Hey Blog Buddies!!! A couple of week back (actually 20 days ago) I was at Barnes & Noble with Lynn & Jerry. We had just commented that there were exactly 40 days left till graduation. Moments later I was drooling over the various mole skin notebooks in the journal/diary section when I stumbled onto 40 Days and 40 Nights: Taking Time Out For Self-Discovery, A Guided Journal. It seemed perfect! I had 40 days left as a grad student in Alabama and this journal would give me the chance to take time to explore my inner self while in school. Hopefully I'd emerge after graduation a better person, right? Well.. that sounds great, but my last 40 days in grad school are actually pretty busy and hectic. I'm SMing a show, closed the rep season, and I'm battling the ever growing pile of Theatre History homework that I just keep putting off. Not to mention my planning a move and apartment hunting, etc. Nevertheless, I kept up with the journal for a couple of weeks. Here are my thoughts:
The book starts by asking you to choose an intention. Why are you doing the exercise? I chose "to learn more about myself". Each day includes an activity and several journal prompts to help inspire me to write. For example, Day 8 says "Open a line of communication between you and your intuition and listen witht he intent to really hear. Activity: Calm down and relax. Put your fingertips to your pulse. Find your heartbeat, release, and sit quietly. Then whisper the following words: 'What do I need to know to help me with my intention? What do I need to do or not do?' Let things percolate. Listen for your intuition- it might be a voice, a body sensation, or fleeting images. Write down whatever comes to you; it's almost like taking dication." I wrote "The image of a potted plant refused to leave my mind-- perhaps a bonzai tree." The wierd thing is- I have no patience for potted plants. I either overwater them or ignor them. Either way, a house plant has a short lifespan in my home. I don't really take pleasure in caring for a plant. So why when I asked myself "What do I need to know to learn more about myself" I saw the image of a potted plant? Maybe I'm trying to tell myself to be patient. It's all open to interpretation.
Next day 8 had two journal prompts.:
But that was day 8-- and even then I wasn't really doing the journal right. It gave me 3 pages to write on but I barely filled one. I'd also wait to the middle of the night, right before bed to do my journal. I never really gave it the time and attention it required. Much like a potted plant. Hmm...
But now it's day 21 and I've not picked up the book for 4 days. I don't think this is a reason to thow the book away-- I'll read thru the missed days today and see what happens. But I'm just not going to force myself into daiy devotional. I can learn more about myself outside of that structured plan I think. Thoughts?
The book starts by asking you to choose an intention. Why are you doing the exercise? I chose "to learn more about myself". Each day includes an activity and several journal prompts to help inspire me to write. For example, Day 8 says "Open a line of communication between you and your intuition and listen witht he intent to really hear. Activity: Calm down and relax. Put your fingertips to your pulse. Find your heartbeat, release, and sit quietly. Then whisper the following words: 'What do I need to know to help me with my intention? What do I need to do or not do?' Let things percolate. Listen for your intuition- it might be a voice, a body sensation, or fleeting images. Write down whatever comes to you; it's almost like taking dication." I wrote "The image of a potted plant refused to leave my mind-- perhaps a bonzai tree." The wierd thing is- I have no patience for potted plants. I either overwater them or ignor them. Either way, a house plant has a short lifespan in my home. I don't really take pleasure in caring for a plant. So why when I asked myself "What do I need to know to learn more about myself" I saw the image of a potted plant? Maybe I'm trying to tell myself to be patient. It's all open to interpretation.
Next day 8 had two journal prompts.:
- Whose voice do you love the sound of? Why? How does it affect you?
- Write down a secret you've kept a long time. How does it feel to finaly spill it out?
But that was day 8-- and even then I wasn't really doing the journal right. It gave me 3 pages to write on but I barely filled one. I'd also wait to the middle of the night, right before bed to do my journal. I never really gave it the time and attention it required. Much like a potted plant. Hmm...
But now it's day 21 and I've not picked up the book for 4 days. I don't think this is a reason to thow the book away-- I'll read thru the missed days today and see what happens. But I'm just not going to force myself into daiy devotional. I can learn more about myself outside of that structured plan I think. Thoughts?
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