Journaling as therapy for ourselves means we can give more to others.
We all know the drill.
If there is an in-flight emergency and the cabin pressure drops, put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others with theirs.
It’s so obvious, it hardly seems worth stating.
And yet, knowing this, I found myself so overwhelmed with the injustice of the past few years, so called to action, that I forget this most basic lesson that I thought I’d learned long ago.
I know I’m not alone.
I see many people who are tired, broke, or even broken these days.
It's easy to slide down that slippery slope with the world in the state it's in, especially if you are focused and passionate.
I was always a go-gitter, as my North Carolina girlfriend would say.
I had that quintessentially ‘80s attitude, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
I learned to push through pain, ignore fatigue, and hunker down to do whatever it took.
But after a run of high energy and equally high emotion performances of my one-woman show, How to Become a Diva, I was spent.
I went to the cottage and collapsed, taking well-deserved time to rest.
Except I never felt rested.
My tank was empty and apparently had a hole in it where any fuel quickly leaked out.
It took 13 years to get 90% better…and then I did it again.
I volunteered my way into exhaustion and depletion — of all my resources.
In reviewing my top 3 lessons learned in 2024, I realized that I had to relearn to put the oxygen mask on myself first.
We are useless to any one when we don’t take care of ourselves.
How many people do you know who have worn themselves out over the past 5 years?
How many have fatigue, broken relationships, weakened financial resources?
For those who are called to contribute to creating a workable world, there has never been a more important time to build our 5 pillars of strength — physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and financial.
I know this, but until I did my year-end journal review of lessons learned, I didn’t fully see how depleted I was.
This time, I had better safety protocols in place and didn’t permanently burn myself out, but there were weeks at a time when I couldn’t do much, if anything.
The old programming was still there.
This time, the world was on fire and it seemed like nothing else mattered.
But nothing matters more than our well-being.
This year, I’m creating structures or programming that moves me in the direction of dreams — the ones for myself and for the world.
I’m using my journal and hypnotherapy as just 2 of those structures, and sharing both in my upcoming course, The Power of Journaling.
Starting your day with your journal is not an indulgence or a distraction.
It’s a way to clear your head, find your centre, and empower yourself so that you have the ability to put the oxygen mask on others.
“I don’t journal to ‘be productive.’ The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me. It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found.”
– Tim Ferriss
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My last entry was about lesson #1.
Stay tuned for lesson #3.
Find out more about how to develop a powerful journaling practice for personal growth at powerofjournaling.com
Reprogram your life.
Rewrite your story.
Starts Saturday, March 1,2025
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Great insights. Thanks you Michelle!