ONLINE: Sun Prairie Rotary Club

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Becki Schleis/Featherlite Studios

Judith Joy

media release: “Journaling can boost happiness and resilience and create more focus in your life,” says Judith Joy, author, and dream creation guide. “Daily journaling helps develop important insights into your behavior and feelings, while recording precious elements of your life story.” 

Did you realize that journaling is a way to build a better future? Yes, that type of journaling when you chronicle your inner thoughts on paper. Research has found that writing down your thoughts can reduce depression and anxiety, build resilience and boost happiness. What’s more, you can reap these benefits even when you have little time and journal fast.

“Journaling is a mirror, a way to express yourself in the moment,” says Judith Joy, author of Dear Future Love –Bring Your Book Boyfriend to Life (yeswithjoy.com) which describes her journey to find love through journaling.

In her new book, Joy describes how she wrote letters in her journal to her future soulmate as if he already existed. Eventually, she put the journal away, but a year later, when she had met her once imaginary partner, now her husband, she found the journal. “The person I met and married was the same person I had described in my journal,” she says.

The Sun Prairie Rotary Club talk by Judith Joy on March 16, starts at 7:15 a.m. and is free and open to the public. You can join the meeting via this link. URL: https://zoom.us/j/964291657

Unlocking Writers’ Block

Everyone experiences writers’ block from time to time, but many writers don’t know how to get beyond it. Joy says, “Ask yourself these questions. If you could talk to your writing, what might you say?  (Then write that.)  What would you like to create today?  Who do you choose to be today?  What are you grateful for?

She points out that those stories, perceptions and beliefs we live by have been absorbed throughout our lifetimes. “Very often they don’t work for us, yet we continue to use those same thoughts and feelings over and over.”

She suggests “flipping” the stories in your head to something that works for you. “Feel the space of what is possible without defining exactly what that is,” she says. “Follow those feelings and take action when intuition leads you to do so. It doesn’t help to sit down to write and stare at the paper or screen and moan about not getting anything done.”

Another suggestion -- “Go do something fun and then come back to write,” she notes. “When you are high vibe,--peaceful and calm, you can use your intuition to show you when you’ll be able to produce the best product. When you follow your intuition, it may look as if you are procrastinating, when in reality your inner employee (your subconscious) is working out the details so that you can write when the time is best.”

Tips for Easy, Fast Journaling 

You don't need a lot of time to reap the benefits of journaling. Joy explains, “All you need is a few focused minutes. Just a short period of time each day can help you see things in a new way.”

Journals can be online, audio or a physical journal with pen and paper. Wonder which method is the most effective?  Any journal you use is worthwhile, but there is scientific evidence that a physical pen and paper model is the best. One reason is that doodling or drawings as you jot down your thoughts on paper might be significantly helpful in capturing your thoughts and ideas. 

1. Date and keep your happy thoughts

At the end of the day write down the happiest moment of the day. Date it so you have a stream of good vibes to reflect on months and years from now.

2. Start a ‘connections’ list

Write down the characteristics of the people you would like to meet. Then if a name pops in that matches those characteristics, reach out to that person.

3. Prime yourself for a joyful day

Before you get out of bed, plan to make it a joyful day by adding in something that makes you feel good. It could be as simple as making blueberry muffins and sharing them with a neighbor. Write down how this made you feel.

4. Write a single sentence –focus it on you.

Write that sentence about a time during the day before or a recent experience when you were at your best.  What made you shine during this time?

Journal Your Way to a Better Future

 “You can change the trajectory of what you expect and get in life by creating a map of your thoughts through journaling,” she says. “Journaling gives you a place to put your feelings, to examine your choices and see what is possible. It keeps you focused on what you want, which lowers stress – that’s especially important during times of uncertainty.”