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125: A 15-Minute Journaling Practice for Resilience and Self-Compassion · The Everyday Awesome Project

• 0:27
  Samantha Pruitt: Hello, beautiful humans.
• 0:29
  Samantha Pruitt: Coach Sam here today doing a solo episode.
• 0:33
  Samantha Pruitt: I'm calling this Highlights and Heartbreaks.
• 0:38
  Samantha Pruitt: I want to share with you a weekly inventory, also known as journaling practice, to wake you up to your life, process experiences, and move forward with compassion, wisdom, and power.
• 0:54
  Samantha Pruitt: Why should we do this?
• 0:57
  Samantha Pruitt: Well, people journal to improve mental health, reduce stress, and to boost productivity.
• 1:06
  Samantha Pruitt: Journaling is for releasing emotions, organizing thoughts, and tracking personal growth in writing.
• 1:16
  Samantha Pruitt: Journals serve as a private, safe space to process emotions, enhance self-awareness, and set or track goals.
• 1:26
  Samantha Pruitt: Journals act as a memory aid and a creative outlet to build self-awareness and self-confidence.
• 1:35
  Samantha Pruitt: Awareness, mindfulness, or what I like to be using the term, or what I call it, is basically being awake.
• 1:44
  Samantha Pruitt: Being awake is an antidote for being asleep.
• 1:48
  Samantha Pruitt: Being awake is the opposite of being numb or simply going through the motions day after day, week after week, as your life slips away from you.
• 1:59
  Samantha Pruitt: Nobody wants to be asleep.
• 2:02
  Samantha Pruitt: But often it is a survival mechanism, a coping mechanism that is used when things get really stressful or feel like they're just out of your control.
• 2:12
  Samantha Pruitt: There are endless ways to take back emotional control and agency over your own existence.
• 2:18
  Samantha Pruitt: We talk about them on the show all the time.
• 2:21
  Samantha Pruitt: Journaling is simply one of them.
• 2:24
  Samantha Pruitt: It's a great place to start for anybody who's looking to reconnect with themselves and start rebuilding the life they deserve.
• 2:34
  Samantha Pruitt: How to do this weekly highlights and heartbreaks journaling exercise.
• 2:39
  Samantha Pruitt: Here we go.
• 2:42
  Samantha Pruitt: Once a week, carve out quiet time alone with just a blank double-sided piece of paper and a pen.
• 2:52
  Samantha Pruitt: So this is a once-a-week activity.
• 2:55
  Samantha Pruitt: You carve out quiet time by yourself with a double-sided piece of paper and a pen.
• 3:03
  Samantha Pruitt: Then, without judgment or hesitation, just go through each day of the last week and ask yourself some questions.
• 3:13
  Samantha Pruitt: On side one, were there any heartbreaks this week?
• 3:20
  Samantha Pruitt: Page one, side one.
• 3:22
  Samantha Pruitt: The question is, did I experience any heartbreaks this week?
• 3:29
  Samantha Pruitt: On page two, the flip side, the question is, were there any highlights this week?
• 3:39
  Samantha Pruitt: Page two is, did I experience any highlights this week?
• 3:43
  Samantha Pruitt: So on one side it's the heartbreaks this last week, on the other side, it's the highlights this week.
• 3:50
  Samantha Pruitt: What you're going to do is start with the heartbreaks.
• 3:55
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to write things down and then move on.
• 4:00
  Samantha Pruitt: Gently just comb your mind and answer simply without much detail or pressure to spill it all out or provide a lot of details.
• 4:09
  Samantha Pruitt: Once you've covered the week and answered both questions, hopefully you'll have at least one thing listed in each category on each side.
• 4:19
  Samantha Pruitt: Then you'll be done taking inventory.
• 4:22
  Samantha Pruitt: And after that, we'll go through it and read through it and process it.
• 4:28
  Samantha Pruitt: So let's start with page one.
• 4:30
  Samantha Pruitt: Okay, so page one is the heartbreaks.
• 4:32
  Samantha Pruitt: Remember the prompt.
• 4:34
  Samantha Pruitt: Were there any heartbreaks this week?
• 4:36
  Samantha Pruitt: Did I experience any heartbreaks this week?
• 4:40
  Samantha Pruitt: Once you've spilled those out without overthinking it, without a lot of detail, you've got the heartbreaks written down.
• 4:49
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to do the other side, the highlights.
• 4:52
  Samantha Pruitt: Again, you're writing those down on the other side, just putting them down, plain and simple.
• 4:57
  Samantha Pruitt: Not a lot of emotion or detail, just making a list.
• 5:02
  Samantha Pruitt: When you're done with both sides, you're going to turn it back over to the heartbreaks.
• 5:07
  Samantha Pruitt: Now, reading through the heartbreaks, you're going to circle any heartbreak that still stings.
• 5:17
  Samantha Pruitt: Where there is still emotion, unsaid words, unfelt pain, a holding tight in your body.
• 5:26
  Samantha Pruitt: You'll notice they all have varying degrees of impact.
• 5:30
  Samantha Pruitt: Some you will have already totally moved on from, and they are already easily behind you, released with compassion.
• 5:39
  Samantha Pruitt: Others that you circle still have active emotion, emotional pull, and negative vibrations.
• 5:47
  Samantha Pruitt: That's the sting.
• 5:48
  Samantha Pruitt: You're circling the stingers.
• 5:53
  Samantha Pruitt: Once you have the stingers circled, I want to tell you about these stingers.
• 6:01
  Samantha Pruitt: You're going to think about them for about five minutes.
• 6:04
  Samantha Pruitt: A stinger is a type of heartbreak that needs more space to breathe, or else it will get stored and recirculate in your body and mind like venom, like a sting would.
• 6:17
  Samantha Pruitt: As you focus your deep inhalation and exhalation, allowing the emotional stings to move through and out of your body, I want you to write yourself a simple love note expressing tenderness towards your heart and what happened.
• 6:32
  Samantha Pruitt: What was the sting?
• 6:34
  Samantha Pruitt: Let me give you some examples.
• 6:36
  Samantha Pruitt: So I've picked one of the stingers, I've got it circled, and now I'm going back and I'm going to give some thought to it and process it.
• 6:46
  Samantha Pruitt: You're going to write yourself a simple love letter about this sting.
• 6:52
  Samantha Pruitt: I'll give you an example.
• 6:54
  Samantha Pruitt: Heartache number one.
• 6:56
  Samantha Pruitt: Example one, someone's actions have hurt me.
• 7:10
  Samantha Pruitt: Here's an example.
• 7:13
  Samantha Pruitt: Dear Sister Sam, Monday, when your coworker, boss, friend, son, husband, you fill in the blank, spoke to you harshly and criticized you about XYZ, fill in the blank.
• 7:32
  Samantha Pruitt: I know it made you feel really bad.
• 7:35
  Samantha Pruitt: So somebody's actions hurt me.
• 7:37
  Samantha Pruitt: I'm acknowledging what happened.
• 7:40
  Samantha Pruitt: I continue writing the love letter.
• 7:44
  Samantha Pruitt: Sister Sam, I want you to know that their judgment is not truth.
• 7:48
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to understand that there is never one perfect or right way to do anything.
• 7:54
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to feel unconditional love for me as well as the freedom to do things your way.
• 8:02
  Samantha Pruitt: You can decide whether to have a conversation with them and be honest about how they made you feel and ask them for change that you want to see moving forward.
• 8:12
  Samantha Pruitt: Or you can also decide to simply release their words back towards them because their words don't belong to you and let them roll right off of you.
• 8:24
  Samantha Pruitt: Either way, I respect, trust, and love you.
• 8:29
  Samantha Pruitt: All right.
• 8:29
  Samantha Pruitt: So that's me writing a love letter about that.
• 8:31
  Samantha Pruitt: Remember, when you're writing these love letters to yourself, you can use any types of words, nicknames, or messages that feel natural to you.
• 8:38
  Samantha Pruitt: It should not be forced or artificial.
• 8:42
  Samantha Pruitt: Write it, read it, and then feel it.
• 8:44
  Samantha Pruitt: Release this energy so you can make space for healing.
• 8:47
  Samantha Pruitt: Let me give you another example of a heartache.
• 8:51
  Samantha Pruitt: In this instance, the heartache was a life event that occurred this last week that hurt my heart.
• 8:57
  Samantha Pruitt: It wasn't anything anyone did to me, it was just life.
• 9:01
  Samantha Pruitt: Here's how I wrote that.
• 9:06
  Samantha Pruitt: My beloved sister Sam, this week, when you heard the tragic news about your teacher, Pam's passing away, I know it was shocking.
• 9:16
  Samantha Pruitt: And instantly you felt your heart crack open with sadness.
• 9:22
  Samantha Pruitt: As it does for you, when somebody you care about dies, that crack in your heart feels like it can swallow you whole.
• 9:31
  Samantha Pruitt: So I know you fight back the dark-consuming pain and you look for a way to quickly provide a salve and a bandage upon the break.
• 9:41
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to know that you are safe.
• 9:44
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to know that your teacher Pam is at peace.
• 9:50
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to know that she has moved on to her next assignment and will continue to bring unconditional love and joy to our world still.
• 10:00
  Samantha Pruitt: I want you to feel her spirit and wisdom in the room every single time you gather with your Sangha community.
• 10:07
  Samantha Pruitt: You are in this year to live course for a reason, and your teacher, Pam, has gifted you yet another beautiful lesson.
• 10:16
  Samantha Pruitt: Sister Sam, you are brave and you are loved beyond measure.
• 10:22
  Samantha Pruitt: Those are examples of me addressing two heartbreaks this last week.
• 10:28
  Samantha Pruitt: You're going to do something similar.
• 10:31
  Samantha Pruitt: Write them down, read them and feel them.
• 10:35
  Samantha Pruitt: Allow the emotions and the energy to move through you and out so there is space for healing.
• 10:44
  Samantha Pruitt: Once you have done the heartbreaks, and hopefully there aren't too many.
• 10:48
  Samantha Pruitt: Some weeks there are, some weeks there may be none.
• 10:51
  Samantha Pruitt: Don't judge it.
• 10:53
  Samantha Pruitt: Just process them and write yourself a love letter about each of those heartbreaks.
• 10:58
  Samantha Pruitt: Once you're done with the heartbreaks, you're going to move on to the other side.
• 11:01
  Samantha Pruitt: Now it's the highlights.
• 11:04
  Samantha Pruitt: Hopefully, you made a highlight list on the other side that's more than one or two.
• 11:10
  Samantha Pruitt: But again, no judgment.
• 11:13
  Samantha Pruitt: Some weeks there might not be much of a highlight list at all.
• 11:17
  Samantha Pruitt: Other weeks there could be dozens.
• 11:21
  Samantha Pruitt: Read through your list of highlights.
• 11:25
  Samantha Pruitt: Pick one or two or three to focus on.
• 11:28
  Samantha Pruitt: Just write a simple paragraph about what transpired.
• 11:35
  Samantha Pruitt: So pick one or two or three highlights, and you're going to write for each of those a simple paragraph.
• 11:41
  Samantha Pruitt: In that paragraph, express how it made you feel, what transpired, gratitude for others, recognition of your own hard work, or really anything that comes up for you around this highlight.
• 12:02
  Samantha Pruitt: Feel free to brag here.
• 12:05
  Samantha Pruitt: Feel free to really pour out love upon yourself and others.
• 12:12
  Samantha Pruitt: Here's an example of a highlight this last week for me.
• 12:18
  Samantha Pruitt: This last week, I helped my grandson apply for school.
• 12:22
  Samantha Pruitt: That was one of my highlights.
• 12:25
  Samantha Pruitt: In reflection, here's what I wrote.
• 12:29
  Samantha Pruitt: I feel grateful for this opportunity to help my grandson develop into a happy and healthy adult.
• 12:36
  Samantha Pruitt: I'm so proud of his commitment to personal growth.
• 12:39
  Samantha Pruitt: I'm excited to help him explore other opportunities and find joy for himself.
• 12:46
  Samantha Pruitt: So that's just an example of me summarizing a highlight, allowing myself to express what transpired and also how I feel about it.
• 12:57
  Samantha Pruitt: Highlights.
• 12:59
  Samantha Pruitt: Now that you've become aware of highlights and awake to them, you'll start looking for them.
• 13:04
  Samantha Pruitt: Moving forward, you'll be attracting them actually into your space.
• 13:09
  Samantha Pruitt: Be on full-time duty to co-create highlights.
• 13:14
  Samantha Pruitt: For some reason, we turn away from them or we don't really shine enough light when things are going right in our life, when circumstances or experiences or events happen that are positive.
• 13:28
  Samantha Pruitt: Instead, we focus and tend to focus on negative experiences.
• 13:33
  Samantha Pruitt: We want to break out of that pattern.
• 13:36
  Samantha Pruitt: Okay, so journaling exercises.
• 13:40
  Samantha Pruitt: How these journal, I still hope, let me just say that these two journaling exercises are helpful for you.
• 13:47
  Samantha Pruitt: How they impact you will be up to you.
• 13:50
  Samantha Pruitt: Remember to do them both and not just one.
• 13:53
  Samantha Pruitt: You need to balance out negative and positive emotions throughout the week.
• 13:57
  Samantha Pruitt: Some weeks you're going to have more things on your list, and other weeks you're going to have less.
• 14:02
  Samantha Pruitt: It's all normal.
• 14:03
  Samantha Pruitt: Don't judge it.
• 14:06
  Samantha Pruitt: Mostly what I wish for you is the opportunity to carve out this time, this space to process your experiences and your emotions each week.
• 14:18
  Samantha Pruitt: That's really what it is.
• 14:20
  Samantha Pruitt: Like I said before, I call it taking inventory.
• 14:23
  Samantha Pruitt: The simple truth for us to be with ourselves and our own thoughts and emotions wide awake each week is a necessity.
• 14:34
  Samantha Pruitt: I hope you send me a message about your experience.
• 14:37
  Samantha Pruitt: Feel free to reach out with any questions.
• 14:40
  Samantha Pruitt: Always remember here at the Everyday Awesome Project that how your life feels is more important than how it looks.
• 14:47
  Samantha Pruitt: And that includes what your journal looks like.
• 14:50
  Samantha Pruitt: Okay, my beautiful human.