I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me it seems like time is passing by faster and faster. I used to think that was such a cliché, but now I understand the reality of it all. This reality, by the way, does not scare me, but instead reminds me of the wonderful opportunities to create memories, and grow in wisdom.

What is it about the holidays that we treasure so much? As a child, in addition to getting “stuff” on Christmas morning, I used to love seeing cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents as we’d get together for a turkey or baked ham dinner. For me they are memories filled with warmth and happiness, and they’ve played an important role in my hopeful outlook on life. I was raised in a devout Christian home; hence, the story of Christ’s birth was always at the helm of both Thanksgiving and Christmas. My dad would always read the Nativity story to us on Christmas Eve and then ask us questions about it and quiz us on our basic understanding of its importance. Thanksgiving was always a time to articulate sincere felt thanks and gratitude for life and the gifts we had. Despite the fact that things were far from perfect and consistent in my family, I never felt that the holidays were commercial or phony in the way we observed them.

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There was a span of time when I was growing up in which my brother and I got very little in the way of presents. My father was a minister for a number of years and we just couldn’t afford much for Christmas, but I was always grateful to have a stocking stuffed with brownies and candy. Putting it in context, that was a great deal more than many other kids got for Christmas. I was always taught to be grateful for anything I had received. My mom told me a story, not long ago, about how she and her cousins used to celebrate Christmas back during the Great Depression. They were poor folks from east Tennessee and typically received only an orange and a couple of candy sticks in a worn out old winter stocking. These poor mountain kids had nothing to compare their Christmas stocking to since all the other families in their community were in the same boat. There simply was no abundance by which to compare. Mom said that the greatest value during the holidays she remembers was the love and commitment her family had for each other. What they lacked in physical abundance, they made up for with a great deal of love.

It wasn’t until many years later that I actually wrote in a journal about the holidays. I wanted to make sure that I included the holidays in my journals since they were, and are, times during the year when we stop what we’re doing to focus on things that are most important to us like faith, family, and our hopes and dreams.

Not everyone takes the time to reflect, however, and in fact the holidays are times of great strife and turmoil for many families. Instead of slowing down and ignoring the clock, many of us find ourselves even more exhausted and pressed for time. When I journal about the holidays I like to reflect on the differences between what I really need and what I only want. These are qualities and areas of reflection I want for my children. I journal about the holidays to remind myself about what is most important, and to record the insights and lessons learned during those set aside times for reflection. I have a tendency, unfortunately, to sometimes limit my journaling to deep, philosophical reflections, and I have to often remind myself to lighten up. Sometimes the greatest (even deepest) insights we can find are right in front of us in the simple things life has to offer.

One of my favorite memories of the holidays (which I did journal about at length) was the Christmas of 1989, one I will never forget. I was working as an administrator at a small private college, and this year there was a particular student that had experienced and number of tragic events including the death of a child, by-pass surgery, and the break-in and theft of property that included all of the family Christmas presents. On top of it all he had been laid off of a job he had held for twenty years. Bills were piling up, and creditors were hounding him with threats and all. The college secretly raised not only enough funds to cover a few remaining medical costs, but also the bills for his little boy’s funeral, and to get caught up on his other bills. The frosting on the cake was that one of the members on the College Board, who owned a company, gave him a job. When this gift was presented to the student, I remember watching him fall down on his knees and weep like a little child. I was the only one to witness this moment besides the administrator who presented it to him in the privacy of his office. I think for a moment I actually got a glimpse of divine grace.

I reread my journal entry about this event every Christmas season because it’s a wonderful reminder to keep out in front of me what matters most, namely, other people. That is why holiday journaling is important. The holidays, particularly Christmas, is a time of year where we are all reminded of the reality of those who have, and those who have not. It should give us opportunities to act upon our better natures and to show our gratitude by showing compassion to those who are not as fortunate. These are the memories worth recording. These are the memories worth passing on to our children and family. That being said, I think it’s important to reflect and act upon these things all year long, not just on Christmas.

This holiday season take the time to record your thoughts about the events around you. Sometimes the mere smile a little child is enough to convince of what matters most. We all have particular things we value about the holidays. What do you value and why? These are a couple of things to ponder during the holidays. Here are some ideas that you can use to start some holiday journaling.

What is you favorite holiday and why?

Do you have a particular holiday event that stands out in your mind?

How do you spend the pre- holiday time?

What are your children’s thoughts (if you have kids) on the holidays

What are your Christmas Eve traditions (or holiday traditions in general)?

Do you have any special decorating?

These are just a few prompts to help encourage you to think about holiday journaling. We encourage you to create wonderful memories and traditions with you family and friends. To remember them in the years to come is a way
to live joyously and in continued hope for a better tomorrow. 
Check out my journaling site at:   www.journalinglife.com

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Creating good memories can help overcome the bad memories we carry with us.
Good memories help us grow in love and fondness with family and friends. As
we reminisce about good times, we are reminded of things that matter most,
and the people we love. They add smiles to our faces, and give us hope for
tomorrow. What kind of memories are you creating now? Every day is a new opportunity
to create new memories, not only for ourselves, but for our kids, and loved
ones. If you don,t have a tradition (or traditions) take the time this year
to create some of your own. Find a memorable place to visit, perhaps an old
town nearby that has an annual tree lighting, or beginning of Christmas
celebration. Some communities have Christmas caroling nights where families
can get together with other families to sing the carols of the season. The
opportunities to create holiday memories are almost limitless. Keep these
memories in your journal, and each year make sure to read through your
reflection on those memorable holiday times. These are stories you can pass
on to your kids, who in turn can pass on to their own kids one day.   With the Christmas Season now upon us we have the maximum opportunity to
take time off and reflect on things that matter most like family, faith, and
the direction of our lives. I encourage you to take time this season to
fill those journals with your thoughts and memories. A steady diet of
journaling this way can be a tool to help transform the way we think, and
also transform the interior of our souls. Take good care one and all.

The practice of gratitude is a state of mind. Without gratitude, we often take for granted even the littlest blessings in our life. If we focus on what we are grateful for, we can often stay in a positive mindset. It makes a world of difference in our attitudes when we focus on the things we have rather than the things we want or don’t have.

We don’t need to hit rock bottom in order to practice gratitude, although that is my story. I took for granted every little thing including the plate I placed my food upon until I lost it all. I was left standing at the door of the homeless shelter with the clothes on my back and a cell phone. Homelessness was something that happened to other people. I never thought that it could happen to me. Needless to say, I was never grateful for anything and I took the job and roof over my head for granted. I took my state of mind for granted, which was filled with selfishness and complacency.

As I slowly started to regain blessings in my lost life, I became aware of how much I needed to focus on being grateful. Starting with relationships, I learned how fragile they really are. I know today that you must put relationships on the top of any gratitude list. Even my relationship with God is not to be taken lightly for it can crumble right before your very eyes, if you focus on the negative.

The essentials of life are often overlooked on many gratitude lists: Water, food, shelter, transportation, health. It is not necessary to lose these in order to learn to be grateful for them, we just need to re-focus. Ask ourselves the question, do I have everything I need today?

In my first hour of waking up, I found 10 things to be grateful for without even trying. That immediately set my positive attitude for the day. I keep a gratitude journal every day, usually in the morning when I’m feeling fresh from a good night’s sleep. It helps to set the pace of a busy day.

Sometimes we often feel entitled to more, greedily wanting to be better or different. It is hard to be grateful when we are coveting other possibilities. When our ego is dissatisfied we are usually ungrateful. The practice of gratitude would be a perfect antidote for an unhappy ego.

Journaling explores your thoughts and feelings. Not only is journaling a great tool to manage your stress, but a way for one to explore themselves. Writing in detail about your feelings and the stressful events in your life is more helpful than being vague in your journal entries.

Journaling is said to be a quick way to enhance your personal development. When you write down your thoughts you can understand them in a way you can’t when you keep your thoughts in your head. It gives you the opportunity to examine your thoughts, ultimately giving you more insight on them.

Your brain can process a large amount of data, but it has processes that do not allow you to “see the big picture”. By journaling, you can write your thoughts down and come back to them at a later time so that you can look at it without leaving anything out, or forgetting anything. It is easier to see the whole of your situation when reviewing in 3rd person.

There are many benefits of journaling. I would like to look at 4 very powerful ones.

1. It helps you solve problems that you would otherwise feel are un-solvable.

When you write down your thoughts, many times there is a solution that may seem so obvious, journaling brings it out by evaluating your thoughts after writing them down.

2. You gain clarity and find perspective.

When you have questions or decisions to make, journaling can give you valuable information on which way to go with your choices so that they are the best ones that you can make, for the greatest outcome.  When something tragic or traumatic happens in your life. You have a chance to explore the feelings you have about the situation and really understand them. By doing that you take it all in and “come to terms” with it, if you will, in your mind.

3. When you release your stress you are creating a healthier you.

• Journaling improves you cognitive functioning.

• Symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and other health condition can be decreased by journaling.

• Your immune system even becomes stronger lessening the chances of becoming ill and having to put things off such as work, family time, and leisure time. All of these are also stress reducers; you can see the cycle.

• Journaling also turns into a positive effects of a stress free life.

4.Journaling is a great way to track your progress and either change what is not working and come up with ideas that are beneficial or see what is working and create a focus point to stay on that track.

I know that, for me, journaling has definitely given me a chance not to spend time regretting what I do instead I have more time to work on getting things comfortable for me and my family. The best thing is that I don’t have to pay a professional and hourly amount to figure out what I already know and have yet to realize. By writing down my thoughts I can come up with good, helpful ways to correct what ever situation I come across.

Sustainable living is a standard for the earth and needs to be for us personally as well. We hear all the time about needing to live a sustainable life. We need to live so that we do not deplete the resources of the earth. The Earth is a mirror of the human being. Just as our planet is in crisis, so are we. We need to look at how we can sustain ourselves while we are sustaining our planet. This list contains words that describe sustainability as well as depletion of resources. Do any of these also illustrate your life?

• Global Warming- Are you close to a meltdown?
• Energy Crisis- Have you run out of steam?
• Economic Recession – How is your household budget looking?
• Depression- Why do you think there are so many medication commercials on TV?
• Recycle – Are you throwing out what is usable in new ways? Are you throwing away dreams and ideas that did not work out the first time instead of retooling and refreshing them to a new version?
• Restoration – Are you getting enough sleep and relaxation time?
• Green Efforts – Are you using healthy products in your home?
• Organic Lifestyle – Are you eating right and taking care of your physical self?
• Maintenance for peak performance- Are you getting physical exercise?

We need to stop working late, remove our nose from the grindstone, stop running on fumes. Leaving some energy for later or keeping a reserve supply of calm is essential to our well-being. Just like putting money into savings or in a retirement account, or preparing for a big storm by making sure there are enough essentials to sustain us when the lights go out. We need to be banking our personal reserve and saving some for later.

Change is not easy. It is best to take small steps to make the change. When making the choice for big change in our lives, it is wise to move into the change slowly. When we make big changes slowly, it allows time to form new habits and to adapt. If we try to make big changes all at once, we are setting ourselves up for a big failure. Trying to do it all, can accomplish just as much as doing nothing.
Start by learning. Reinforce learning by doing and teaching.

“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” Latin Proverb

Earth

1. Learn about the impact of pollution, resource depletion on your earth.
2. Learn how to reverse the impact already made.
3. Learn how to live differently to not cause the same problems again.
4. Teach and share what you learn.

Self

1. Learn about the impact of stress, lack of sleep have on your body
2. Learn how to reverse the impact already made.
3. Learn how to live differently to not cause the same problems again.
4. Teach and share what you learn.

Set your goals to change by first identifying your issue areas. Journaling is a great tool, which enables a person to step back and look at circumstances from the outside. You can make your first goal.

Commit to one week of keeping a personal journal. Each day write down what situations give you energy and what depletes your energy or time. Keep track of when you are feeling strong and when you are feeling weak. What has happened on the days you come home dragging from work? Be honest and frank. Instead of a making a broad statement such as “I do not like my job” or “I am out of shape”, try focusing on what in particular you do not like about your job or why you feel you are out of shape. Identify your issue areas. Where do you feel depleted? What are your unhealthy habits?

When you start looking at how you are spending your personal resources, you may want to make many changes. Do not try to take on change in all areas. It may seem like the right thing to do once you recognize that you are are depleting your valuable resources but taking on too much change at once can drain you further. Set your goals. Break it down into small manageable changes. Taking small steps toward big change allows time for new habits to form. Trying to do it all at once can accomplish as much as doing nothing at all.

“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”
Norman Vincent Peale

Once you identify an issue, you can then start listing action steps that will move you into a more sustainable lifestyle. You are where you are today because of choices you made in the past. In order to have a different outcome you need to change the input. Your first issue may be that you are living an unhealthy lifestyle. First, name your goal ‘Live Healthier’. Then state your intention to change. “I will take action and make the changes needed to create a sustained healthy life”. List action steps toward your goal. The important thing to remember is not to set unreachable goals. You will not drop 100 pounds in a week, become a vegetarian tomorrow or run a marathon in a month however, you can, get 7-8 hours of sleep (most nights), floss, and brush daily, walk 3 times per week, drink 6 glasses of water each day, eat less fatty food and more vegetables. Build on your victories.

Living a sustainable lifestyle is an issue for the planet and an issue for us. Commit to the change. Act. Engage. Simplify. Live holistically. To get to where you want to be look at what brought you to where you are today and do something new.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
Albert Einstein

Even small steps on the path to sustainability are movements in the right direction. A sustainable life is an authentic life. Create a deeper connection with your self, your planet, your purpose. Honor yourself by sustaining your personal, professional, and planetary resources to have a sound, secure future.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary claims conviction as:

“The state of being convinced or convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of being convicted of sin, or by one’s conscience.”

“To call good evil, and evil good, against the conviction of their own consciences.” –Swift.

And the Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary cites conviction as:

“A strong belief.”

Its agreeable, then, that conviction is a matter of thought. There are technicalities in such concepts as honesty, and virtue, but one either has conviction, or lacks it. I try my best to be one of conviction. If I give my word, it is my bond, and I strongly refuse known convention for my own personal liking of what I consider right. I don’t drive a car, for instance, and often wince at getting rides. I’d rather deal with the slower, and more strenuous transportation of bicycling, because I do not wish to be part of the cycle of pollution.

The simple act of reflection allows us to learn and grow, but unless we take the time and expend the effort to record and examine our actions, we are stuck in a rut of reactive experiences, never to realize our fullest potential. There is the sage saying “Those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it”. So how do we get to the point of being actualized adults? For starters, write it down.

There is not a single more powerful tool in your personal arsenal of self-improvement than the act of writing something down. Writing in your own words not only records your actions but your thoughts. Also captured in your words are the nuances only you can decipher. Personal notes written by you and later read are like predigested nuggets of memories ready for immediate consumption, not requiring lengthy disclaimers or wordy dissertations in order to frame the thought correctly.

Unlike reading someone else’s words, you will not need to understand their perspective because you are the perspective. It’s kind of like a fast-food drive through, delivering all the convenience of quickly feeding your need, without the bulk of having to go shopping, prepare and cook the foods, and finally wash all the dishes.

Growing up, there was a time when I pen daily events in a journal. Yes, a daily “Dear Diary” entry was a big part of my day. At the time, I was actually using it to show the girls I was vying for what a sensitive person I capable of being. And for the most part it worked like a charm, especially when I gave the girls access to the parts where I would write about how important their interactions were to me (oh, how simple life was back then). By and large, this was one of the first realizations of the power of the written word, learning how to move people with words.

It was only after I “graduated” from this stage of life, I discovered the person I could move with my words was myself. Being able to review my past actions, written in my own words, permitted me to “see” what I was doing in past situations. I kept a journal of sorts ever since then, using it to make sure the resolutions and actions I want to keep at the fore front of my brain at the top of the heap of my daily actions. The act of reflection occurs in two parts: capturing the daily machinations of your day and reviewing the actions after some interval.

The first part of being reflective is simply writing it down on a regular basis. The entry does not have to be a weighty chunk of text (who has time for that?), but it must be made. On some days it is just a single line (crappy day at work because of project). Some days you simply will not have the brain power to put the events into words. Other days it will go into great detail, leaving nothing to the imagination. On those days, I find the act of putting everything on paper also lets me blow off steam, punching each of the keys hard when I start out, only to notice I am using less pressure towards the end of the entry. The most important thing to remember at this point is to write something down (anything).

The second and most important part of reflection is the act of reviewing the entries. It is best done while you are in a clam and restful state. If done in a state of agitation, you could come away with nothing more than increased agitation. I find it most beneficial first thing in the morning, over a cup of coffee, as I am most receptive during this time. Making sure there is nothing pressing, which would put undue pressure on the process.

There is no regular interval when to make these reviews, whether every week or every year, the act of looking into your actions of the past is your best guide to your actions in the future. I have noted the further I look back the more I understand how I became the person I am today. You will too. Happy writing.