Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 1:01am
There's writing, and there's soul-down writing
Column: Writing Down Your Soul
When people hear the title of my new book, "Writing Down the Soul," they scrunch up their eyes. "Is this journaling?" they ask.
Journaling, the world seems to agree, is a good thing. Pick a book — any book — in the self-improvement section of the bookstore, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't recommend journaling. Christina Baldwin started the trend in 1990 with "Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest." Next came Julia Cameron's classic, "The Artist's Way," with directions to write three "morning pages" a day to heighten creativity. A few years later, Sarah Ban Breathnach followed her best-selling "Simple Abundance" with "The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. Since then, it seems every blockbuster, from Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" to Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," arrives with a matching journal.
And don't think journaling is limited to the "soft" arenas. Search for "journal" at any online bookseller, and you'll find journals for everything from dating and diseases to weight control and wine tasting. Even the data-driven worlds of finance and business see the value of journaling. In "The Success Principles" (Collins, 2007), Jack Canfield, coauthor of the mega-bestselling "Chicken Soup" series and the nation's foremost success coach, recommends journal writing:
"Many people have their greatest success accessing intuitive information through journal writing. Take any question that you need an answer to and just start writing about it. Write down the answers to your question(s) as quickly as they come to you. You will be amazed at the clarity that can emerge from this process." (Page 320)
But — although all writing has the power to access inner wisdom — not all forms of journaling have equal impact. There are three things that distinguish soul-down writing from regular journaling.
The first and foremost is intention. While hundreds of books and thousands of teachers extol the benefits of journaling, they rarely mention the critical first step — the thing you do before you pick up a pen: Set your intention. It is the energy of intention that puts everything in motion. When you begin with a clear intention to access the voice of spirit within, you let the universe know that you are ready to open two doors in your soul: the door into your deepest self and the gate to the divine. That's a powerful combination and an unmistakable message. And the universe responds — always. By setting your intention to open your soul to divine dialogue, you elevate the act of writing to a place regular journaling rarely goes.
The second difference is purpose. This kind of writing has a gentle structure and a singular focus. It is deeply, deeply personal. This kind of writing is about you, your life, your story, your concerns, your aspirations. It's about discovering and giving voice to the secrets buried deep in your soul. It's about asking questions until you uncover the questions you've never asked before. Its purpose is to deliver the guidance you need right now to live the life you are here to live. Write with that purpose in mind, and you will find a trail of answers, not just any answers - your answers.
And that's when you'll discover the third rather big distinction between soul-down writing and journaling: commitment. There's a rub in this kind of writing, a rub that takes it well beyond the self-exploration of normal journaling. The rub is: If you ask the universe for guidance and receive it, you are a bit beholden to do something with it. You can't hear the voice of spirit and then say, "Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll just keep doing things my way." Well, you can, but why? Why open that door in your soul and then pretend it isn't open? Why walk through that magical gate and then pretend you didn't? In soul-down writing you search the reaches of your heart, tell your story, ask your questions, hear your answers, receive your guidance, and ... well, what happens next is up to you.
Intention. Purpose. Commitment. Set your intention, write with a purpose, and make a commitment to use the wisdom received. Do all three, and you are no longer journaling — not in the usual sense. You may physically be writing in a journal, but you are writing in a different way. You are writing in and with and through your soul. You are connecting with spirit, asking heaven for guidance, and receiving it. You are opening yourself to the grace and gifts of the universe. You are changing your life.
Is this meditation?
That's the second question people ask. The answer could best be described as: "Yes and."
The Oxford English Dictionary says meditation is "the practice of profound spiritual or religious reflection or mental contemplation." Well, soul-down writing is certainly profound. And it is a spiritual practice. And it is probably the deepest reflection you've ever experienced. And your mind is totally engaged — but so are your heart and your soul and your body.
So, is this meditation? Yes and more. This kind of meditation meets you where you are right now, no matter what's on your mind. It supports you as you name your woes and lay them at God's feet. It is time with your best friend and the wisest counselor in the universe, rolled into one. This kind of meditation is an intimate, personal conversation that can't be explained or even really shared. But you know it's real, because there it is on the page — your own personal conversation with God.
Is it prayer?
That's the last question. And I don't see how the answer can be anything but yes. Because prayer is conscious connection with the divine. When you write this way, you are certainly conscious, although you are also "not conscious." By that I mean, you're not limited to the conscious level. As you write, you dive below the conscious to thoughts and feelings you didn't know you had, and soar above consciousness to experience real understanding, safety and peace. This kind of writing is definitely a connection. You quickly learn to recognize when you are in touch with something within yourself that is beyond yourself. Call it by any of the names we assign to the divine, or call it spirit, the one, the voice — call it whatever you want. The name isn't what matters. The point is that you know you are connected to something more.
So, is soul-down writing journaling? Yes, but something more. Is it meditation? Yes, but something different. Is it prayer? Yes, but a new kind. It is all these things and more. It is what happens when journaling becomes meditation becomes prayer.
What is writing down the soul? Perhaps we should not try so hard to answer the question. Because, in the end, each person has to find out for himself or herself. Your answer will not be mine. Your experience will not be the same as mine. And maybe that's just the way it should be.
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the author of the Spiritual Geography heart-healing series and is currently working on a new book, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," for Conari Press. The Spiritual Geography books are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Tell Janet about your Goodbye Season and your experiences with divine dialogue at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}.© copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.
Journaling, the world seems to agree, is a good thing. Pick a book — any book — in the self-improvement section of the bookstore, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't recommend journaling. Christina Baldwin started the trend in 1990 with "Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest." Next came Julia Cameron's classic, "The Artist's Way," with directions to write three "morning pages" a day to heighten creativity. A few years later, Sarah Ban Breathnach followed her best-selling "Simple Abundance" with "The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. Since then, it seems every blockbuster, from Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" to Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," arrives with a matching journal.
And don't think journaling is limited to the "soft" arenas. Search for "journal" at any online bookseller, and you'll find journals for everything from dating and diseases to weight control and wine tasting. Even the data-driven worlds of finance and business see the value of journaling. In "The Success Principles" (Collins, 2007), Jack Canfield, coauthor of the mega-bestselling "Chicken Soup" series and the nation's foremost success coach, recommends journal writing:
"Many people have their greatest success accessing intuitive information through journal writing. Take any question that you need an answer to and just start writing about it. Write down the answers to your question(s) as quickly as they come to you. You will be amazed at the clarity that can emerge from this process." (Page 320)
But — although all writing has the power to access inner wisdom — not all forms of journaling have equal impact. There are three things that distinguish soul-down writing from regular journaling.
The first and foremost is intention. While hundreds of books and thousands of teachers extol the benefits of journaling, they rarely mention the critical first step — the thing you do before you pick up a pen: Set your intention. It is the energy of intention that puts everything in motion. When you begin with a clear intention to access the voice of spirit within, you let the universe know that you are ready to open two doors in your soul: the door into your deepest self and the gate to the divine. That's a powerful combination and an unmistakable message. And the universe responds — always. By setting your intention to open your soul to divine dialogue, you elevate the act of writing to a place regular journaling rarely goes.
The second difference is purpose. This kind of writing has a gentle structure and a singular focus. It is deeply, deeply personal. This kind of writing is about you, your life, your story, your concerns, your aspirations. It's about discovering and giving voice to the secrets buried deep in your soul. It's about asking questions until you uncover the questions you've never asked before. Its purpose is to deliver the guidance you need right now to live the life you are here to live. Write with that purpose in mind, and you will find a trail of answers, not just any answers - your answers.
And that's when you'll discover the third rather big distinction between soul-down writing and journaling: commitment. There's a rub in this kind of writing, a rub that takes it well beyond the self-exploration of normal journaling. The rub is: If you ask the universe for guidance and receive it, you are a bit beholden to do something with it. You can't hear the voice of spirit and then say, "Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll just keep doing things my way." Well, you can, but why? Why open that door in your soul and then pretend it isn't open? Why walk through that magical gate and then pretend you didn't? In soul-down writing you search the reaches of your heart, tell your story, ask your questions, hear your answers, receive your guidance, and ... well, what happens next is up to you.
Intention. Purpose. Commitment. Set your intention, write with a purpose, and make a commitment to use the wisdom received. Do all three, and you are no longer journaling — not in the usual sense. You may physically be writing in a journal, but you are writing in a different way. You are writing in and with and through your soul. You are connecting with spirit, asking heaven for guidance, and receiving it. You are opening yourself to the grace and gifts of the universe. You are changing your life.
Is this meditation?
That's the second question people ask. The answer could best be described as: "Yes and."
The Oxford English Dictionary says meditation is "the practice of profound spiritual or religious reflection or mental contemplation." Well, soul-down writing is certainly profound. And it is a spiritual practice. And it is probably the deepest reflection you've ever experienced. And your mind is totally engaged — but so are your heart and your soul and your body.
So, is this meditation? Yes and more. This kind of meditation meets you where you are right now, no matter what's on your mind. It supports you as you name your woes and lay them at God's feet. It is time with your best friend and the wisest counselor in the universe, rolled into one. This kind of meditation is an intimate, personal conversation that can't be explained or even really shared. But you know it's real, because there it is on the page — your own personal conversation with God.
Is it prayer?
That's the last question. And I don't see how the answer can be anything but yes. Because prayer is conscious connection with the divine. When you write this way, you are certainly conscious, although you are also "not conscious." By that I mean, you're not limited to the conscious level. As you write, you dive below the conscious to thoughts and feelings you didn't know you had, and soar above consciousness to experience real understanding, safety and peace. This kind of writing is definitely a connection. You quickly learn to recognize when you are in touch with something within yourself that is beyond yourself. Call it by any of the names we assign to the divine, or call it spirit, the one, the voice — call it whatever you want. The name isn't what matters. The point is that you know you are connected to something more.
So, is soul-down writing journaling? Yes, but something more. Is it meditation? Yes, but something different. Is it prayer? Yes, but a new kind. It is all these things and more. It is what happens when journaling becomes meditation becomes prayer.
What is writing down the soul? Perhaps we should not try so hard to answer the question. Because, in the end, each person has to find out for himself or herself. Your answer will not be mine. Your experience will not be the same as mine. And maybe that's just the way it should be.
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the author of the Spiritual Geography heart-healing series and is currently working on a new book, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," for Conari Press. The Spiritual Geography books are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Tell Janet about your Goodbye Season and your experiences with divine dialogue at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}.© copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.