As you work with your Journal, you will learn to tap this inner wisdom, and you will learn methods of growing that you have always thought possible ... but always seemed just out of reach. I

INTROSPECTIVE JOURNAL WRITING

key to self awareness &  personal growth

THE PEN IS THE TONGUE OF THE MIND
 -DR WILFRED MONTEIRO

My coaching sessions usually begin by asking my “student” to keep a journal for a month. I coach them with a few tips on writing a journal...Most don't need it ..they have to develop their own style and modus operandi by trial or error.

A Journal is  expressing yourself the way you are from the inside. Most people think of Journals as ‘diaries,’ and in a way they are. You will record important experiences in your Journal, because they affect you. You will want to explore, not only your thoughts and feelings, but your experiences. 


 “WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE… BETWEEN A JOURNAL AND A DIARY?

 It’s a question I get asked all the time. “What’s the difference between a journal and a diary? A diary is a report of what happened during the day—where you ate, who you met, the details leading up to the kerfluffle in the office, and who took whose side. It’s a bit like a newspaper about you.

A journal is completely different. A journal is about examining your life. It’s a soul blog or a GPS system for your inner self. “I’ve made this mistake before. . . and I always make it when I rushed for time and feel panicky. But I feel panicky because I know I’m headed for the same mistake.” Journals lead to insight, growth, and sometimes, achieving a goal.

But a Journal is not a diary only. Entries you make regarding your day, events you experienced and their effects on you are only springboards to a more fulfilling activity. You will delve beyond the experiences, events and emotions to discover what more essential teachings life holds for you.

OPEN TO YOUR OWN INNER WISDOM...

You are Wise. You have an inner source of wisdom that far exceeds what you think of as your limits.As you work with your Journal, you will learn to tap this inner wisdom, and you will learn methods of growing that you have always thought possible ... but always seemed just out of reach. It’s not just a book. It is a part of you; a place you can share your innermost thoughts, feelings and reflections.Your Journal is the repository of your experiences. It becomes a guide, a mirror ... a confidant and friend. It is important to have a Journal that is a statement of who you are.

BEGININEER GUIDE TO KEEPING A JOURNAL

Start with writing, Write in your journal freely. Do not worry about how it looks, or even grammar and spelling errors. Write how you want, what you want, and where you want. Writing a word, sentences, paragraphs or pages, journaling whatever you have to say that day, is just the right amount to write.. Set your journal where you will see it everyday, i.e., on your nightstand, at your desk, where you have coffee. This will help to remind you to journal.

Remember to use your journal for your benefit and well being, what ever that means to you. Keeping a journal is a powerful tool that you can give to yourself everyday.Plus, this creates time for you every day.Journal whatever is important for you to write about right then and there. I've kept journals of school-boy memories; my favourite sales call; my friends and their interactions; memories of my mother and father; regrets and triumphs I had in life and (creative visualization) my dreams for the future.

 Keeping your journal private. A journal is  useful to the person who keeps it. Dull to the contemporary who reads it ( it should never even be read by your wife) and invaluable to your grandchildren decades afterwards, who treasure it.

That can mean setting boundaries with those in your home, it may mean hiding it, or locking it away. You will have to make an individual decision about what that means to you.. Re-read your journal or not. Rarely do I re-read my journals, but when I have it has been very supportive. Some people always read what they have written. Again, it is a personal choice.

BEGIN TODAY

Whatever you have to say in your journal is perfect, because that is what is important to you right now. Practice is at the heart of experience, and only with experience will the development of these techniques become useful.BEGIN TODAY Find the right journal, book, for you: The right size, shape, color, lined or unlined.Find the right place for you to write: In bed, at your desk, on the kitchen table.Find the right time of day for you to write: Morning, noon or night. Your journal is a daily gift you give to yourself.

 best of luck 

Dr WILFRED MONTEIRO