In The Words - A Guided Journal was created to be a mirror; to reflect something pivotal back to the person who uses it via the questions/prompts designed to review the past, acknowledge the present and consider the future.
We get it - not everyone is ready to shine a spotlight on themselves like that, or to even go all in on an experience they hope or know they'll learn something new from, because learning something new is the process of exposing yourself to new thoughts, situations, feelings and that's about as confronting as realising you never really knew someone. (Hint: Maybe, it's you)
But it's important to remember that the triggers that surface in this situation aren't what's standing in the way, in fact they're the gateway to BETTER: better experiences, relationships and reflections. They're not here triggering you just for fun and to make your life tricky, they're challenging you to quit the cycle and think differently.
Why?
So you can know yourself to BE yourself;
So you can meet those versions of yourself contributing to the version you show the world and understand why;
So you can attract the connections you're meant to have in life, because you first made a connection to yourself and;
So that if you experience change or lose whatever external thing you've always thought makes you, you will find comfort in yourself to carry on.
To name a few...
But if you are someone who is defined by external constructs;
The 9-5 they love to hate
A financial burden they have/were expected to get
The family they have surface level relationships with
"Friends" they count for numbers not for keeps
A security blanket that gets reapplied in tough situations as a distraction
You probably also internalise/avoid anything separate to that thing that takes over your life which overtime becomes a burying of the ultimate circuit breaker; your self-awareness.
We don't ask often enough of ourselves and of each other -
Why is this certain pattern recurring in my life?
What things am I purposeful about/do they matter at the end of the day?
How does this/that make me feel when I really stop and be honest with myself
What am I passionate about now that I didn't use to be?
Why can't I move forward here, what is the blockage?
What can I learn from days and seasons gone by?
What would it look like if I removed this routine/habit that's always been a part of my life, and picked a new reality?
Whether it stems from fear of judgement or at the crux there's just a deep misunderstanding of why it's important to figure out what we are meant for, and what is meant for us, this block has existed in all of us at some point - and in that freeze moment of not having the courage or incentive to jump in and find out 'what if' is exactly the moment you should. If you don't/can't, sooner or later that loop can become a spiral.
The best thing you'll ever get comfortable with is yourself, knowing who you are and what you're all about, even if you don't think you need to or believe you've been there done that.
Self awareness, personal growth, a desire for individual development isn't a one time thing either, it's not age specific, or only necessary during certain milestones in life - it's all the damn time if you're serious about how you want to live your life.
And just because you've made friends with who you are at some point, doesn't mean you'll never struggle with that relationship again... because as you grow, as you develop and become more aware, you're not only meeting new versions but you're learning how they fit with who you are at the core, while levelling your conflictions and realising your non-negotiables.
But the good news is being committed to a work-in-progress is far more likely to yield a positive outcome than being half-assed at something you already think you have the instruction manual for... we all have something to learn and re-learn, not just today but for the rest of our days because an education is no education without the capacity for reflection and re-education.
It all starts with you and the questions you're brave enough to ask yourself.
This is your bright life.
Dana