The art of Journaling

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend and is sticking to the 10 day challenge I posted a few days ago! I am testing this idea on a friend at work and have noticed a huge difference so far. Todays blog I want to focus on the art of Journaling. This is something you can do any where and any time. Many people associate journaling with keeping a diary of some sort, which for most men may make them feel weak and inferior, while for some women, may make them feel like a teenage girl. Journaling is done by some of the most successful entrepreneurial minded people all over the world. If you don't believe me type in any person you deem successful, along with the words journaling, and I guarantee he or she sticks to this practice.

To start a journal, simply go out and buy a spiral notebook(this doesn't have to be expensive). There are also journaling programs on computers that you can download in order to protect the privacy of your thoughts. The best time to Journal is in the morning when your mind is in its most creative state and you don't have the clutter from your days experience. Spend roughly 10-20 minutes just writing. (Put the date and the time at the top of the page).

If you don't know what to write about then write out, "what will I get out of doing this exercise" until your hand gets tired, you go clinically insane, or your timer goes off.

The art of Journaling is that you can write about whatever you feel - you can write down ideas that you have, future plans, people you'd like to call, places you'd like to see, etc. Some people simply spend this time to vent out their frustrations while others use it as a tool to document success. The whole idea is to use this form of therapy to dig deeper into your soul and become more aware of your needs, wants, fears, things that make you happy(things you'll want to pull closer to you), and things that make you sad(you'll want to avoid these things). If you continually stick to this practice you will notice a change in how you think and feel. Your thoughts will seem much clearer, you will become more creative in problem solving, and most importantly you will truly know yourself. Over time you may want to go back to old journal entries (a year later from the date usually works best) and see how your life has changed - it really is a magical thing to see yourself positively transform over time. If you need more clarification as always feel free to email me at ggoodm42@yahoo.com and or Google Journaling. I wish you all the best of luck!

Have a good one,

Geoff

post your ideas

I am looking to start a thread with people who have their own techniques that have helped them along the road of life. These are to be personal development tools that you have learned and have impacted you positive. If you want your ideas to be shared with readers of this blog please email me at ggoodm42@yahoo.com - let me know if you would like to be listed as anonymous or as your name.

thank you,

Geoff

10 day challenge

Aloha to all!

I am back in action with keeping up on the blog spot after a long hiatus. I have been doing more reading on personal development and want to share my knowledge to empower all of you!

Lets start with a 10 day challenge. Your challenge is to rid yourself of any negative thoughts. Wow this sounds hard doesn't it? most of us live in a chaotic little world where the smallest mistake and or "action" causes us to react with inner turmoil. If you stick to the plan, you will notice after a few days it gets easier! you will create a space in your mind that will always kick in when you engage in any negative thought process - Heres your action plan - Start Tomorrow! For 10 consecutive days you are to refuse any negative thoughts and or feelings about yourself or others around you. When you catch yourself acting negatively or thinking negatively shift your mindset to a positive question aka How can I learn from this person? How can I learn from this experience? what is great about this? (remember when asking a question make sure it is empowering). if you want to lose weight would you say - "I don't want to be fat anymore" or would you say, "How can I come up with a plan to sculpt my body into the shape that I desire most." Another rule to the game which is very important is to focus on the solution NOT the problem. If something arises and you get upset, please focus on a solution. if you dwell on the problem you will create a snowball effect of mini problems and become even more stressed. Our brain is a very powerful too and when we ask great questions based on finding solutions rather than focusing on "problems" our mind will find ways to come up with answers! If you find yourself caught up in negative thought give yourself a minute to shift your mindset, if you absolutely cannot do this start your 10 days over the following day.

This technique is proven to work and if you stick to the plan you will see amazing results. You will be able to think more positively about any given situation and wouldn't you agree that would make life just a bit easier?

"Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind" - zen proverb

Enjoy the evening,

Geoff

A little zen wisdom (revised)

"For most of us the greatest mystery of all is who we truly are. the single most important journey you will ever take is the quest to recognize yourself. the single most important contribution you have to make is who you truly are” seijaku roshi

What a great quote I stumbled upon! I think its important to realize that when we say something, to make sure we are really speaking OUR  truth and not someone else's.  What truly makes each and every one of us unique? - our talents, our drive towards certain goals, our motivation, and our life vision. I have tried very hard to paint a final picture of what the end result looks like, to realize that there is no end result. there is no painting that can justify what will be. The painting is actually an endless movie that is created day by day through trial and error. When we motivate ourselves to try new things and  relax in our own skin, this is when all of the pieces come together, when opportunity presents itself, and when the wind pushes against our backs towards our life's path. We may do something great, such as; give what we feel, is our best lecture, but we can always strive for more. Life is an endless journey where we are to try new things each and every day for our own personal growth. A wise man told me that success is not measured in how much money we accumulate, but how much service we provide for others. Be happy each and every day, and be sure to do the things that YOU enjoy, for if you do, you will definitely provide a great service to those around you!

Have an excellent evening,

Geoff

Stay Dedicated

To those who read the blog often I do apologize for being MIA - I did just get a job which I absolutely love and I have started to implement the things that I've learned, to not only attract new clients and prospects, but to stay stress-free during the workday. The topic I want to touch up on is - the power of discipline. I have been waking up at 6 am to go to the gym and when that alarm goes off, there are days where my mind wants to shut back down and sleep. I say to myself that I have made a commitment to get up and workout and I simply shoot out of bed. If there is something you have been meaning to do, write down that task and figure out how long you can give yourself until it becomes a part of you. Usually after a good week or two your body and mind will adapt to the task at hand. Maybe you want to cut out a certain food, start running, or have your room be more clean. Whatever it may be, make a commitment to yourself, to do just one thing every day and when the time comes to do it, and you don't want to, say to yourself that you must, you have to, you've made a commitment to yourself to a better YOU! there is no better investment than in oneself.  If you can believe that anything is possible in the world, and that the more you invest in yourself, the more you will prosper and your life will be great!

enjoy the day,

Geoff

How badly do you want it- Food for thought

Back in High school I was handed an article by my cross country running coach, entitled, "How Badly Do You Want It." It was about runners, and the article emphasized that to get where you want to be, you must practice and work consistently towards your goal. I always kept that article hanging at home to remind myself of how hard I worked towards achieving a 4:58 mile time. Lately I have been thinking about the "real world" and how the article can be related to work, relationships, personal health, and any other endeavor we journey towards.  I believe that if we want something bad enough, we must ask ourselves, how badly do we really want it. What will we sacrifice to get to the pot of gold? If you can dream it you can live it. Next time you become stressed in life ask yourself what can I do differently, What am I willing to do differently, and how can I step out of my comfort zone to get where I want to be. If you remember that  you cannot get the sweet without the sour and the sour is not all that bad, you will surely get to where you want to be!

Enjoy your day,

Geoff

Fun meditation technique by me

A magician walks on stage and sets his top hat on the ground below. he smiles at his audience and opens a large brown bag and tosses what seems like post-it notes into the air. The pieces of paper float around and continually whirl until they all magically fall into the top hat. The man invites his assistant on stage, who opens her purse, and begins tossing the letters of the alphabet high into the air. Strange as it may seem each letter sails around for a bit until comfortably landing into the top hat. At this moment you are to shut your eyes and breathe 3 deep breaths. Visualize yourself walking towards the stage. Imagine yourself reaching into this top hat and pulling out a card. On the card is a message that you are to read - Write down the first thing that comes to your mind. This is a great little exercise I created when I needed some help from my intuition. Our higher selves like to visualize and create. If you can create a little scene in your head by using your imagination, you can tap into your intuitive powers. If you have some trouble doing this - have a friend or family member read aloud this scene while you mentally walk up to the stage and reach for your note. I wish you all luck! and as always -


Enjoy your weekend!

Geoff