Posted in Wise Women Speak Project, tagged fear, perspectives, wisdom, women on January 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Above all, don’t fear difficult moments, the best comes from them.
Rita, who passed away at 103
Are you a Wise Woman? Inspired by a recent gathering of Wise Elders where a 75 year-old great-grandmother shared this life wisdom with us younguns: “Remember to Laugh!,” for my 2013 blog project I plan to share the gems of wisdom of older women. Please send me your wisdom (or words you have heard from the older, wiser women in your life).
Posted in Envisioning the Future, Journaling Techniques & Prompts, Thinking Positively, Writing & Career, tagged manifesting dreams, perspectives on May 19, 2010 | 12 Comments »
New Writing and Wellness Center Opens
By: Joanna Young, Reporter for Wisdom Within, Ink
Rutland, Vermont: In the midst of Rutland City, there is a tiny haven. It stands behind a fence on a residential street and started life as a garage. However, it now heeds a higher calling.
The Writer’s Refuge is a place of healing and creativity. It is a place where you can come to write your novel or write through pain, grief, trauma, joys and transitions. It is a place where, surrounded by flowers in the summer or by a cozy fire in the winter, you can unleash your creativity and ideas, discover your authentic self and reinvent yourself according to your hidden dreams and aspirations. It is a place where self-reflection and self-expression will lead to self-discovery, helping you ultimately gain self-confidence.
Founded by writer and certified journaling instructor, Joanna Young, the Writer’s Refuge is itself a dream manifested, first in writing, then in reality. As a husband-wife team, Joanna and Brad, an adult psychotherapist, provide workshops, classes and counseling for those ready to manifest their potential and who are searching for a fulfilled life.
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The above article is about a place that has not yet been created. The building exists and, most importantly, so does the vision. While I teach self-discovery workshops now, the Writer’s Refuge (which in various forms has been a dream of mine for almost 20 years) itself is still a work in progress. The building is so close to functional but there are still vital things that need to be done (new flooring, a heat source and a new bathroom, for example). At this moment the only obstacle is financial, but with less than $2,000 and some TLC this vision will become a reality.
Look for it soon! The Writer’s Refuge will be open for business in the near future!
Prompt: Write about a dream you want to see realized as if it has already happened.
P.S. Please visit my Examiner.com page for articles on Journaling for Kids, Organization, and almost everything in between.
Posted in Envisioning the Future, Journaling Techniques & Prompts, tagged authenticity, perspectives, purpose on November 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Guess what? I’m a prophet! An en-visionary, a manifester, a future-maker!
Yesterday while I was teaching a workshop I shared a Perspective I had written on 10.23.08 but had dated 10.23.09. I discovered much of it had come true.
A Perspective is a journal entry written from different angle, in this case, from a future date. (There are other forms of Perspectives but I’ll leave those for later post.) You write the entry as if it is that date, making note of how your life is in this “unknown” future. This is where you can imagine where you might be, what you might be doing, and how you got there.
While reading my journal entry, I discovered something important: Only the things that were truly meaningful to me had occurred (or were well on their way to happening). For example, the very first sentence of my entry stated I had been published. In October 2008 I was not published, however, by October 23, 2009 I had three articles in print. I also wrote that I was no longer working outside the home, and instead working as a writer and workshop leader, even though at time I was barely a month into a new job.
Further into my writing I stated I was successfully and efficiently keeping the housework under control. Oh, don’t I wish! Well, actually I do kinda wish, but this is where my authenticity can’t be disguised – I am not a good housewife and I don’t really care (that much). If keeping my house in order was a true ambition I would have somehow made it happen.
Purpose and intent: This is what makes the difference.
So, while channeling your authentic purpose, date your page one year from today and write…
(Be sure to save it and revisit it one year from now to see what a prophet you are!)
Posted in Envisioning the Future, Journaling Techniques & Prompts, tagged journaling, perspectives on August 4, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Yesterday I read a post about a couple making the most of early empty-nest syndrome while their children were at camp. For me, their week alone without children to hamper their spontaneity was a glimpse into my own future – a future I look forward to. For those of you who have no offspring to chip away at your sanity the post won’t have much significance. However, the anticipation of a happy future is something we all need.
(And for those of you who are planning to have children in future, PLEASE DO NOT take for granted the freedom you have now. Make the most of your alone time, the quiet, the ability to go out on a whim, and the fact that your things stay put and unbroken.)
“Perspectives” is a way of envisioning your future, the way you would like it to look. In this post I prompted you to envision a path for yourself. How I want you to get more specific.
In your journal date a page 1 year, 5 years, or even 10 years from today (ex. August 6, 2014). Now just starting writing. What’s the weather like, where are you living, what did you say to your partner/friend/self…? Just have fun with it. Imagine what your life will be like – and imagine BIG because it’s hard to aim at a far-off target if it’s too small.
(For an example of how Perspectives have worked in my own life, go here.)
Please feel free to leave a comment on how these journal prompts are working for you. And if you feel moved to, please share your writings!
