Recently, I was with a group of women and we were talking about how much we love our Instant Pots. One woman in the group (who we weren’t trying to convince of anything) kept chiming in announcing to us all how she doesn’t need an Instant Pot and all the reasons that she hasn’t bought one and why she doesn’t want another appliance in her kitchen.Finally, I said “Helen, if you’re resistant to Instant Pots, don’t buy one – no one is telling you to.”
“I’m not resistant” she exclaimed back.
A week later she texted me to tell me she purchased an Instant Pot.
Turns out we’re even resistant to being told we’re resistant.
As a teacher of women’s transformation, the top two things I get resistance to are meditation and journaling. I’m extraordinarily empathetic though, as I used to also push back on the idea that I should do either of these things myself.
Eventually, I found my way and started practicing both consistently, thereby changing my life’s work and personal sanity.
For today, I want to focus on journaling because many of us have been wearing a facade for so long that we’ve lost touch with our own feelings. Once we’ve disconnected from our emotions we’ve not only lost our path but, even worse, we’re setting ourselves up to become sick.
Why are so many women choosing not to journal? It’s easy to say that if we sit down and get quiet and write, we’re scared of what we’ll find but I don’t believe that’s it. I think most women just don’t have a habit of journaling.
It sounds weird but not journaling is a habit. Just like I have a habit of getting out my pen and notebook and letting my thoughts spill onto paper, some people have a habit of not doing that.
I also have a habit of running. Some people have a habit of not running.
I believe it all comes down to routine, and I think the journaling habit is a powerful one. There are so many sparks of insight regarding my challenges and difficulties that I get once I start writing. I connect dots that I can’t see in any other practice (even meditation).
Being a journaling junkie has solved a lot of problems for me, and it can for you too.
What do you think? Do you journal? Do you not journal? Are you resistant? Why? Send me an email back and let me know.
Or maybe even journal about it.
