What would it be like to have a conversation with your soul? Would you like to connect with your soul to make aligned decisions?
Learning to have conversations with my soul through journaling changed my life. Not only have I been able to know myself better, and make decisions that feel right to me, but I have established a close relationship with my soul, like a dear friend whom I treasure.
I have not been a lifelong journaler. I tried keeping a diary as a kid, but it never stuck. As an adult, one of my mentors assigned me to write in a journal everyday for the six months that we worked together. This assignment changed not only my attitude toward writing, but I also experienced profound results from doing it regularly. Here are the basics of my practice:
• Ground, Center, Connect, Journal — Each night before I went to bed, I took time to ground, center and connect with my soul, then I would get out my journal. I wrote about my day, how I was feeling, the things I was going through. Sometimes questions came up, issues that I was trying to sort through, trying to find answers or direction. I just let it all flow without concern or judgement.
• Clear away the day — The most amazing things happened. The more I did this, connecting deep within myself and letting the words just flow, I began to feel more clarity, calmness, and lightness settling over me. Writing everything down was helping me to clear away all that had happened during the day, and allowed me to go to bed without all the extra baggage. My mind could relax and quiet.
• Receiving messages — I realized the words I was writing were messages from my deepest self. My soul was speaking to me through my writing. I wrote down a question that had been bothering me, then immediately wrote the next thing that came to mind, without thinking or judging. Often the answers surprised me. From this connected and centered space, I had an undeniable feeling that the messages I was receiving were real. I looked forward to my nightly conversations with my soul.
• Fears and worries aside — The mind and ego definitely try to get their opinions heard, and I did honor that. I wrote down those fears and worries as they came up, finding that if I took the time to put them on paper, I could set them aside and give more attention to the heart and soul. Doing this regularly, I was able to distinguish between my fears and distorted thoughts, and the deeper messages from my soul.
• Create a dedicated time — Start with just a few minutes per day. It doesn’t matter if it is morning or night, but find a time that you can do it consistently, and without distraction. Create this sacred time for you. You deserve it.
• Practice — It may seem awkward at first, and it may seem like you are making it up. Keep going. The more you practice, the more you will be able to trust it and know what is real. Trust doesn’t happen immediately, it takes time and repetition.
In my book, Soul-iloquy: A Novel of Healing, Soul Connection & Passion, the main character, Lily, learns to journal as a way to communicate with her soul as she moves through her spiritual journey and transformation. Journaling is one of the tools that helps her to make choices that are in alignment with her soul and her purpose. This daily connection enabled her to trust herself and her intuition. Her story shows us her struggles and perseverance to gain trust and connection with her soul.
Making journaling a part of your daily practice is a way to honor and connect with your true self, listen deeply to your inner wisdom, and learn to live a soul-connected and soul-inspired life. Isn’t that what we’re all searching for?
