You’re reading 7 Ways Journaling Can Save Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“Whether you’re keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it’s the same thing. What’s important is you’re having a relationship with your mind.”      ~Natalie Goldberg

My passion for journaling began at the age of ten when my mother handed me a Kahlil Gibran journal to help me cope with my grandmother’s suicide in my childhood home. I poured my fears, tears, and worries onto its pages. I’ve inspired all three of my children to journal, and now, more than five decades later, I continue to journal. I believe that this practice has saved my life on many occasions, including a turbulent adolescence, bedrest with three children, the loss of loved ones, and two bouts of cancer.

The journal or notebook is a powerful tool if you’re a writer, and it is also a tool for wellness. It’s a place to intimately express feelings and emotions, record memories, explore secrets, and transcribe musings. Journaling can help you tap into the depths of your soul. The journal makes no judgments; it is free of editors, critics, and teachers. It is the music and voice of your true emotions. And, journaling regularly can help you with problem-solving and stress reduction.

There is no right or wrong way to journal. The goal is to just get your words down on the page. When you’re beginning to journal, it’s a good idea to write at the same time each day. By doing so, this form of creative expression becomes a habit, as well as an integral part of your daily habits. It’s also wise to date entries so that when you look back on them, you’ll know how you were feeling at a particular time and place.

Here are seven ways keeping a journal can save your life:

1. It provides a container for emotional release. The journal is a place to vent your feelings in a nonthreatening way. Its pages are free of judgment and recrimination, which is particularly valuable when  going through difficult times. It is a safe and private container for you to gather your feelings and then begin to process them, rather than keeping them bottled up inside. Whether you’re affected by change, loss, or pain, finding the time to journal is vital for your emotional health.
2. It helps you on your path to self-discovery and self-awareness. When you write what you’re experiencing and feeling, you’re learning about yourself and what is important to you. Writing about your fantasies and dreams also helps you understand yourself better and will help guide you on your path. The main idea behind journaling is figuring out how to open up and bring awareness into your life.
3. It improves your mental health. Sharing your feelings with a journal is cathartic and can make you feel better when you’re blue. Sometimes it’s a matter of getting things off your chest; you can tell your journal anything, and even if you have a therapist and are engaged in talk therapy, journaling can function as a self-care modality in between therapy sessions.
4. It helps you tap into your authentic self. It’s important to write from a place deep within you when you’re journaling, thereby establishing an authentic relationship with yourself. The more comfortable you are with your true self, the easier it will be to handle stress. It’s also about trusting your inner wisdom, intuition, and heart. If you do so, your true inner voice will emerge on the page.
5. It encourages a grateful attitude. Gratitude encompasses love and appreciation. Writing about and recording what you’re thankful for nurtures a positive and healthy outlook. Studies have shown that people who are the happiest are those who are grateful. It’s also beneficial to look back at your gratitude pages for a boost of inspiration when you’re feeling down.
6. It helps identify life patterns. After journaling for some time, it’s helpful to go back and identify certain patterns that seemed to emerge, as they might be interesting to explore at a deeper level. As Eudora Welty once said, writing is a way of discovering the sequences of the experiences in your life. In this way, connections become clear, and you can connect the past to the present to the future.
7. It fosters a sense of mindfulness. Being mindful means that you are living in the here and now. Journaling helps you be present because it taps into the messages of your heart and soul. Being mindful entails awareness and interconnectedness between your inner and outer worlds. If you are more awake and alert, you can more easily hear the loving messages the universe is sending you.

Diana Raab, PhD, is an award-winning memoirist, poet, blogger, and speaker who advocates the healing and transformative powers of writing. She’s the author of eight books, is a regular blogger for Psychology Today, and her essays and poetry have been widely published. Her book Writing for Bliss: Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life is due out in September 2017. You can pre-order on Amazon in May.

For more information, visit: dianaraab.com and Twitter @dianaraab

You’ve read 7 Ways Journaling Can Save Your Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How to Experience Incredible Insights Each and Every Day, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

In the Movie Limitless, we see Bradley Cooper take an NZT pill before he glimpses the best version of himself.

This person gives him advice he needs to hear, helping him see what he otherwise wouldn’t see. Sometimes what he says hurts, sometimes it’s insightfully brilliant. Either way, what he learns, helps him move forward. He also benefits from:

• Enhanced Memory Recall
• A Huge Increase in Intelligence
• Laser Sharp Focus
• Unbelievable Self-Confidence

How to manufacture your own metaphorical NZT Pill Each Morning

Every morning I meet my doppelganger by writing everything that’s circling within my mind in the third person. I open a Journal application on my computer and let random tidbits of mind data loose, etching them as my mind spills itself wide open.

Here are a couple of excerpts from some of the Journal entries I’ve recently written:

“Samy realises that for his long-term health, one of the best things he can do, is completely avoid sitting one day per week. This will also end being beneficial for his posture, back muscles and breathing.” – 15th February 2017

“One of the stunning revelations Samy had today is that the future in a sense is not his business, it’s the universes’ business. All that’s his business is the present moment, and that he is not a human being because such a label is just a label, but more appropriately, a unit of powerful energy in the cosmos.” – 16th February 2017

As you can see, another part of myself begins to take shape right in front of my eyes, and while sometimes what I write feels a little ludicrous, I take it on board anyway because it allows me to see my life from a different perspective.

How to write your own NZT Journal

The idea is just to let go of everything on your mind in the third person. You shouldn’t think too hard when you write. Sometimes what you write will be filled with annoyances, complaints. Sometimes it’ll be filled with remarks of gratitude and unbelievable insights. Or a mixture of all these.

This will feel unusual at first, and you may even feel strange addressing yourself by name. But there’s a wonderful separation that will begin to ensue as a result of this – almost as if someone else is giving you advice.

We are identified with one frame of thinking

When you have so much going on in your mind (60,000 thoughts per day) – writing your thoughts from a distance, is freeing because it breaks the identification between you and your thoughts.

The exercise is not an exercise in writing; the sentences aren’t meant to be perfect. The point is to let loose, and reflect your mind back to yourself so that you have a more objective view going into the day.

Your doppelganger (journal) can help you rest that thought that’s ricocheting like a bullet inside your head. He or she can let you see how you honestly feel while helping you unravel things. Your doppelganger can give you love, acceptance, and incredible insight.

He or she can give you exactly the words that you need to hear, whatever they may be.

Journaling Helps you Focus

According to author and shame researcher Brene Brown, we live in an age of perceived scarcity. We often start our day with the sentiment that: we didn’t get enough sleep; we’re behind with our work, and so on and so forth.

Journaling in the third person in the morning (the equivalent to an NZT Pill) is one of the most practicals way to break this cycle.

In a way, writing a page every morning is a meeting with the part of yourself that’s often pushed into the background. And in that private meeting, you meet your best self and gain clarity. And that clarity leads to a better mood and a greater likelihood that you’ll make more optimal decisions throughout your day.

Take an NZT Pill every Morning

In James Allen’s book, ‘As a Man Thinketh’, we learn that “the outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state… Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.” With the daily practice of journaling in the third person, you can see your inner state more clearly, and make corresponding beautiful changes to the inner and outer conditions of your life.

Take an NZT Pill every day; I guarantee it’ll shift the way you lead your life.

Thanks to Steve Pavlina and Keshav Bhatt for inspiring me to write this post.

Last Words

If you’re a creative and interested in learning how to upgrade the way you use your time on this little blue planet, read my free guide on Spiritual Productivity.

• You’ll learn about how to split up your day into four chunks, so you worry less about external influences.
• You’ll discover the small hacks that will take your creative work on your PC to the next level. And much more…

 Samy Felice is a writer who is passionate about unique ideas related to living a meaningful life. His Free Guide explores ways people can make success easier.

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You’re reading 12 Inspirational Dalai Lama Quotes To Help You Live A Happy Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The 14^th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is the longest lived incumbent.

According to Buddhists beliefs, the Dalai Lama is a reincarnation whose only wish is to bring peace to everyone all over the world. The Dalai Lama is known for his very insightful and soul touching verses.

Below are some of the Dalai Lama’s most inspirational quotes on happiness!

1. On being a better person:

“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”

2. On caring for others:

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.”

3. On being to self-centered:

Too much self-centered attitude, you see, brings, you see, isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude is the source of suffering.

4. On suffering and anxiety:

Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.

5. On strength and hope:

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength. Thanks to the teachings of Buddha, I have been able to take this second way.

6. On living a happy life:

“The very purpose of our life is happiness, which is sustained by hope. We have no guarantee about the future, but we exist in the hope of something better. Hope means keeping going, thinking, ‘I can do this.’ It brings inner strength, self-confidence, the ability to do what you do honestly, truthfully and transparently.”

7. On compassion:

“If you let anger destroy your peace of mind, it will eventually ruin your own health. So keep compassion ― your mind will remain clear. If you develop full compassion, not let anger or hatred in, then after constant effort for days and months and years, decades, your mental state can change, that much I can tell you through my own little experience.”

8. On tolerance and patience:

Hard times build determination and inner strength. Through them we can also come to appreciate the uselessness of anger. Instead of getting angry nurture a deep caring and respect for troublemakers because by creating such trying circumstances they provide us with invaluable opportunities to practice tolerance and patience.” 

9.     On being content:

“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes — I already have everything that I really need.”

10. On living a meaningful life:

“We are but visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. If you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.”

11. On religion the Dalai Lama says:

“Whether you believe in God or not does not matter so much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much; as a Buddhist, whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life. And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, and good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed: compassion, without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human dignity.”

12. On responding and handling difficult situation:

“Although you may not always be able to avoid difficult situations, you can modify the extent to which you can suffer by how you choose to respond to the situation.”

Stefany Liefeld is on a lifelong mission to help people stay positive on their life journey and become their greatest version. She loves babies and all things creative and unusual. Grab her free resource list: 36 Life Changing Resources for a Happier Life.

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You’re reading Stop Chasing Happiness, Instead Be Joyful, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

I have a friend who’s a mechanic from Haiti. Recently, I took my car for a tune-up. I like my friend and mechanic because we talk about life and business in Haiti, as well as a host of other things. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The mechanic told me an expression used in Haiti that I hadn’t heard until now. And, it goes like this, “Ma voiture est une BM-DOUBLED PIED.”

Instead of saying something like, “My car is a BMW” – the “W” sounding like “double-vey” the Haitians say “double pied” meaning “two feet.” So, Haitians like to say, “My car is a ‘BM Two Feet.'” Meaning, the primary mode of transportation for Haitians is their two feet. Most don’t own cars. Automobiles are considered a luxury.

I’ve often traveled to Haiti. My work in Haiti started after the 2010 earthquake. I’ll tell you that although the country is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, so many of its people are joyful.

The Difference Between Happiness and Joy
If you look at news articles or speak to your friends and co-workers, many people are chasing happiness. Everyone wants to be happy. In fact, some have argued that happiness has become big business in the billions of dollars. There are tens of thousands—probably millions—of articles, programs, classes, and books.

But, there’s a difference between joy and happiness. You can’t have happiness without joy. And, joy is what I found plenty of in Haiti. Those of us living in developed nations can learn a lot from the Haitians and perhaps spend a little less on programs and books that sell happiness to us, but ultimately don’t deliver the greater feeling and value of joy.

Happiness is transitory. It happens when you get a new car, listen to a song you like, speak with someone who inspires you, get a new job you wanted or have a great vacation. All of these things can make you happy.

Joy does not depend on circumstances. Joy is internal. It’s a feeling of completion, hope, and peace. Joy doesn’t depend on the latest iPhone, car, job, or a new pair of shoes. You can be joyful despite having circumstances that would be considered harsh in your life, such as suffering a disease or poverty.

How to Be Joyful
There are some ways to be joyful in your life—no matter the circumstances. Here are some ways I’ve found joy in others and in my life:

• YOU Matter! I have those words in the signature of my email. It was said to me when I was a confused 15-year-old young man by my high school teacher. I think that message is something that many people forget or don’t internalize. YOU Matter! The fact that you’re here on this planet and living this life means you matter. You’re important, and you can be joyful in your life, no matter what’s happening.

• Be Grateful. If you’re grateful every day, you’ll begin to see the changes of having that positivity in your life. Being grateful is a path to joyfulness. I have a colleague and friend that writes every morning in a journal and notes three things she’s thankful for in the morning and then again at night. What she’s found is that it’s an excellent way to start and end the day. She’s also discovered an appreciation for the little things in life, and that has brought her joy.

• Have Fun. Both in my home and at my company’s world headquarters, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We have a good time. We work hard, but we also allow ourselves to let off some steam. Research has demonstrated that laughter and smiling help people have a positive attitude. If you appear happier, you’ll begin to see people treat you better and you’ll feel better inside. It’s all better energy. And, the better you feel on the inside, the more joyful you’ll ultimately begin to feel.

Finally, finding joy doesn’t come overnight. If you want to be joyful, peaceful and have a better outlook, you have to do your homework. You have to practice joyfulness and the suggestions I shared every day. Keep at it consistently. If you need to remind yourself to practice joyfulness, place an alert on your cell phone or remind yourself in a way you see it each day. After three months of practice, you should experience a more joyful life. You’ll then have what many Haitians have despite natural disasters and poverty.

Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises (EE). Among his various independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs, which is a social enterprise that enables nonprofits, individuals and organizations to raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise opportunities in developing nations.

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