TOOLS WITH HEART NEWSLETTER
HOLIDAY SEASON
"A Journal is a place of catharsis, transition, healing, uncensored confession, a place to live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." ~ Rainier Maria Rilke
IN THIS ISSUE
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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
"Nothing shapes our lives so much as the questions we ask." ~ Sam Keen
Questions are at the heart of spiritual awakening. "Who am I?," What matters most?," "Why am I here?," What do I believe?," Who are my teachers?," How can I live my best life?," What can I offer?," What do I need?," What makes me sad, joyful, afraid, hopeful?"
A friend of mine felt lost, disconnected to his purpose in life, at a crossroads not knowing which way to turn. In his meditation, he asked repeatedly for guidance, "What's my next step? Where do I go from here?" He wasn't getting answers. He was prompted to change the question he was asking to "What's in my way? How can I create the space into which my next opportunity will show up?" He got answers about what he needed to rid himself of. He created the space by letting go of what was no longer working in his life.
The answers to our personal questions can be most often found by looking within. If you can learn to hear, trust and embrace the wisdom that lies within you, you will be able to confidently navigate your life. The answers that you seek can be found when you start answering your own questions. *
Most Tools With Heart journals have questions or prompts to jump-start your journaling because we know that facing a blank sheet or canvas can be intimidating at times. In order to build a relationship with your own guidance, ask one of your own questions. "How do I feel right now? What is utmost on my mind right now? What relationship would I like to cultivate or heal right now? Where do I go from here?"
"We may not get an answer, but what's important is not to cease asking. Perhaps we mispronounced the question or our timing wasn't right. Perhaps we received an answer and didn't recognize it, or perhaps the answer we heard wasn't the one we wanted to hear, so we ignored it. Maybe we need to travel still further on our journey, around the next turn in the road, over the next pass, into the company of someone we have yet to meet. Whether we go to the Ganges or Graceland, maintaining a spirit of observance and self-reflection is key. Without this intention, our pilgrimages are only vacations." ~ Gregg Levoy, Callings – Finding and Following an Authentic Life
* "The Answers Within Us" www.dailyom.com
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JOURNAL CIRCLES
"Group journaling transforms an enriching experience of solitude into a powerful experience of community." ~ Suzanne C. Goodsell
Journal Circles or groups are a great way to make journal writing consistent and to take your insights to a deeper place. Even if you share insight with a close friend, mentor or family member, sharing in a group takes it farther.
A few weeks ago, 3 friends and I spent the weekend in Santa Fe constructing our own handmade journal with paste paper and sewn with waxed linen. Personal talismans, beads, charms and other adornments can be attached to the spine. We were overjoyed and anxious for our gorgeous book to capture our musings, dreams, sketches, photos and what not. I've been collecting my thoughts and images for entry into my journal but have not dedicated the time to do it; and unfortunately, the four of us live in different cities. So this is an urgent message for me too!
The more diversity in a group, the better – women and men, seniors and adolescents, professionals and artists. They just have to be committed to meeting regularly and sharing. Here are some pointers for starting one up:
The success of your journal group doesn't depend on the number of people, the format or what journals you use. What matters most is that you find the time to make entries in your own journal – from a whisper to a scream, a road sign or crossing on your journey, a snippet of a dream or one word for the day.
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FEATURED GUEST – DEBBIE JENAE – JOURNAL HANDWRITING
Before you lay your hands on that keyboard and write another revealing thought, think about what your handwriting brings to light! When journaling by hand, your thoughts not only flow from your limbic system directly through your writing instrument, they are also shaped by the handwriting itself. The size, slant, spacing and style of the strokes you leave on the page paint a unique and individual personality portrait. So says our featured guest and certified graphoanalyst, Debbie Jenae*
Here are four styles of writing and how they relate to journal writing:
Your choice of writing instrument, paper preference, and the shape and style of your writing can show you how you respond to emotional situations, make decisions, process information, communicate with others and how you relate to the present.
* www.debbiejenae.com
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THOUGHTFUL HOLIDAY GIFTS - 20% OFF SALE ITEMS
To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.
~ Unknown
And in case you haven't visited our Sitting Room for awhile, we want to remind you about some additional thoughtful gifts:
