Just write. Whatever pops up, just write.

I try to journal every morning and yesterday I found myself writing about values. Like most of my journaling, with pen in hand I start off giving thanks, stating my purpose for journaling and will ask myself a few questions. Ideally, the words start coming to my mind and I write.

Just write. Whatever pops up, I write.

Yesterday was one of those really good days. I'd started off as usual and after probably 15 minutes I realized I'd been writing about values. Looking back I realized I'd asked myself "what do I value?" and had at first answered the normal stuff like honesty, integrity, family, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, friends…

But then, and this is where authentic journaling really kicks in, I wrote about what I was thinking about, where I was spending my time, my goals, my dreams, my fears, my thoughts, my ideas. I was writing about what I really valued.

When realized what I had been writing about I thought "Huh? What's this?" And I looked back and realized…….


I had been writing about my real values. I had been writing about where I was spending my time, what I was focused on. I hadn't seriously considered that before. Not consciously in that way.

Our daily life, how we take those moment by moment steps defines our REAL values. Right?

I might say I value Truth, Scripture, Honoring God, Hard Work, Family and Friends, but where am I spending my time? What do I focus on during the day? What do I think about? What goals do I have? What do I dream about doing, having, being.

That, that……that's what I really value.

Right?

Right.

And more that a bit sobering.

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