Do you believe in signs, sis?
I do. In fact, if you’ve been rocking with me for a while, you’ll know that-
God tends to speak to me in repetition. For example in my last blog post I said:
“Unresolved personal trauma can thwart your purpose- especially in business. This is why it’s super important to find the source and cut it out at the root for the sake of healing”
Then I got confirmation of this via a post from my girl Destiny “The Prayerpist” Thomas:
That let’s me know that this is a topic that needs to be explored further
If you grew up anything like me, then you were taught that the best way uproot the effects of personal trauma is through prayer and/or fasting
Which is something that we see Esther, who was also mentioned in my previous blog post, do in Esther 4:15-17
However, this year I’ve really been led to add journalling into my repetoire as well
Here’s a little bit of insight into how I do it and why:
#1 Journalling gives clarity
If you’re anything like me, when you’re feeling #allthefeels it can be hard to unpick all your thoughts in order to actually articulate them. With that being the case, how are you even supposed to pray? I find that writing your feelings down is a great way to gain that clarity so that you can communicate with God and anyone else who can help you move forward.
#2 Journalling helps you get to the root of your issues
One of the common remarks that I get from people about journalling is “I have no idea where to begin”. Others cringe at the idea of keeping a diary like a teenager.
Trust me, I get it. That’s why I tend to use “the 5 whys” technique when journalling. If we continue to use Esther as an example, before she decided to fast, she might have journalled:
I feel scared
she would then ask herself “why?” in which case she might say
My uncle wants me to go and speak to the king (my husband) uninvited
Asking herself “why?” again, she might write:
I might be able to help save us and my people but there’s a decree that says that people who try to speak to him univited are to be put to death
And she would keep going, asking herself why at least 5 times, until she got to the root of her fear and found the solution to moving passed it.
#3 Journalling is a form of self-care
Sundays are my self-care days; so this is essentially what I do every week either:
Picking up from my last journal entry (by asking myself “why?” of course)
Starting to tackle a new train of thought that may have popped up during the week etc
so that I can reap the benefits mentioned below.
#4 Journalling helps us to go from trauma to triumph
3rd John 3:2 says “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”. This is basically the Biblical version of what I was saying before- it’s important to heal because unresolved personal trauma stops you prospering emotonally, mentally, physically and, yes, financially. This is why I would suggest working it into your current self-care routine or creating one around it because, to summarise Lauryn Hill, you won’t win if you’re not right within. Like any goal worth going for, this takes time, consistency, intentionality and so on.
Want more tips on journalling and how it can set you up for business success (especially re networking and PR)?
Press play to hear my discussion with my girl, Tiwa King, during her recent “Mummy and Me: Bitesize” session
I come on at the 5:10 mark, if you want to skip straight to it