A new journaling entry series

I am going to start a new focus or theme within my journaling. It will be a series of journaling entries, which I turn into blog entries, which will one day be turned into my spiritual memoir. This is where it all starts. 

The title of this series is:

"How Going Against the World Has Brought Me Great Joy and Blessing: A spiritual memoir written through journal entries"

Our Friday Recap for Our Journaling

APOLOGIES AND MY ADJUSTMENTS

First, let me apologize for violating a sacred rule of thumb I will do my best not to violate in the future and that is to not post more than one blog post per day. I did so earlier this week, yesterday, and now today. (Drat.) I will try not to do this one a weekly basis, let alone on a monthly basis. However, if I do, please know that it isn't on a whim. Nor is it without much thought. Rather, it is when I think something is important enough to mention.

Ugh, though. I do not like adding more to your email inbox than necessary. Thus, I am trying to figure out how to avoid this in the future. {Ahh. An idea just came to me. (Phew.)}

In order to help avoid me from posting more than one blog post per day, I will set up my blog posts to post (publish/go online) at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time Monday through Friday. After all, I get most of my journaling done by ten in the morning during the work week. That way, if I think of important information, it will most likely be during that time and I can add it to the pre-written blog post I already had scheduled. 

Thank you for your patience as I try to streamline and optimize everything regarding this blog. 

FRIDAY RECAP OF YOUR PERSONAL JOURNALING AND THE POSTS FROM THIS BLOG

TGIF, everyone. I hope you have had a good week professionally, personally, spiritually, and with your journaling or memoir writing. 

Have you started to journal or are you continuing to journal? If your answer is yes to either part of that question, please continue reading. If you haven't started to journal yet, get busy and start. You have much to lose if you don't. 

If you have done any journaling this week, it is important to stop, recap, review, analyze, and plan. 

Stop and take some time today or this weekend to do what I said in the previous sentence and after this sentence as well. 

WEEK END JOURNALING PROMPT: 

Please journal about each of the following:

Do a journal entry and recap what this blog said this week, along with what you learned this week from the blog.

Do a journal entry and recap what you journaled this week.

What did you learn?

What jumps out at you with your journaling this past week?

What was the most profound thing you journaled this week?

What helped you grow from your journaling this week?

What new perspective did you gain this week?

Find three things in your journal you want to expand and do so now. 

Highlight or star seven additional items you want to journal more about later. 

Underline the things you thought were most important in your journaling. Make sure to expand upon all of them now and/or later. 

Do the Daily Journaling Template for your week (the parts that apply to you and your week, that is). Read the explanation after this to help you to do so. Then, do this. Yes, by the way, you will repeat things you already journaled. That's the idea. But, the idea is to also expand upon what you journaled. 

Now, what do you hope to get out of your journaling over the next week? 

Journal anything else you want to in review of this last week. 

THE EXPLANATION OF MY PERSONAL DAILY JOURNALING TEMPLATE

Yesterday I shared My Personal Daily Journaling Template and I shared how this is the most important journaling tool or prompt we could ever use. I stand by accident hat remark. If you use this template and do a minimum of three items from this list, you'll get a great deal out of it. However, the more you do, if he more you'll get out of it and it will bless your socks off in unbelievable ways. You will leave a legacy and will capture your life on the page in a way that will deeply and profoundly impact your life today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this quarter, this year, this decade, and for the rest of your life--and the lives of those who you share it with. 

Can you imagine if your parents did this and shared it with you? What about your grandparents? Great-Grandparents? Great-Great Grandparents? Your ancestors from the 1800s? 1700s?1600s? Or, what about your favorite people in history? Or, what about the people from that property in ruins on the outskirts of town? 

I am sure you get the idea. However, let me add this. Can you imagine sharing all of your daily template journaling with your grandchild? Or what about after your spouse dies? Or what about when you are old and just want to remember? Or what about if you just found out you have X amount of time to live? Or what about reading them at the end of the year next year? 

What a treasure your filled out, journaled through, daily templates--even three days per week--would be. 

Think about it. 

Seriously. Stop and think about this. Journal your thoughts and whatever comes to mind at this point.

Do you see how special these can be? 

I will admit that as you fill them out, you might find them boring, rote, or unimportant. However, as you read them again in a day or two, and you add and expand upon them, you will start to see the treasure. Then, when you read them again in a week, in a month, in a quarter, etc. you will see each time how what at first seemed a yawner (made-up word) is now a delight and is quieter interesting. (Trust me when I say this.)

Now, you can do these in any order you choose. You also don't have to do all of them. Nonetheless, let me stress, the more you do, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it--now and later both. 

Ideally, you will do this 365 days per year. But, unrealistically, I recommend at least three days per week, preferably more. I also recommend doing the numbered items listed of: 2, 3, and 6 at least. 

Personally, I try to do listed items: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10 at least. 

Now, let me give you the entirety of this list again and then I will explain things that might need further insight:

THE DAILY JOURNALING TEMPLATE

1 Daily Bible Reading

* 2 Past Memories, three at least

* 3 Blessings, three at least

4 An Extended Memory, at least one

5 My Memoir or an extended journaling entry of at least 1,000 words

* 6 Memories Made Today, three at least

7 News Journaling: at least three national and three world news articles and journaling about them

8 SOC: Stream of Consciousness Journaling, one at least

9 Journaling Exercise or Prompt, one at least

10 6-Word summary for today

11 12-Word summary for today

12 History Journaling

13 Etc. Etc. Etc. (Whatever else sounds good.) 

With each of the memories, give at least an one sentence summary of each memory and have it be a lengthy description so you will remember it in a year or in twenty. Then, later, as you feel inclined, expand it to one paragraph then to a page or more. 

With the extended memory, you are expanding the memories you have already journaled about, and ones that just come to mind. Expand it by at least one paragraph now and then periodically.

I.hope this helps.

CHALLENGE: Try doing this template at least three days per week for three months (twelve weeks) and keep reading them and expanding upon them as you go. Then, at the end of that time, look back at each of them and see what you think. Imagine how valuable they will be at the end of the year and at the end of the second, third, fifth, tenth, twentieth years. I guarantee you will want to keep doing them. 

So, go ahead. Give the Daily Journaling Template a try today. 

PROGRESS OF MY EDITING, FORMATTING, AND ADDING TO "A JOURNALING ODYSSEY HANDBOOK 2012-2014"

Two days ago, I combined everything I have ever written about journaling into a document that was from the years 2012 to 2014, so I can publish it as a journaling resource and took, and it was 1,020 pages unformatted and unedited. Yesterday I got it down to 898 pages and hope to get more done today.

HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND

And, happy journaling!

Friday's Timeless Journaling Info, Hints, Tips, How-To, and Prompts

THE BEST PLANS CAN SOMETIMES FALL SHORT
{10/21/2015 @ 718 p.m.}
I had every intention to get a lot of journaling done today, but it just didn't work out that way. Instead, I got completely sidetracked in making sure I had all of my journaling material inserted into a document to publish as the first A Journaling Odyssey Handbook. It ended up I was missing a great deal of material. It took me a bit to find it and then cut and paste it into a document.
I, also, ran into a snag I hadn't anticipated. I combined the years 2012-2014 of everything I've written about journaling into one document on my laptop and it ended up being 1,020 pages of material. (Gulp!) However, it has major formatting issues and there is some material no longer applicable I need to delete. I imagine it will end up being somewhere around 800 pages or so.
Who knew? I had no idea I had that much written about journaling in 2012-2014.
I will work on formatting and editing so I can publish it sooner rather than later. Who knows how long that will take.
I will then combine my 2015 material and will format it, edit it, and publish it.
Believe it or not, but I actually have a great deal more material than that. It is somewhere around 500 pages or so. Nevertheless, I am trying to keep these first two books mainstream and less spiritual. Later I will certainly publish more on prayer and biblical journaling. Just not now.
Hopefully tomorrow I will get a great deal of journaling done before I even think about editing, "A Journaling Odyssey Handbook 2012-2014: Timeless Journaling Information, Hints, Tips, and Prompts."

FALL: MY THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES ON THIS AUTUMN DAY
{10/22/2015 @ 721 a.m.}
I cannot see beyond my back fence as the bright white fog has settled in the area. Earlier it was ominous. Now, it's rather beautiful. (Then again, I sit here in my jogging pants and am not leaving the house.) It reminds me the true vision I have. The fact is I cannot see fully and need glasses and a two by four across my head from time to time. The only true vision I have is my faith.
I love Fall. It's my favorite season. The beautiful colors. The sight of the leaves changing and falling from trees to the ground and streets, adding texture where they fall. The sound of walking and driving through the leaves, never mind kicking them out for fun and to see the sights and hear the sounds when you do. Pouncing on the leaves is a blast as well.
Fall also means cooler weather, which in turn means what feels like a brand new wardrobe since I haven't worn the clothes in six months or so. Moreover, the cooler weather is delightful for me because I can fully breathe. I suffer from dry sinuses, so the coolness is heaven for me. The cooler also means perfect sleeping weather. We kick our thermostat down to sixty-five degrees and add a couple of inches of covers and flannel sheets! Love it.
Speaking of which... I took the flannel sheets out of the linen closet last night and washed them. They will go on the bed tonight.
Flannel sheets are my favorite.
They stir up so many fond memories for me. My Nana introduced flannel sheets to me when I was little and I spent the night at her place. My joy of them stems to her. She was so fond of them and her fondness of them was contagious.
I remember talking about them and my Granny and Pa bought me a set I wore out. Granny had to repair them a few times with her sewing machine.
Then, as an adult every other year, I get one or two new sets of new flannel sheets when they go on sale at the store--and they always go on sale. So, I drag my husband to the store frequently so I can keep my eye on their pricing.
There is nothing better than on a cold night to slip into the soft cocoon of the flannel sheets and the fleece blankets. Oh, the delight!
Another thing I love about Autumn is... pumpkin. Yep. I am addicted to pumpkin and cannot get enough of it. I make myself pumpkin lattes at the house year round, but they taste a billion times better at this time of year. Anything pumpkin does. Do I even need to mention how the coffee houses and restaurants come out with their pumpkin specialties: pumpkin spiced fill in the blank, latte, tea, coffee, muffins, frozen custard, pie, etc. Oh, I tremble with delight at the mere thought.

A FALL JOURNALING PROMPT
What do you like about Autumn?
What memories do you have of the Fall?
What do you think of the Fall weather?
What do you think of the Autumn wardrobe?
What do you think of pumpkin?
What do you think of Autumn?
By the way, using both words of Fall and Autumn for a reason and am not trying to be annoying. They stir up different connotations and meanings in us. I hope it stirs up your journaling.

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS
{10/22/2015 @ 809 a.m.}
There is something else I really love about the Fall. It reminds me that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and so is the end of the year, plus the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah and Savior. All of this naturally brings me to what I started in earnest two years ago and that is counting my blessings. I have been trying to count my blessings in all I do.
Ironically, I haven't been doing very well with this over the last month since Kara our feral double cancer cat went Home... I need to remedy this for her alone, if nothing else. She has made me most appreciative this last year and a month and week.
And just like that my emotions shifted.
I miss her so.
I am fighting the tears and the emotions that were just stirred up as I look outside at the bright fog and I see birds at our bird feeder. The birds make me smile. Their dark bodies against the white fog. What a beautiful contrast. Both are full of life, the bright fog and the sparrows.
Emotions are so fickle and are constantly changing. This is why it is so important to journal. It's better to get the emotions out on the page than allowing them to control us as we have to do this thing called life.
I am grateful for the opportunity to provide the birds with food and water. We live in a new housing development and there aren't trees. Which reminds me. We need to get a couple of bird houses.
I am thankful that I can get my emotions out in my journal so I can do my best to fully live and search for all of the blessings each moment brings.
And just like that, I no longer feel like crying about Kara... until I wrote that... Sigh.
When I stop and think about Kara... and the year she had with us. From her perspective it was like seven years or so. That is a good chunk of her life she loved and knew love... and it was for the first time from what we can tell. Oh, how she loved us. It showed. She adored us and she was well aware she had it good and she was blessed. That, too, showed.
And, oh, how we loved her!
Thank the Lord.
Kara's strength, resiliency, love, and spunkyness (is that a made-up word?) were her greatest qualities, along with her loyalty and steadfastness. There is so much I learned from her, and can continue to learn from her, and can apply to my life. I am so thankful for Little Bit.
Pumpkin tea! That's another blessing counted I forgot earlier.

YORKSHIRE TEA
I am also thankful for my most favorite tea in the world, which comes from Yorkshire and Harrogate, England. Yorkshire Tea is the best.
If you are curious, give it a try. It's so delightful. It's a black tea.
http://smile.amazon.com/Taylors-Harrogate-Yorkshire-Black-Count/dp/B000HRS7OM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1445526870&sr=8-3&keywords=yorkshire+tea
I just made some London Fog style, which is where you put the milk or cream in the cup first, then add the boiling water, then the tea. I add the yellow sweetener and that adds an extra smoothness to the dreamy concoction.
I get the tea every other month as a subscription at my favorite online retailer. Both the subscription and the retailer. I am also thankful for, us those who make the Yorkshire Tea.

MORE BLESSINGS COUNTED
I am thankful for...
The sound of the water filters in the turtle tanks.
The sound of the tick-tock from our cuckoo clock my husband bought us when he was in Germany.
The flock of birds that just came to our bird feeder.
The sweet breathing of our beagle as he sleeps.
This moment.
The next moment.
The previous moment.

BLESSINGS COUNTED LIST
{10/22/2015 @ 932 a.m.}
The colors of the season. I love all shades of orange, turquoise, purple, brown, green, and gold.
The sound of a train.
The sound of an airplane.
Heat.
My home.
That I am not working outside like the constitution workers nearby are.
Our back patio.
Our back view.
A washer and dryer.
Clean flannel sheets.

A JOURNALING PROMPT: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Make a long list of what and who you are thankful for. Make it at least 25 items, preferably 100 or more.
Then, journal more specifically about a few of them. Go into depth about why you are thankful for... and the memories attached.
Keep doing this exercise between now and the end of the year.
Make it your goal to count at least 10 per day... and write into depth about three of those each day.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING CLOTHES
My husband 'B' and I moved into our new home over the summer.
We have a storage room and four closets.
Since it's been cooler, we decided we needed to move some winter shirts to our main closet. We thought they hung in one of the three other closets. Hah! They do not. So, we either put them in totes in our storage room or they were lost by the movers. We think it was the former and will go on a search and rescue operation this weekend.
How curious.

MORE THINGS I COUNT AS BLESSINGS
The couple of new winter tops we bought last night so we don't freeze to death before we find our winter wardrobes.
How as of yesterday I lost two pounds (decades more to go).
The fog is lifting and I can see further.

A LIST OF FUTURE JOURNALING I WANT TO DO:
THE FIRST OFFICIAL THANKSGIVING IN THE NEW WORLD (THE USA)
http://www.berkeleyplantation.com/four-centuries.html
WHEN TIME SNEAKS UP ON ME
NANOWRIMO
TO DO
Save pics down from faith journaling.

My Personal Journaling Template: The Most Useful Tool You'll Ever Use

This just might be the most important blog post on journaling I have ever done and will ever do. I just found it in some of my previous writings I haven't gone through in a while. 

I think you'll find this the most useful and important journaling tool, resource, and prompt you can ever use. In fact, it's so useful, you can use it every day. 

My Personal Daily Journaling Template

365 days per year:

1 Daily Bible Reading

2 Past Memories, three at least

3 Blessings, three at least

4 An Extended Memory, at least one

5 My Memoir or an extended journaling entry of at least 1,000 words

6 Memories Made Today, three at least

7 News Journaling: at least three national and three world news articles and journaling about them

8 SOC: Stream of Consciousness Journaling, one at least

9 Journaling Exercise or Prompt, one at least

10 6-Word summary for today

11 12-Word summary for today

12 History Journaling

13 Etc. Etc. Etc. (Whatever else sounds good.)

Tomorrow, I will explain what each of these prompts are. Stay tuned.

Wednesday's Journaling Prompts, Thoughts, and Odyssey

Wednesday's Journaling Prompts, Thoughts, and Odyssey

JOURNALING PROMPT
Write your memoir in the following ways:
6 words
10 words
12 words
3 sentences
6 sentences
2 paragraphs
1 page
You may need to write several of each in order to capture your life best on the page.
You can also do this for this week, this month, the last three months, the last six months, the last nine months, all this year, last year, the last five years, the last ten years, every decade, etc.

SUMMARIES OF MY LIFE OR CONCISE MEMOIRS
Six Word Memoir: Journal Keeper, blessings counter, Christian, reader.
Ten Word Memoir: Journal Keeper, blessings counter, Christian, married, reader, animal lover.
Twelve Word Memoir: Journal keeper, blessings counter, Christian, married, reader, animal lover,  coffee/tea drinker.
Three Sentence Memoir: I am a 33+ year journal keeper, blessings counter, Christian, married, reader, animal lover,  and coffee/tea drinker. I try to find the blessing of every moment, even during times of challenge, and I'm trying to capture my life and blessings on the page. My life is supremely blessed.
Six Sentence Memoir: I am a 33+ year journal keeper, blessings counter, Christian, married, reader, animal lover, and coffee/tea drinker.
I've had my challenges, but I have allowed them to make me a better person, and shape me, and I would not wish one challenge away. it try to find the blessing of every moment, even during times of challenge, and I'm trying to capture my life and blessings on the page. My life is supremely blessed and I do not want to forget any of it and want to remember all of the blessings. I believe every moment in life is sacred and blessed and have tried to live this truth. I journal to catch the small details in life that we might miss, which is a shame, because often times the more minute details are the most transforming in our lives.
{Written on 10/19 and 10/20/2015.}

MY MORNING PERSONAL JOURNALING
Thank the Lord for a new day. It's a blank slate of opportunity where I can choose to find the blessings of every moment and remember them or I can just let them slip by and disappear into oblivion and the recesses of time.
Today also gives me the opportunity to remember Kara and live a better and more grateful life because of her.
{Note: Kara was our rescued black and white tuxedo cat who we had a year and six days. She was feral, deaf, declared, and abandoned. She had breast and lung cancer and we had her put to sleep on Saturday, September 26, 2015.}
Pause. Sigh. Pardon me, journal (and my Lord), as I try to stop the tears which threaten to fall.
The pain is still raw.
Oh, how B (my husband, best friend, and confidant) and I miss her so!
She was our baby girl.
So much to say, but I am not sure where to begin.
I keep writing journaling entries and blog posts about her { see http://RYPStories.blogspot.com if you are curious}, but none of them feel quite right.
I decided yesterday to write my memoir about being a journal keeper... but that doesn't quite feel right at the moment either.
I have no doubt whatsoever I need to write both memoirs... about Kara and my journal keeping life, but is the time now? Or, is there another story to tell first?
The way I cannot form a paragraph in this journal right now is a testament to how I am confused and am not sure what to focus my efforts on in my journaling. Short choppy sentences can be used for effect, but that sure hasn't been my intent in this journal entry. I am not sure what to say or where to begin, which is unusual for me. It makes me wonder why.
(Hah! I just wrote a paragraph! Finally.)
What IS my story?
For years I have tried to tell it, but only succeed in finding yet another story to tell. I have so many. Is that the problem? Do I have so many stories tell that it intimidates me without even realizing? Or have I just not figured out which theme to focus on in my life? Am I supposed to tell my stories in short flash memoirs, which I compile into a book, or is it supposed to be a page theme focused memoir?
The truth is, I have no idea whatsoever.
I have tried for years to write my story. And have failed.
Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I need to stop worrying about telling my story and just capture my story in several journaling entries and then see from there what to do with them, if anything.
Maybe the problem is I have multiple themes running through my life and life stories.
Yes. The idea of just journaling and forgetting the memoir part has appeal to me right now. I think this is where I shall begin. Just journaling. My Journaling Odyssey as I seek to capture my life stories on the page and explore them for something deeper.
Yes. This is what I shall do, now that I have think about it.
{Written Tuesday, 10/20/2015, in the morning.}

A CHUCKLE BECAUSE OF MY PREDICTABILITY (AND PURE ENJOYMENT)
I could not help but chuckle a minute ago. My mom asked me what I am doing today. I replied that I'm doing what I have done every day since late 2008, but also a few times per week for three decades plus three years, one month, and two weeks or so. I'm journaling.
I am so predictable.
As a matter of fact, I have the feeling that when I die, it will be with a journal in hand. Really. No joke. I think it's quite likely.

As I sit here, Sinan (our orange Maine Coon) has draped himself on my left hip and has my hand pinned so I cannot journal on my tablet with two hands. I have to use one hand. Of course I took the picture to show Sinan pretending to be a sweet and good boy. It's just a matter of time before he nibbled my hand to play or before he has enough and leaves.
Then again... He has fallen asleep on my hand and it's now cramping. You would think I would move, but I just don't have the heart. Moments like this are to be treasured. I wanted to go take a shower, but I think I will enjoy this for a bit instead..
Oh, good. He moved a little and is curled up next to me on our teal colored sofa.
These are the sacred moments of blessing I never want to forget.
His silky fur. How he shook his head and now I have several long orange hairs all over my tablet... evidence he is still here. His long white whiskers. How he is always warm to the touch because of his long and bushy fur coat.
I notice how Zack, our tri-colored beagle isn't snoring, but he's in his bed about ten feet from me.
I have a cup of pumpkin spice coffee mixed with a caramel cappuccino at my right on the end table along with a large blow plastic cup of water from the fridge. The coffee has gotten cold as I have a cat leaning on me, left arm pinned, but I can still type and journal.
At any rate, I chuckled at my mom's questions about my plans today. There is rarely a day I do not spend hours in my journal.
You know, there is a rule of thumb about journaling. About the time you get your heart and mind aligned and set to journal, you will be interrupted... as I have been twice now.
I better go take a shower and then try to journal.

{MY PERSONAL JOURNALING ON 10/20/2015, TUESDAY, 106 P.M.}

THE CONVENIENCE OF JOURNALING
Here I sit at a place to get my vehicle repaired and it will take 30 to 40 minutes, the gentleman let me know. I couldn't help but do an inward cheer about how blessed I am that I am a journal keeper, writer, and blogger. What that means is I can work from anywhere at any time. My profession and passion are portable and are quite convenient. What a blessing.
It's actually refreshing to journal in a different place. It brings new scenery, noises, and faces, which can actually bring a new outlook to my journaling. Therefore, it never bothers me to pull out my tablet and type away. I find it rather exciting since it brings a freshness to my journaling.

A JOURNALING ODYSSEY 2016 HANDBOOK
Just before I left my house, I looked through my documents on my laptop and tablet and found the newest document I had for the journaling encyclopedia, as I once called it, that I want to edit, add to, and publish. It will be the largest single journaling resource on the market. I found that it dated back to December 2014 and I realized I needed to make sure I had all of my blog posts included in it and I found several that were not, so I added them.
{Note: Wouldn't you know, as I sit here, I realize I might not have all of the blog posts still... I will need to verify that this afternoon or tomorrow.}
The book is 576 pages already. Mind you, I need to do a lot of formatting. Therefore, it might cut it back quite a bit or after I add all the page breaks, I could have even more pages. Who knows. Furthermore, I want to add more information and cut some out that is no longer relevant.
It is quite exciting to see all of the old material I haven't looked out in whole in over a year. Never mind how exciting it will be when I publish it so I can have a paper copy in my hands. You better believe I will use it as well. They say to write what you know. They also say to write the book you would want to read, so you better believe "A Journaling Odyssey 2016 Handbook" is just as much for me as it is for others.

PLAN FOR "A JOURNALING ODYSSEY 2016 HANDBOOK"
Huh. I just thought of something. {Note: I am at a bookstore now and am journaling. It is now 216 p.m.} I think I will change my thinking. I will publish everything I wrote prior to now in its own handbook. Then, I will publish my blog information into a separate resource /book. I will then publish every year as a separate book from here on and will also make available multiple years in one volume/book as well.
Let me simplify it all the more. All of my previous years will be 2016, Part 1 and my blog material from October to the end of December 2015 will be Part 2 of the handbook, along with a separate volume of, "A Journaling Odyssey's Book of Journaling Prompts for 2016."
With each book, I will add more material as I edit it so you will have more than what you can find on my blog. I will make sure to do a good job of editing as well before I publish the three books of material.
Now that I think about it, if I edit some each day, I might be able to publish the first part of the handbook at the beginning of the year. We shall see.
Wow. Three books. I want to have all three published by the end of March 2016. Let me see if I can concentrate my efforts and make that happen.

{MY PERSONAL JOURNALING ON 10/20/2015, TUESDAY, 227 P.M.}

AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF MY JOURNALING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND MY END OF YEAR JOURNALING GOALS
Since it is almost the end of October, and the end of this year, I cannot help but think how I have about how I have seventy-one days to accomplish my journaling goals for this year. The truth is I have failed miserably and have done quite a bit of shallow journaling up until this point in time. My journaling simply has been adequate at best.
Am I being hard on myself? Yes. But, that is far as it goes. I will change this and become more determined to get as much possible out of my journaling between now and the end of the year.
My goal is to write a minimum of 2,000 words per day between now and the end of the year. Let me add yesterday and today, so that's 73 days x 2,000 words = 146,000 words.
Gulp. I checked my calculations twice, so I know that is correct.
Well, we shall see.
I want to get as much as possible on the page... I want to capture as much as possible on the page and then figure out what to do with it. I imagine I will write additional books, besides how-to journal and journaling prompt books. But, I may want to continue with that crazy pace for longer than the seventy-one days from now. After all, I have tried time and time again to do so, only to get sidetracked with writing a novel of some kind, or get sidetracked with something else. I want to change this. I want to capture my life on the page once and for all. Not parts of my life. But, all of it.
Why? I want to count the blessings in my life and not forget them. Every moment is sacred and has multiple blessings. The catch is we have to look for the blessings, count them, and remember them. I simply have not done a thorough job of this in my journaling, if I am honest with myself.
Also, I want to go as deep as possible. I am tired of shallow journaling. The only way to do this is to do as much shallow journaling as possible, to get it on the page, then expand upon it, search through that material for the jewels, and go deeper with that material. And I need to keep mining for those jewels, keep adding material, and expanding on old material.
The only way to do all of this is to journal. And do lots of journaling.
Truthfully, I hope to write 2,715 words per day ideally, which will mean I journal 198,195 words between now and the end of the year. So... why not push it and say 200,000 words ideally or 146,000 words minimal.
This will ensure I capture my life on the page in as deep and as a truthful way as possible.

{MY PERSONAL JOURNALING 10/20/2015 @ 255 P.M. @ BOOKSTORE}

WHY SHOULD I TELL MY LIFE STORY?
Why should I share all of my moment by moment stories, which I will call tales, which when combined make up my overall life story to date? Why would anyone want to read one of my tales, let alone my bigger life story? Why should I capture my life on the page?
Huh. Good questions.
Well, first of all, I need my focus to be on my own personal journaling, not on publishing my tales and life story. So, I really shouldn't ask these questions at this point. However, I will answer them.
Why tell my tales and life story? It's because my story is unique. It's because it has been my goal the last two years to count my blessings in spite of my life challenges. And, let's face it... My life has been jammed pack with challenges.
I realize most people haven't thought of counting one's blessings, especially during the challenges of life. We live in a busy world and few take the time to stop and do this. I used to be this way, so I can say this.
Additionally, life can be hard. Who wants to count a blessing then?
The truth is, counting my blessings has been my saving grace and has prevented me from being overly stressed or anxious or depressed or more than a few hours. In fact, I have noticed how counting my blessings in times of challenge has reaped great rewards and I am usually able to count far more blessings then than on a typical day. Therefore, when a challenge hits now, I cannot help but remember this and I start counting. The act of counting my blessings brings a sweet joy that grows deep and is everlasting.
Yes. This makes my story unique. How many of us do this?
Am I bragging? Hardly. I started counting my blessings because I was so upset about a major life-changing challenge in my life that I was afraid the sadness and despair would consume me. Consequently, I started counting my blessings out of self-preservation and not out of any bright idea on my part. {Note: I will share this story shortly.}
I want to look back over all of my tales and count the blessings I didn't count back then. This is my ultimate goal and is why I so desperately want and need to capture my life on the page, so I can count my trillions upon trillions of blessings... in spite of the challenges... in spite of my mistakes... in spite of my focusing on wrong things... in spite of me.

JOURNALING PROMPTS FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF THE YEAR
How has 2015 been for you to date?
What goals did you have at the beginning of the year and throughout the year? Have you accomplished them?
Summarize 2015 in 6 words. Then...
In 12 words.
In 4 sentences.
In two paragraphs.
In one page.
In two pages.
In five pages.
What blessings can you count from 2015 to date? List them. Try to count at least 25 and then make sure to write as much about them as you can between now and the end of the year. Keep expanding on the explanation of the blessing. And, keep counting more blessings.
What do you hope to accomplish between now and the end of the year?
How do you want to close out 2015?
What are seven things you remember most from 2015?
How can you make 2015 a year of blessings (counted) between now and December 31st?

{MY PERSONAL JOURNALING ON 10/20/2015 @ 313 P.M. @ BOOKSTORE}

A THEME OF BLESSING
When I look back at my life from October 2013 to now, I see that the major theme has been, BLESSING. I have been intentional about counting my blessings. Granted, I have missed far more than I have counted, but I can honestly say that even when I haven't journaled about it, I have counted at least a few blessings each day for the last two years.
Wow. Wonder of wonders.
I pause and take that in for a moment.
Yes. Overall, I have succeeded with living a life of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Sure. I could do a great deal better than I have. I could be more purposeful about it. Needless to say, over the next seventy-one days, this will be my major goal with my journaling.

A LOOK AT 2015
This year has been one of major life transition. Actually, it has consisted of several major transitions. It's been off the chart. Some transitions have been expected and some have not been.
January to the end of February consisted of preparing to move and closing up our lives in Virginia. It meant making memories while we could--in the place and with our friends.
{Note: Ugh. Every time I have really gotten into my journaling today, I have been interrupted. It just happened again. Sigh. Where was I?}
I cannot help but shake my head. Has it been so long? In many ways, it feel like just yesterday as memories flash through my mind. But, it also feels like ions ago at the same time. There has been a great deal of proverbial water under the bridge since then... miles of distance... literally and figuratively...
The last week of February consisted of movers and cleaning and final goodbyes...
Never mind how we had a driveway literally about ten times larger/longer than the average driveway... and we got ten inches of snow or so when the packers arrived and another storm when the movers were set to arrive... and then more overnight... Never mind the other snow storms that week... and how we had to shovel that driveway twice and hired someone to come shovel it...
We drove from Virginia to Colorado in two vehicles with two cats, a dog, and two turtles at the very end of February and the first couple of days of March.
But, let me rewind and not make that sound so simple.
When we woke up the day we were vacating our home, we told our landlord we would be gone by seven a.m. Sinan disappeared. We could not find him in our empty house. Until we realized our HVAC system had a door that was open. It was in the attic... with foam insulation and there was no way we could walk in there and fetch him out. We looked in and saw him run by one time. We tried everything we could think of to get him out of there. He was upset with how his stuff was gone and then he sensed our fury and concern, so that was a lethal combination, which meant we didn't leave until just after eight.
Then, that first night in the hotel... when we woke up the next morning... and Sinan (DC) was gone again! Had he gotten out? Panic. Then, we realized he crawled into the frame under the bed... and we had to disassemble the bed to get him out! Therefore, we were late in leaving again.
The second morning in the hotel, before we even started showing something guns of packing, we locked him in the bathroom, not willing to take the chance of him causing us problems.
It was rather interesting, though. Our feral cat... Lady Kara... our Little Bit... who was deaf and had two forms of cancer, never mind severe travel sickness if she wasn't medicated... She was resilient and a rock. Which reminds me... Each morning, we had to set the alarm so we would wake and give Kara her nausea medicine three hours before we left... Hence, it would be about an hour and a half before our alarm went off for us to leave for the day's drive.
And, we ran into some snow showers...
So, driving across country had some challenges.
Overall, though, the drive was a pure joy. It's just the moments Sinan was anxious that brought a challenge.
We stayed with my dad in Colorado while we waited for my husband's job to start and while we waited to buy a house in Wyoming. It was only supposed to be six weeks... it ended up being five months as the job didn't open when it was supposed to and as we waited for our house to be built... We, and our menagerie or zoo, stayed with my dad all that time. Dad didn't mind one bit as we invaded him for much longer than anticipated. He was so awesome about it that we only felt more stress, if that makes sense. It wasn't supposed to be like that.
So, yes... the transition of finding a home, then putting in an offer on the home, then having a home built, then closing on the home, then moving was from May to the end of July. And that last week, my husband commuted for his new job from state to state.
Then, there was the stress of closing on the house...
I will write more later. ****

JOURNALING PROMPT
What transitions have you gone through in 2015?
What challenges have you had in 2015?

My Personal Journaling and a Journaling Prompt (#2)

JOURNALING IS WHO I AM, WHAT I DO, AND IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME
I became a journal keeper at the ripe old age of eight and haven't stopped since. Sure, there might be seasons in the past that I skipped journaling in the past, but I haven't skipped one week of journaling in over seven years. In the last sixteen years, I may have missed up to ten days of journaling, but no more. For the last seven years, I have journaled at least five days per week.
I say none of this to brag, but to let you know how serious I am about journaling and how it is my passion. Actually, journaling is more than that to me and it is far deeper. Journaling is a way of life. Ask me who I am and what I do and I will say: I am a full-time writer, where I journal and count my blessings.
The truth is, I have no idea how to live life without journaling. It is so meaningful to me. It has helped me live a far better, deeper, more grateful life where I do my best to take no one and nothing for granted as I live as purposefully and intentionally as possible.

STARTING OVER
You can find all of my previous writings about journaling {journaling introduction, how-to, tips, and prompts, along with my personal journaling} here at this blog:
http://rypstories.blogspot.com/
That blog will give you a great deal of information and insight about journaling.
However, I will start over here in this blog.
I am in a very different place in my life and want to start afresh.

HOUSEKEEPING
Every now and then, I will share a section I call "housekeeping." It's just a note of explanation of how to get the most out of this blog, an explanation, and/or what to expect. The next two sections are housekeeping sections.

"A JOURNALING ODYSSEY HANDBOOK: A JOURNALING HOW-TO OF JOURNALING TIPS AND PROMPTS"
With that being said, I will take all of the information from my old blog, and all of the new information from this blog on how to journal and share tips and prompts in a book I will compile from both starting at the beginning of the year. I will compile a handbook under that title and publish it in March or April 2016. Then, I will publish an additional supplement every six months. This will be an everything you ever wanted to know about journaling compilation at handbook. Also, in March or April of every year thereafter, I will publish several of these books (the handbook us the supplements) in one volume or book. This will also include how to write your memoir, autobiography, and life story. So, if you want to be inspired to capture your life on the page, stay tuned and keep reading this blog.

MY MEMOIRS AND SPECIFIC TOPICS
I will also publish once a year or more my personal stories (my memoir and life story) and also a book or more of specific topics (for instance: how to grieve the loss of your pet).
Phew. There. The housekeeping sections are done for now.

NANOWRIMO
Every November is a contest or competition where people all around the world write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. It's called National Novel Writing Month, but you can do the same and write a work of nonfiction, which is what I am doing.
My goal is to write 14,000 words per week between now and the end of November. Therefore, my goal is to journal 84,000 words for this competition, which I will start today.

JOURNALING PROMPT: MIND WANDERING, S.O.C., AND STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS JOURNALING
Mind Wandering Journaling is what I recommend the most to do with your journaling. As a matter of fact, I recommend doing this every day and every time you sit down to journal. Begin with this prompt each time.
WHAT TO DO: Write whatever comes to mind in your journal. Spend about ten minutes jotting down anything you think of. You may want to do this in list form at first.
Then from there see if there is anything you want to journal more about and go deeper.
Then, do precisely that. Keep re-reading what you wrote and expand upon any of the things you wrote as you have an additional thought about what you journal.
Review this throughout your day and keep expanding on your thoughts and going deeper and more expansive with each.
As new thoughts, memories, and ideas come to mind, add them as well.
Keep writing more and more about one to three items you shared.
EXPLANATION: This is called S.O.C. Writing or Stream of Consciousness Writing. I also call if Mind Wandering Journaling. This is how to get everything, everyone, every experience, every idea, every thought, every question, every emotion, and lesson learned captured on the page.
A PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT MIND WANDERING JOURNALING: I have personally found this the best way for me to capture everything on the page with just a sentence at first. Then, I expand one to three of those ideas into a paragraph. Then, I expand those into a page or more. Then, just add more thoughts as they come to mind and start this all over again. I, then, once a week look at each day's Mind Wandering and expand on it more and go deeper. Then, I do this once a month, once every three months, and once a year for a decade. Then, once a decade.
Also, if I don't know what to journal, and am blank, I review previous Mind Wanderings.
No journaling prompt brings me more material to capture on the page than this one.
This is the diamond in the rough and is the most important journaling I do.

{Written October 19, 2015, Monday morning}

My Personal Journaling and a Journaling How-To (#1)

Welcome.
This blog is a combination of my personal journaling {where I am trying to get my life and family tree captured on the page}, a journaling how-to, and journaling tips and prompts. It is my goal with this blog to capture my life and family tree on the page.
I am a 33+ year journal keeper, animal lover, Jesus follower, prayer warrior,  patriot, and blessings counter.
Every day during the work week, I will post a combination of personal journaling and a journaling how-to, tips, and prompts. Some of each of the last three mentioned might be found in my personal journaling.
And I will probably write a weekend journal entry as well. We shall see.
I'm sure if you read this blog in sequential order, you will get the most out of it. But, if not, it's okay to pick up where you are. I just recommend reading from the beginning when you are able.
I hope you read this blog if you want to keep a journal or if you already are. After all, I think it might inspire you with your own personal journaling. Journaling is one of the most rewarding activities you can do with your life.
Let's capture our lives on the page. Shall we get started?

In Remembrance of...

A BEGINNING NOTE

Since these blog posts will be turned into at least one book, I decided to start Kara's story like a book. Here are the first couple of pages:

///

Working Title of Blog Post Series and Book:

"Moments with Kara: What a feral cancer cat taught me about faith and life"

///

DEDICATION

Kara, our Baby Girl and Little Bit, you will never be forgotten, our faithful and loyal friend and companion. Your strength and love will inspire us to live better lives and be better people as we wait to see you again in eternity. You never let even their cancer hold you back or get you down and allowed love to help you be steadfast. 

What an inspiration you were and are. Your resiliency was absolutely remarkable.

Snuggle up to the Lord for us.

ONCE UPON A TIME

There once was a cat. Her name was Kara.

This is the story of a merging of lives and this is the tale of our journey together.

///

A LED MEMORIAL CANDLE SHINES 

I am a writer of nonfiction and fiction and am a journal keeper. Therefore, I have an office in one of the bedrooms of our home. It's devoted to writing and reading and has no bed in it, unless you count our bald faced eagle's sighed, where he is now, sleeping away. This is where I sit now and I have a round pedestal table, which I use as a desk. On this desk sits a LED tealight candle in remembrance of Kara Duplease.

It is a flameless LED candle since I cannot have regular candles because our other cat, Sinan (pronounced see-nawn), a crazy and woolly Maine Coon who caught his tail on fire once when he jumped on my desk to get in the way of my writing. He was and is just fine. I will share the story another time, but this is why I don't use a real candle to stand as a memorial of our Baby Girl.

Every time I write at my desk, or at the sofa downstairs, I make sure to light it and remember our feral cancer cat who thoroughly stole our hearts. It is the least I can do. 

OUR BABY GIRL

It has been sixteen days since my husband and I made the choice to have Kara put to sleep. 

Pardon me as I pause for a moment and try to recollect myself as just writing that sentence has stirred up several emotions, never mind memories. 

Here it is Fall, and my favorite time of year, I am reminded as I look out my window and see the yellow, orange, and red leaves of trees in the distance. And that flashes an image in my mind of when Kara found us, how it was Fall and I have a couple of pictures of the feral cat with colorful Fall leaves beside her. She made Fall my favorite season all the more because it brought her into our lives. 

It was just over a year ago.

Kara stepped into our open garage, and into the lives of my husband and me, in the Fall. And, she stepped out of our physical lives just one year, six days later, and she has so thoroughly changed us that her story must be told. It must be remembered and shared. 

Oh, what a year!

When Kara stepped into our garage and into our lives, it was after my husband and I found out we were both infertile, after we tried two rounds of IVF, and tried to adopt... and we had just made the decision to not have children. 

We thought she was a feral kitten with how small and malnourished she was, only to find out by our veterinarian how she was a senior on one visit, and only to find out on another she had both breast and lung cancer. Therefore, we decided to spoil her rotten and love on her as long as we could, in a way we knew she had never been loved. 

Those last two paragraphs were a teaser as to the rest of this blog and book. I hope you now understand more of the context in which she came into our lives. And, I hope you see when we call her our Baby Girl, she was just that. She was probably the closest thing we will ever have to one and we loved her with our whole being and spent great resources (time and money) as we tried to give her at least some time of the life she deserved. She sure hadn't deserved being beaten and abandoned (I will write more on that, too). 

Kara never knew before us the kind of love we gave her and we didn't know the kind of love she gave us.

Yes, Baby Girl... This Blog and book are in remembrance of you.

NaNoWriMo and Writing Kara's Story

NANOWRIMO

I'm sure you are wondering what NaNoWriMo is... and if you know what it is, you probably wonder why I'm participating, after all, this looks like it is a work of nonfiction. I will answer both questions.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and is a competition where people all around the world have gathered together to write a novel of 50,000 words in one month--and that month is November. I am taking part in this challenge in November, but in truth am starting to write the book now. Whatever my word count is at the end of October, I will add 50,000 words to that as my goal.

It isn't necessary to write fiction for NaNoWriMo; needless to say, I am using NaNoWriMo to write Kara's story. Consequently, between now and the end of November, I will be writing multiple blog posts per day. I will, however, spread them out and publish them for you to see once per day after today (10/12/2015).

"Moments with Kara" is Kara's story and is our story about her.

This is a temporary "book cover" of sorts. I will in time create a real one.

BLOG TO BOOK

Also, it is my goal to turn the blog posts of this blog into a book or two in time. Therefore, this blog will not be the final polished version of this material. Nor will this blog include as much material as the book(s). I just wanted to give you fair warning.

The blog to book posts will be geared for a few different books: a memoir or two, pet journaling (how to pet journal), how to turn your pet journal into a memoir, and pet loss and grief. The posts of this blog will turn into multiple books in time, but right now my main focus is a memoir and inspirational story about our rescued cancer cat, Little Bit. Kara Beara. Lady Kara. Baby Girl. Feisty One.

Over the next month, I will count the blessings of Kara and the faith and life lessons she taught me. So, stay tuned. This is actually the whole purpose of this blog. However, with Thanksgiving coming up, counting the blessings on Kara seems a fitting and appropriate tribute to the black and white purrbox.

An Introduction to This Blog

Hello. Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek at this blog.

This blog is my personal journaling, which I will turn into a book in time. It is about remembering a double cancer feral cat who adopted my husband and I on September 20, 2014 and she was put to sleep on September 26, 2015. She found us, adopted us, and thoroughly changed our lives.

Are you an animal lover?

Do you own a pet or have you ever owned a pet?

Have you ever had a rescue and/or a feral cat?

Have you ever had a sick pet?

Have you ever had a terminally ill and provided palliative care for a pet?

Have you ever had a pet with cancer?

Have you ever had a pet go Home?

Do you like to read inspirational stories?

Do you want to live the best life possible?

Do you want to learn how to count your blessings?

Do you want to journal about your pet so you can remember all the memories of them?

Do you want to write a memoir about your pet?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this blog is for you.

Welcome to: "Moments with Kara: What a feral cancer cat taught me about faith and life." It's a memoir and inspirational story about a rescue, pet loss, and unconditional love.

Personal Journaling 05-09-2015b

I NEED TO REALIZE, REMEMBER, AND LIVE THIS TRUTH

741 a.m.

I think a great deal of frustration and heartache we feel in this life is when we try to be someone we are not or do something we shouldn't do.

Well, I have lived this with my writing life. I keep trying to bang the door in, doing that which I am not. I even get ideas of a lifetime that should be it, the real story I am meant to write, and can see doing it the rest of my life. The idea would undoubtedly be a best seller. Seriously. That big.

Then, there is one word that gets in the way.

But.

But, that once in a lifetime idea isn't really me. It could easily be. But, it just isn't. Not if I search down deep and get to the heart of the matter.

I've tried to be a full-time writer since 2001. And, it simply hasn't worked. I stick with an idea for five minutes and then run to the next great idea. And, there is a reason I am so uncommitted, so flighty, so... all over the place.

The reason is I am not meant to be the kind of writer I keep trying to be.

I am not meant to write anything, but my true heart's desire.

Journaling.

I am through and through a journal keeper. Nothing more. Nothing less. And, truthfully, this is everything. It is enough.

In fact, it is more than enough.

Cut open my veins and insides, and you will see journaling there. Look into my heart and brain and feelings. Journaling is there in each. Journaling is my lifeblood. It is who I am. Moreover, it is time for me to really, truly, totally embrace it.

Journal my life.

Teach/coach journaling.

This is my life and my life's practice--and is truly what I want to do with each day for the rest of my life. So, I will.

MY NEW PLAN

752 a.m.

On my RYP Stories blog, I will keep my personal journal, which I will turn into my memoir.

And I will teach and coach journaling at my Journaling Stuff blog.

THERE

There. I said it and admitted it. Now, I will act on it.

Stay tuned.

Blessings,
--Stacy Duplease

Email:
agodlyvision@gmail.com
rememberingyourpresent@gmail.com
Blogs:
http://journalingstuff.blogspot.com
http://rypstories.blogspot.com
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet

My April Camp NaNoWriMo Writing Project

My April Camp NaNoWriMo Writing Project
I keep coming up with ideas on what to write in the month of April for Camp NaNoWriMo and have decided to go with this idea:
Working Title:
Silence is Not Acceptable. We Must Take a Stand. There's Too Much at Stake.
Stacy Duplease
Remembering Your Present, LLC
Colorado and Wyoming
http://rypstories.blogspot.com/

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC 2015.)
~*~*~*~*~
What is Camp NaNoWriMo? It's writing a book in a month, if I so choose, or whatever I decided. It's a worldwide contest and challenge.
My goal is to write a minimum of 15,000 words in April, given my hectic life right now. Ideally, it will be 30,000 words. We shall see.
~*~*~*~*~
Synopsis of Blog Post Series and Book:
A Christian American's opinion and thoughts on the Church and the world today. This is a memoir, along with thoughts on current events and politics. The world today needs a wake up call, as well as does the Church. There is too much going on and at stake to keep our heads buried in the sand, pretend like nothing is going on, denying it, and not finding out for the truth for ourselves, which means we are intentionally ignorant and think it's okay to go on with life as normal, when it is anything but. There is a new holocaust going on here. And, we must face it and tackle it before we destroy ourselves.
This is a collection of journaling entries where I look at myself and see how my silence has led to this world crisis and holocaust of anyone who does not believe a certain way. ​
~*~*~*~*~
Blessings,
--Stacy Duplease
Email:
agodlyvision@gmail.com
rememberingyourpresent@gmail.com
Blogs:
http://rypstories.blogspot.com
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet

JOURNALING STUFF 2015 #13

Journaling Stuff 2015 #13

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Written January 21, 2015

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RANDOM THOUGHT: PERSONAL MUSINGS (MY RYP JOURNALING STORIES 2015) 

I wonder if the reason why some people do not believe in God, and why some Christians do not act very Christianly, is because of this: 

We are to live a life of prayer.

Meaning we listen to and talk with the Lord all day and all night.

We are to keep our minds and hearts open to Him at all times. 

We never need to say "Amen" because our lives are a continual prayer.

Is this where the church and Christians have failed?

Is this why Christians are not set apart from this world and are perceived as hypocrites?

If all of us were to see how God is interwoven into our lives, at all times, and the difference that makes, then our lives would be drastically different and would be set apart. Life would have so much more meaning. We would no longer live the life of this world, which can be pretty stressful, busy, unfocused, and ungrateful. 

Knowing that God is always there and keeping open to Him changes everything. So, does forgetting or not believing this. 

A life of constant prayer and connection with God makes life as sweet, enjoyable, and blessed as possible.

Just a few random thoughts. 

*-*-*-*-* 

JOURNALING STUFF 2015 #12

JOURNALING STUFF 2015 #12
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Written January 20, 2015
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A JOURNALING PROMPT
What haven’t you thought about, but probably should? Journal about it now.
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IF EVERYONE JOURNALED, THEN...
Written January 20, 2015, 431 p.m.
If everyone journaled, then the world would be a drastically different place.
If everyone journaled, then there would be world peace.
If everyone journaled, then there would be no war.
If everyone journaled, then everyone would live a deeper, fuller, more meaningful life.
If everyone journaled, then there would be no need for psychotherapists, counselors, or psychologists.
If everyone journaled, then everyone would have a better perspective.
If everyone journaled, then the world would be a far more creative place.
If everyone journaled, then they would learn to see all of the blessings they had in their lives in every moment.
If everyone journaled, then they would be forced to stop and think and this would dramatically change their lives for the better, for when we think, we can choose to make great things happen.
A JOURNALING PROMPT: Journal your thoughts after reading this.
*-*-*-*-*
TELLING YOUR STORY THROUGH JOURNALING AND THROUGH READING THIS BLOG OR BLOG BOOK (MY RYP JOURNALING STORIES 2015)
Journaling is about telling your story. It's putting your life on the page.
Do you want to leave a legacy? You do that through journaling.
Do you want to leave a reflected upon legacy? Then, that is when you put your life down on the page, through journaling first, then adding information to the journaling entries and editing them, so you can put your life story into book format.
Journaling is the rough draft.
If you want to put your life story into a book format in order to share you legacy with others, then this is called one of the several synonyms: memoir, autobiography, life story, personal history, etc. To make things simple, I will just call the book format a "memoir," but call it your preference.
This blog will help you to journal your story and capture your life on the page, then if you want, you can go further with it and format it into a book. From there, you can publish it or  just share it with a couple of select people. The choice is yours. So, welcome to a blog that will help you with your endeavor, whatever it may be.
Stay tuned and I will share information on how to capture your life on the page through  journaling and will also share with you how to turn it into a memoir, for yourself if not for anyone else, or for those you chose to share it with in time.
I will write my memoir and will share the process with you. I am in the process of journaling it and call it: MY RYP JOURNALING STORIES 2015. I hope it will teach you and inspire you.
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WHY TELL YOUR STORY TO OTHERS?
Written January 21, 2015, Wednesday, 157 p.m.
Why should you tell your story to others?
You have lived.
You have lived for a reason and a purpose.
You contribute to this world in a way no one else can and have learned lessons from your own experiences. No one else has had the experiences you have had. They may have had similar experiences, but everyone has different life dynamics, so the lessons you learn are not the same others would learn Learning vicariously is a very useful tool. Hence, they should be shared. Your wisdom learned is valuable and makes your story matter. Things have happened to you for a reason and your life has been for a purpose. Needless to say, your stories are sacred.
I will write me memoir on this blog with the hopes you are inspired to write your own, or at least get the information down in your journal.
Stay tuned.
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AHA MOMENT: I REFLECT WHO I AM AND HOW I AM WITH HOW AND WHAT I JOURNAL
In the times in my life when I have journaled a little to none at all, I have lived a shallow, self-focused life.
In the times I have journaled the most, and gone the deepest, I have been able to appreciate the people, circumstances, and things I have in my life.
Talk about a major AHA light bulb moment.
Journaling forces me to look at myself, honestly and deeply, as I analyze and review who I am, what I stand for and believe, what I've done, what I am doing, and what I want to do and should do. Journaling also forces me to look outside of myself and see the beauty of the world--and this helps me to love more. Journaling forces perspective as I realize how small I am in the great, big world, but also how blessed I am--how there is far more to my life than just me.
Hence, when I do not journal, I get holed up in just my shell and focus on me and on events, in a shallow perspective, that does not allow me to see all of the blessings in my life because I see so little in perspective.
Journaling forces me to wake up and count my blessings--which is more than just me, myself, and I.
Journaling opens my eyes. When I journal, my eyes open more and more and in direct proportion with how much I journal. If I don't journal, my eyes close so I see more of my small world and less of the bigger world and the bigger picture.
The same is true with you. I guarantee it. So, journal. Journal will help you to do the same.
JOURNALING PROMPT: Journal your thoughts.
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