How well do you really know yourself?
T
he way we understand ourselves is often influenced by external factors, such as how we fit into society and the way others perceive us. This version of you is not your true self - and this is one of the biggest lessons we’ll learn in life.
So - what’s been holding you back from intentional self-discovery? The usual suspects are time and energy. However, fear and discomfort are also big players here.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are wise and powerful beyond measure. It is not our darkness, but our light that most frightens us. Playing small is easy and more comfortable, but dulling your shine does not help you serve the world.
As we let our own lights shine, we give other people permission to do the same. When we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
(Insight taken from the poem, “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson)
This is why journalling is such a powerful tool. In fact, journalling can help us reclaim our time and energy, for as little as 10 minutes of presence each day. It’s a form of self-administered therapy, and it’s 100% free.
Writing about ourselves and our experiences in life can help us manage stress, evolve our insights, connect the dots, and explore all aspects of our mind - both the dark and the light.
As journalling fosters deeper insight, self-awareness, and behavioural change, it’s a practice strongly encouraged in the fields of psychology and medicine. With a journalling habit, being alone is no longer lonely. You have your wise, insightful self for company, comfort and even entertainment.
These 30 days of journal prompts are your daily opportunity to get to know yourself a little better. Think of it as an interview with a unique, interesting and wise individual (yes - that’s you!)
Note: These journal prompts are designed to help us go quite deep, so some of the concepts and terminology used may be new to some.
As such, some of these journal prompts are followed by some extra information to ensure everyone can get the full benefit from each daily writing prompt.
Day 1. If present day me could talk to myself from 10 years ago, I would say…
Day 2. How I spend my days is how I’ll spend my life. How do I feel about that?
If you’re not totally enjoying and flowing in the present moment because you’re sacrificing now for your future, you won’t be present when that future comes. Everyone’s trying to get somewhere, but there’s nowhere to go because the point of arrival is always now.
Day 3. My ideal day starts with…
Day 4. Getting triggered unexpectedly can be a positive thing because…
Our triggers are aspects of our shadow-self coming to the surface. The shadow-self is our inner darkness, made up of aspects of our self that have developed through past traumas, including inherited ancestral traumas.
When an external experience ‘triggers’ us, it usually has very little to do with the present moment. Rather, it’s a suppressed emotional trauma coming to the surface. If our external reality hasn’t been supportive of an emotional experience in the past, we suppress those emotions.
E-motions are ‘energy in motion’ - so it’s no surprise that a suppressed emotion becomes an energy density, or what’s more commonly known as a blockage. These blockages become part of our programmed personalities - so how can I use my triggers to my advantage?
Day 5. When I think about my life in the present, I am most proud of…
Day 6. Money and success are byproducts - not the goals - of my unique expression.
In other words, should money come to me as a byproduct of exploring my greatest passion(s)?
Day 7. What are the current and recurring problems in my life? What would happen if I started viewing problems as opportunities?
Day 8. What I want and what I need are not always the same.
Day 9. A rejection can point me in the right direction. An example of this in my life is…
I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I’m heading in the direction that serves my soul’s highest purpose.
Day 10. When I think about my future, I am most excited about…
I would be open to the healing power of change
Day 11: If I’m feeling stressed, it means I am resisting something.
If I'm resisting something, it's only because there's a part of me I don't know yet. If I knew all of me, and was completely in touch with the wholeness of my being, there would be no reason for me to resist anything in life. I would be open to the healing power of change.
Day 12. If part of my consciousness is not awake, something in my body will suffer for it.
What am I feeling in my body right now? Where am I holding tension? Could this be a result of the mind-body connection?
Day 13. I can’t fix, change or improve anyone. I can only inspire. How can I lead by example?
Day 14. True wellness involves fitness. And true fitness never compromises wellness.
What is my relationship with moving and nourishing my body? What kinds of exercise brings me joy? Is my current fitness routine really serving me?
Day 15. The opposite of depression is not happiness. It’s purpose.
Day 16. Do I actively listen from my heart? Or do I analyse with my mind? Which is more likely to help and heal others? Why?
This is about my conscious communication skills in all my different relationships.
Day 17. Mindfulness turns habits into rituals and ceremonies.
Where can I turn mundane tasks into mindful rituals?
Day 18. I feel happy and confident in my body when I …
Day 19. I really want recognition for…
Day 20. I really wish others understood this about me…
Day 21. What does ‘freedom’ mean to me? What does it feel like?
Is it possible to experience freedom in commitment, for example? Although it seems counterintuitive when we’re talking about freedom, will developing structures in my life help me thrive and feel free?
Day 22. My ideal week feels like…
Focus on how it feels, rather than on the specific events and situations.
Day 23. I felt especially valued and loved when…
Day 24. Am I a spiritual person?
Describe my beliefs and/or doubts. How do those beliefs affect how I live my life?
Day 25. When I think about my future, I am most afraid of…
When relating to other people, we’re really just relating to ourselves
Day 26. Do I project aspects of myself onto others?
Most of the time when relating to other people, we’re really just relating to ourselves. We're not really relating to them. It takes a lot of spiritual and inner consciousness work to be able to relate to another human being, not 'as they are for you,' but as they simply are.
Day 27. When I think about my future, I am most excited about…
Day 28. Who is my ‘highest self’?
Who am ‘I’ - the invisible awareness behind the experience? Who am I outside of social constructs? Am I shrinking and disconnecting from my highest self so that other people won't feel insecure around me?
Day 29. The way I define my values over the last few years has changed…
Have my values changed? Perhaps they’ve remained the same, but how that value looks and feels in my life is different these days?
Day 30. I feel the most energised when…
These journal prompts are your opportunity to express personal impressions, daily experiences, and your evolving insights, as well as reflections about yourself, your relationships, your experiences, dreams, fantasies, and creative ideas. These are all important aspects of your highest self!
Not only does journalling help us clarify and refine our thoughts and emotions, but it also brings us into the present. It’s a powerful practice that can deepen our mindfulness and boost our mental wellbeing. Most importantly - remember to enjoy the practice of writing, as expressing ourselves without judgment or restriction is the best medicine of all.
