How to Use the Practice of Journaling to Manifest A New Reality
4 Ways to Mindfully Practice Journaling with Consistency
Have you ever wondered who you could evolve into if it wasn’t for the relentless barrage of limitations that persistently derail your efforts?
Perhaps you are able to intently envision a reality that takes you well beyond your present reality. Only to open your eyes and be brought face to face with an objective reality that disavows the very vision you are seeking to manifest. Thereby, making inviting a new reality more daunting.
Whatever the case may be, know that you are not alone. This post will outline how the mindfulness practice of journaling can support you to embrace a new reality.
The Unconscious Habit Inconsistency
As a collective, we all want what we want within an instant. Optimally, who wouldn’t want to instantaneously affect lasting sustainable change with the blink of an eye? I for one would love to have that ability. Understandably, life doesn’t quite work that way. Actions that are repeatedly done with consistency form habits that neurologically become hardwired within our central nervous system.
In essence, it forms habitual patterns which become a part of us. Thereby, making it that much more difficult to affect lasting change. In other words, the very things we do on a consistent basis form patterns which thereby become a part of us. Making it that much more difficult to magically begin anew. Naturally, when we set our intentions to embrace something new we all aspire to become experts overnight. Interestingly this widely held notion often leads to the unconscious habit of inconsistency.
As a collective, we increasingly remain loyal to the notion that we should first predetermine whether or not we feel like doing a particular action before we proceed. Self-included, I once believed that in order to do a particular action, I first had to prequalify it with whether or not I felt like doing it before I did anything that went against the grain (being my mind). Essentially besides work, family, and other essential timely obligations that required my time and attention regardless of how I felt, this pretty much summed up my approach to the world. Needless to say, I had quite a time affecting sustainable change based on my feelings.
Above all time is an effective teacher, as I soon learned that effective sustainable change waits for no one. I soon realized that if I wanted to affect any change I had to persistently invest consistent concerted effort despite my personal feelings. Little by little, I soon learned that inconsistency resulted in more of the same. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. I soon resolved that I had to release prequalifying my actions on my feelings.
The Beauty of Consistency
Interestingly, as I reflect on my journey to consistency, I’m reminded of an experience where I shifted into a lifestyle that embraced more health, wellness, and well-being.
After many years of wanting to become more physically fit and active, I decided to switch things up and join a Bootcamp-style fitness class. Being that I was committed to stepping into a new reality, I took a completely new approach that completely pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone. Each and every week I consistently went to class early every Saturday and Sunday morning. Regardless of what I had going on, I remained committed. What began as an inconvenient practice quickly evolved into a necessity.
Pretty soon I built my life around these classes, and surprisingly grew to love it. It absolutely caught me by surprise, that I now longed to experience the exuberant feelings that I got after an intense workout. Much like the Rocky film, after Sylvester Stalone climbs the famous Philadelphia steps, I too would feel on top of the world after giving absolutely all that I had, and then some after an exhausting workout.
There are absolutely no words that can describe how caught off guard I was to now be that person who loved to work out. Especially after the many times, I talked about how crazy others were who actually professed to love working out. At the time I couldn’t fathom my current reality, as it was completely beyond anything I could have imagined.
In fact, I was now so committed, that there was no amount of rain, snow, sleet, or other unlikely inconvenience that could keep me from my weekly commitment. Aside from the rare inclement weather event which would close the gym for the day, I was there.
Even when I went on vacation or the few and far inbetween times when my schedule would not permit, I was quick to rearrange my schedule to ensure that I completed my designated days for the month with the quickness. Essentially I was all in, finding new ways to integrate more workouts into the week. Through it all, this practice became a part of me, it was no longer a mere intention it was a way of life.
Up until the start of the pandemic, I didn’t miss a day. However, let’s not get it twisted, there was not a day that went by, where I ever felt like going. In fact, every morning I awoke to the persistent feeling that my sleep was more precious than getting up, readying myself, and driving to another state to work out (I essentially live in a tristate area commonly referred to as the DMV).
Every morning my mind was filled with mindless mental chatter that feverishly worked to craft every imaginable excuse I could think of all, to keep me in bed. Regardless of how I felt, the underlying intention evolved into a habit that was no longer reliant upon my feelings. Had I listened I can only imagine where that would have left me. In fact, if I relied upon my feelings I wouldn’t have ever even realized the benefits of achieving a level of physical fitness that I hadn’t known before. This experience provided a path forward to change other aspects of my life.
The Art of Manifesting A New Reality
As a collective, we have become acclimated to the notion that one should only believe that which you can see, touch, and feel, with our senses. As such, any practice that requires that you persistently affirm the very things that have not yet materialized presents a likely conundrum. This is often why many have trouble maintaining consistency. The very premise of mindfulness practice requires us to lean into our intuitive faculties to feel into our higher selves.
As spiritual beings having a human incarnation, we are more than mere humans. We are emanations of the Divine and are empowered with the capacity to think outside of our present circumstances. As individualized expressions, we are intuitively empowered to manifest the life of our desires, by simply feeling ourselves into the very vibrations we are seeking to usher into our reality. Regardless of what our senses may affirm we all have the ability to cultivate an expansive vision that goes beyond our current external reality. This in itself, requires us to journey through the lifelong process of unlearning deep-seated beliefs which more often than not, affirm otherwise.
Like most things in life the practice is not just something, you can do at your leisure whenever you feel like it. Mindfulness is a transformative practice that can dramatically change your life. At its best, it’s essentially worth its weight in gold, and beyond. However, like with most things one yields its greatest reward through the individualized experience. Therefore, one cannot merely glean its countless rewards by simply learning from others, it must be experienced. Much in the same way you cultivate your lifestyle around some essential personal self-care routines, (i.e., daily personal hygiene) mindfulness requires us to create daily habits that keep us rooted in intention.
Daily routines provide us with the time, and space to extract our awareness away from the external fluctuations of life which can make it seem as if it is dam near impossible to cultivate anything that lies beyond our current experience. In fact, you very well may have frequent encounters in which you feel more connected to your physical reality than the imagined vision. In times when your vision feels as if it is a distant pipe dream is the very time, you need to drop into practice to feel your way into the wish fulfilled.
When using our imaginations we tap into a transformative facility that empowers us to feel into the very thing we are seeking to manifest. Most often when we think of something we think of it, rather than from that place of having already actualized it. From every sense of the way it looks, feels, and smells to intuitively experiencing our fulfilled desires, we have the capacity to experience it now, and not within some far-off distant time. Being that this faculty resides within us, we don’t need anyone else’s permission to access the resultant joy that arises from feeling into the end.
Thankfully we each have the ability to access it as often as we see fit. In fact the more we go beyond mere belief feeling into the sensory exprience of the wish fulfilled, the sooner it will manifest. Journaling is a practice that empowers us to step into a new reality.
The Mindful Practice of Journaling to Invite in a New Reality
For most, it’s relatively easy to get a glimpse into a new expansive reality that outpaces a current reality. However, stabilizing and remaining this vision is a completely different story. For many myself included, I once believed that there was no possible way that I could possibly carve out consistent quiet time to journal. Let alone write anything of substance, within a short period of time. After all, what was I supposed to write anyway? Was it a deep anthology of my innermost thoughts and feelings? How long did it have to be? Was it sufficient to simply write a few lines or did it have to be more in-depth?
In sum, I had way more questions than answers. So much so, that I didn’t know where to begin let alone what to do next. Add on, the mere thought of having to make time to add on yet another thing to do to an exhaustive to-do list was unfathomable, to say the least. Having to devote time to write substantive text on some of my innermost thoughts and feelings seemed unrealistic.
No matter how many times I tried it seemed as if I either was writing too much or grasping for something of substance to painstakingly fill up a few lines within my journal. At the root of it all, it mostly felt as if I had absolutely no clue of what I was supposed to do. If this resonates with you, rest assured you are not alone. After many books, practice, and trial and error I developed a practice that I have been able to maintain with consistency and I would like to share it with you.
4 Ways to Mindfully Practice Journaling with Consistency
1. Begin
There is this widely accepted notion that we must first embrace or at least strive for perfection when it comes to cultivating a new practice. However, the very best you can do is to begin. Starting is half the battle. When it comes to journaling buy the book and begin to explore what it is you are seeking to invite into your experience. Recognize and acknowledge which form of self-expression suits you best.
For some writing is a cathartic practice. Whereas talking it out is others’ preferred medium of choice. Whatever the case may be, know that there are no rules. If verbal expression is better suited consider recording voice memos as a way to imagine a new reality. Be sure you are aligned with a practice that makes space for your uniqueness.
2. Explore What You Really Want
Oftentimes, we spin our wheels trying to determine what we really want. Often getting bogged down by the weight of what we believe others expect from us. In many ways we allow others’ expectations to form self-imposed limitations.
So much of what we envision for ourselves is shaped by what we have believed, observed, and accepted as possible for our lives. This influence is often so prominent that it more often than not shrinks our vision.
Free yourself to practice full-out expression where we explore the expanse of our vision empowers us to determine what we really want beneath the wealth and prosperity. Be it through written, typed, or spoken word, grant yourself the permission to openly explore what you truly want beyond your bank account, career, degree, or any other opposing factor that affirms otherwise.
3. Release any and all limitations
Release any belief that affirms that there is a right and a wrong way to practice. The truth is there are no rules only consistent concerted effort that can be brought about in a way that individually honors your uniqueness. If writing is your preferred method of expression, write on a daily basis, verbalLu express, talk it out and record your audio as you recount the in-depth detailed specifics right down to the most minute details of your vision.
4. Cultivate Consistent Daily Journaling Habits
In this digital age, we are often more committed to making space to swiftly answer every phone notification as soon as humanly possible. Interestingly, this often leaves little to no room for anything else. Let’s face it cell phones arent going anywhere. Therefore it behooves us to use it to our benefit. From the moment we awake to the time we lay our heads on our pillow to rest for the evening, we are beyond committed to our digital devices.
Come hell or high water our phones remain closer to us than our closest family. On that note, program your phone to alarm a minimum of three times a day, morning, noon, and night.
Allow your alerts to serve as a reminder to revisit your vision. From a brief statement that summarizes the crux of your vision, to an itemized entry outlining the very depths of what you are seeking to manifest, commit to carving out a consistent time to journal your vision at the same time every single day. Release any and every self-imposed limitation that affirms that you must in fact feel like it before you commit to making a consistent concerted effort.
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