day of my life.
Do you like meditating??? Any other tips or tricks for me? Let’s not keep secrets with this life-changing stuff, friends. I would love to hear from you.