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10 Do's Of Great Hair Care
If the amount of money consumers spend on hair care products
annually is any indication, most people are concerned about the
appearance of their hair and strive to attain beautiful, healthy
and stylish locks. In fact, most will go to any lengths...
"Are You in Heaven or Hell?"
Copyright 2005 Coco Fossland
Through the ups and downs of life, it can seem at times, as though the quality of our lives is dependent on the people, situations, and conditions of the world around us. Yet, to become the powerful creator of our...
Do You Want To Change Your Belief Pattern?
What do you believe about yourself that you wish you didn't? This belief that limits you or, at the very least, has undesirable results. What belief is that?
There are lots of negative belief patterns out there, here are just a few: *I'm too...
How to Make Your Own Printable Invitations for Any Occasion
Even with modern technology like email and cell phones, printed invitations have remained the most common way to let people know about your upcoming party and will continue to remain popular due to the timeless rules of party etiquette. ...
Resource for Parents and Teachers Dealing with Bullying
Resource for Parents and Teachers Dealing with Bullying Author Interview with Patricia Gatto and John De Angelis, Milton’s Dilemma By Lisa M. Hendey We hear all too frequently about the devastating escalation of “bullying” in today’s society –...
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Uncovering Your Joy: Using a Personal Journal to Discover a Life Filled with Happiness
Author Tristine Rainer wrote “Happiness within a diary has less to do with the events you encounter in life than with the way you experience the process of living.” Because a diary mirrors how you perceive and deal with events, it can be used for developing the capacity to more fully experience joy.
Do you use your journal only for problem-solving, dark days, sorrowful feelings, or depressive thoughts? If so, why not start recording the happiness’s as well. In fact, why not keep a special Joy Journal? That way, when you’re having a bad day, just pull out your Joy Journal and re-experience the small happiness’s.
Will keeping a journal actually bring you joy? No. However, many diarists have used their journals to alter their perceptions and in the process achieve a joy filled life. For example, Rainer cites one woman’s first attempt at writing positive emotions, after years of negative entries:
“As we walked to the fruit stand at twilight, I was overcome with ecstasy. Each house had a new charm and a story to tell. Colors seemed to have been applied with a brush. At the stand each orange demanded a caress. . . “
Do you see how an everyday walk to the store became a sensory delight? All because the writer began to alter her perception of the experience.
To begin your Joy Journal, we suggest a Rainer-inspired technique called a List of Joys. Use this technique to collect the joyful moments of your life. You can list things that make you happy on a routine basis (like watching a sunset),
or extraordinary events that put a smile on your face. Your list might look something like this:
1. I really, really, really felt the grass between my toes and it made me feel like one living creature (me) was intimately communicating with another (the grass).
2. Listening to of Lorena McKinnett’s Dante’s Prayer filled my body with an intense rush of love. How could anyone write something so unearthly beautiful?
3. I rode my bicycle today and the feeling of the breeze rushing through my hair made me feel like I was 10 years old. What joy!
Help balance those serious, difficult days by re-reading your Joy Journal, and remembering that life IS filled with moments of pure happiness.
Copyright 2004 Patti Testerman
Journal Genie, The Website That Talks Back
http://www.journalgenie.com
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and the resource box is left unchanged. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
Patti Testerman is content manager at JournalGenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Discover self-defeating patterns, find better ways to communicate in relationships. Contact her at mailto:patti@journalgenie.com
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