I truly believe that each of us has all the answers we need inside of us but how do we access that? If I was to sit down and try to access my “wisdom” all I’d hear would be thoughts, so I have a few tricks that help me side-step my overthinky brain and tap into the part of me that’s far wiser than the face I show the world. It starts with a piece of paper and a pen.
Without a doubt journaling is one of the fastest ways to get to know who you are on the inside. You can use paint and collage, write gratitude lists, use prompts and keep five-year diaries — and all of that is fantastic — but the method I return to again and again is the simple act of writing stuff down, stream-of-consciousness style, in a notebook. I write the date at the top of the page and then scribble down whatever is on my mind. It might end up being three pages of hormone-fuelled angst or a paragraph outlining an idea that came to me over breakfast. I don’t journal every day but I’ve made it my practice to check in with myself in my journal at least once a week, usually more. I don’t write anything particularly profound — most of my journaling reads like a messy brain dump.
However.
Getting into the habit of journaling — however that looks for you — is the doorway to accessing your inner wisdom. In that way it’s a bit like meditation: for the first few minutes after I’ve closed my eyes I’m like a dog trying to get into a comfortable position. My neck suddenly itches, my hands feel cramped. My head immediately fills with everything I must do and my monkey mind starts jumping around. But after a few minutes of letting myself settle, things quieten down and I can bring my focus to the mantra, if I have one, or I simply ‘sit back’ in my head and pay attention to the space inside me (best way I can describe it). If I’m lucky that’s the point when I start to feel more connected to the bigness of everything, but even if I don’t get there, I still feel calmer when I eventually open my eyes.
So if we translate that into journaling, first you get everything out of your head onto the page. Concerns, worries, half-baked ideas, preoccupations. He said this, she said that. The what ifs? The resolutions. Get it all out. And then keep writing. Start asking the questions and see what you come up with. Once I’ve dumped everything out of my brain I find it’s much easier to start looking at things from a different perspective. Sometimes I’ll keep my notebook by my side all day, adding more notes as they occur to me. What started as chaos in the morning might look very different by the evening.
Another journaling technique I use a lot is letter writing. You can write letters to people, places, things, feelings — anything and everything, really — but it’s especially powerful when you write a letter to yourself as yourself. Try writing a letter as your future self, one year older than you are now. Or five years older. Or as your 80-year-old self. What does she have to say? What clarity can she share about your current situation? I like to imagine that my future self knows a heck of a lot more about the world than I do, so when she writes me a letter I feel I’m accessing the part of me that’s wise and loving. Doesn’t matter that it’s the me of today who’s writing it — I’ll often read a letter back and wonder where did that come from?!
Checking in with my inner wisdom and intuition is how all my decisions and plans are made these days. We live in a noisy world filled with people telling us what to do and how to live but the fact is nobody knows YOU like you do. You are the ultimate authority on your inner and outer world but it can be hard to hear yourself think let alone listen to anything more subtle! And intuition is really beautifully subtle, so I’ve created a new course to help you not only hear your own inner wisdom but to act on it too. Think of it as your sense of knowing — just like your others senses it’s possible to strengthen your intuition through daily connecting and creative practices — and yes, journaling plays a big part in that!
Your Soul Speaks feels like the next evolution in my teaching. In all my courses I want to empower you to be able to know, trust and express yourself better. It’s time we tune in to ourselves to become fully empowered to steer our own ship. A world full of people who trusted and followed their inner guidance would be a world that changed overnight! And it starts with us.
The giveaway
To celebrate the launch of Your Soul Speaks I have six special journal packs up for grabs! Inside each pack is a gorgeous OLA journal, a copy of Project Calm magazine, a stick of palo santo and a pack of my absolute favourite incense.
There will be 12 winners in total — 6 peeps get a journal pack and a place in class PLUS! another six peeps will also get a place in class.
** If you win and you’ve already enrolled in class I will send you a refund! **
I’m happy to mail the packs anywhere in the world, so this giveaway is open to everyone.
How to play
You can enter up to five times in the following ways:
1. Leave a comment on this post sharing something that has already made you smile in 2018
2. Pinterest: Pin one of the images in this post (and include a link back to this post) then leave a comment saying you’ve pinned it
3. Instagram: Share any of the images in this post and include a link to my IG profile @SusannahConway and the hashtag #yoursoulspeakscourse (then leave a comment saying you’ve shared the pic)
4. Facebook: Share this post on Facebook (then leave a comment saying you’ve Facebooked it)
5. Twitter or anywhere else: Tweet/share this post with your peeps (then leave a comment saying you’ve tweeted/shared the post)
Comments will close on Friday February 23rd at 11:59pm GMT and I’ll contact the 12 winners on Saturday 24th (please make sure you type your email address carefully when leaving a comment) The winners have all been notifed x
Good luck and thanks for helping me spread the word about Your Soul Speaks! xo
I shared a pic on Instagram!
I shared a pic on Instagram!
@spartnachick74
shared on Facebook
What made me smile in 2018? – no matter what, thesun keeps shining.
I shared it on Facebook!
I just discovered a book which tells me that I can relearn writing with my left hand, after being forced to write with the right hand in school very early. I wonder if this is my soul speaking – I have such an urge to buy the book… and i am just smiling while I think about what this could mean for me… to come in better contact with myself and my body and my soul.
Reconnecting with my body by committing to a yoga practice and joining a local yoga studio has made me smile. Well, and my six grandchildren always make me smile, of course!
What made me smile already this year is all the fantastic support that’s given and received in my own Facebook group xxx
Things that have made me smile so far this year:
My chickens!! We have five: Henrietta, Thelma, Louise, Beans and Q-Tip. They live in a mobile coop in our backyard. Their quirky little faces and sounds never fail to light me up…and the eggs are a tremendous bonus!!
My birthday…I turned 52 in January and can totally relate to all the peri-menopause stuff. In the thick of it right now and long for others to walk with me through it…my birthday was quiet and sweet: cake, sparkly candles, a few gifts, time with my husband and sons.
Ordinary moments: sunrises, sunsets, frozen droplets on the leaves, a great book, time alone, a hot shower, a massage, making art, delicious coffee or soothing tea, roasted vegetables, snuggling with our cats, playing with the dog, hugging my sons who are taller than me now, kissing my husband, putting my cold feet on his to warm them up, the smell of campfires, evergreens and snow….so much to smile about and be grateful for, even when I am uncertain about many things.
I shared your post on Facebook, and would LOVE to win a place in this course. You feel like such a kindred spirit and I get a small thrill whenever I see your name in my inbox! <3
Last night a friend told me riotous stories of engagements and wedding ceremony snafus. Her points was how these blips on the screen of life smooth out. I smiled at the hilarity and also the blessing of having such an imperfectly beautiful experience. She didn’t quite understand what I meant, but I got it.
Every time I connect with the golden rays of sun setting down, I smile with all of my being. It is the true connectednes that I feel in those happy moments.
Thank you so much for the opportunity ?
The word I chose for 2018 has made me smile everyday! Nourishment. For my body, mind, and soul. ?
Just tweeted! :)
Totally facebooked it :D
I pinned the post!
Tweeted! Such a fabulous opportunity, thank you!!
This is so amazing! Journaling is my #1 love. All of your cat posts make me smile – we just brought in a feral kitten which makes our indoor brood 4 now. We’re still feeding her mom and brother outdoors, and sometimes Papa if he comes around. Total animal rescuers [read suckers].
I shared this on my biz FB page: https://www.facebook.com/JournaluJournals/
pinned it here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/226728162474892254/
As much as I would love to win, I hope someone who really needs to learn how to journal wins this giveaway. Journaling has been such a huge help in my life – I’ve been keeping one since I was 5 and I’m 48 now. I love when people connect to it!
Shared on Facebook.
My dog loves to sleep in her dog bed. Upside down, totally relaxed, legs splayed open, oblivious to the world. Makes me smile every time it is sooooo un-dog like :)
I shared it on facebook
I pinned the first picture.
What has made me smile so far in 2018? Seeing the lunar eclipse. My cats getting along and sleeping on the bed together (we’ve been working towards that for a year now). Chicken hugs when I go to check on my girls. Little green shoots in the garden where the daffodils are planted. Dark chocolate melting on my tongue. The quiet of the house in the early morning when everyone else is sleeping and it’s just me, my tea, and my journal.
… and tweeted. ?
What made me smile this year – my garden and the birdlife that visits it. Discovering the book, The Secret Ways of Perfume.
My 8 years old partner’s nephew saying he wants to come on holidays to Italy with us (which is where I am originally from) made me smile of pure joy! I am an only child and I just love I have found a way to be the cool auntie I have always thought I could be <3
I smiled the other night when I could hear my cat meowing downstairs while I was upstairs taking a long bath. After getting no response from me after a solid 5 minutes of meowing, she came upstairs and continued her very heart-felt pleading for me to to pay attention to her. After getting out and following her back downstairs…I discovered that all she wanted was her favorite treat; the other treats and food that were already out for her just weren’t enough. My lesson from her was to ask life for what you really want…and don’t stop asking.
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/francescoal/your-soul-speaks/
I have pinned it. Good luck!
This has me smile every day since January 16…I have a darling new granddaughter and I will be flying out to meet her in less than 2 weeks. I feel so blessed and I am quite sure that I will be smiling the rest of the year!
Something that made me smile yesterday was a big snow storm that made everything beautiful and an evening cross country ski in my snow covered neighborhood with my sweetheart.??
Pinned the course information!
My husband Noel helping me through my health issues, my Dad coming up to be with me while I’m sick, My Family and My gorgeous chocolate labradors Max and Loki ?
My wonderful wife makes me smile every day. Even when I’m having the crappiest of days, she finds a way to make me smile.
Also, I found a wellness plan that (I hope) will work for me! In fact, I booked a trip to Las Vegas to attend a conference for it! And a very dear friend of mine is also going. It’s great to have a buddy in this with me — and she makes me smile and laugh all the time!
My daughter makes me smile every day. Silly things she says, her jokes, her facial expressions.
Pinned it!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142989356903442654/
Shared on IG!
Happy to share this good news on Facebook.
Facebooked it!
Dancing with my husband under the beautiful night skies, for new years.
What made me smile –> hearty and wholesome home cooked meals that reminds me of my gran whom I love very much.
Tweeted it!
Hello Susannah,
What made me smile 2018 was taking your Daily Guidance, diving a bit deeper into the cards, and start painting my own Tarot deck. I’ve got 3 done so far (The Moon, Princess of Swords, and The Sun), and only 75 to go!
I’ve also shared this on Facebook. How is this different than Journaling Your Life?
Thanks and Lots of Love!
Lucy
Thank you for the opportunity to possibly win one of these great prizes. I had a moment of Joy in 2018 when attending a performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hubby and I went out to eat beforehand and took a winter walk between restaurant and venue. I pinned your post and tweeted it, so count me as 3 chances. Hoping to win! Thank you.
I’m pregnant with my first baby. A boy, due June 1st!! ?
Hi, My cat had to have a teeth taken off after a fight (with another cat, not with me !) at the end of december. But once he was to the vet having his surgery, the vet had to extract not one, but 5 teeth. Now, after the recovery, he is so much calm and patient but, he do really funny “smiles” and makes me laugh all the time.
Slowing down and re-committing to alone time. Even when, and especially when, life gets full.
Posted in all the places!
Pinterest: https://pin.it/viaf5itlebtlmb
Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/Be9AclZAR9m/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/corianderwolf/posts/10155427725207183
Twitter: https://twitter.com/corianderwolf/status/961733131702239232
Susannah, ’tis you who is making me smile right now : ) !!! You are such an inspiration to me – my heart, mind, and soul are warmed by your creative spirit! 2018 has also brought me a quiet, inner smile that knows: everything will be okay…
Can’t wait to “see” you in class!
I’m off to share the love…
It is winter where I live, and I love the soft pale light of winter – definitely have smiled many many times on my walks in the fresh cold air
Shared with comment and link on Instagram!
Shared on Facebook!
Shared with comment and link on Twitter!
Shared with comment and link on Pinterest!
I shared on Facebook. Now I cross my fingers. :)
Tweeted!
Shared with comment and link on Google+, Tumblr, and WordPress!
I had my makeup and photos done for my website today. This is the first time I’ve had my makeup done professionally, and I’m in my 40’s! It was great, now to come up with an excuse to go do it again. ;)
Pinned and Facebooked!
https://www.pinterest.ca/jlmatus25/self-care/
Yay! So excited for this new class.
I’ve shared the post on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter.
One thing that’s made me smile this year is finding a new trail, that’s within walking distance of my home, to explore with my dog! :-)
My twin sister made me smile! We live in different cities and she came to visit me for New Year’s. It was such a nourishing visit and I loved being able to kick off 2018 with her. :)
I’ve posted on Facebook.
I’ve posted on Pinterest
Something that made me smile this year – the rain after the drought, the sun after the rain.
One thing that has made me smile this year is the unwavering support of my friends when I’ve needed them most :)
Pinned, Insta-ed and Facebooked! Done.
What’s made me smile this year is the way the streets glow on a foggy night from the moon and the streetlights. Also made me smile was a photo shoot with my 6 month old great niece.
Posted to Pinterest.
Early last year I planted a few small container of flowers on my front porch. It quickly ignited a full blown pollinating garden in my small city scape front yard and porch. I planned to expand it this spring and worried about the loss of it’s beauty and bumblebees (I fell in love with them!) during the winter. That small container garden brought an unbelievable amount of inspiration and insight. It inspired me to draw again and slowly a Nature Journal became a part of my morning routine. And she must have felt my worried heart because this winter has been unlike any other that I”ve experienced. No winter blues and lots of winter walks and trips to my local botanical gardens, which stayed open until 10 at night and was lit the f’UP! with glowing lights. Sparkle. Nature and the full moon, my kinda of night! In a series of untraceable moments, I learned of a Botanical Illustration program at the garden. I enrolled in a basic class. I then enrolled in three other classes and decided to listen to my heart and go for it! I officially enrolled and am now pursing a botanical illustration certificate! I did not see that coming ever! Amazing how one simple act can set change into motion. This is what makes being alive exciting! You never know what will come into your life because of your small choices. :) TOTALLY MAKES ME SMILE!
1. I was playing with my cat the other night, twirling this red string that she is obsessed with. Her face was turned toward me as she was “hunting”–and it made me smile and laugh out loud to see her intensity and seriousness and obsession as she stalked that piece of red string. Love her!
2. Pinned it!
3. Shared on Instagram!
4. Shared on Facebook!
5. Shared on Twitter!
Shared across the webs, including Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest!!
New love has made me smile this year…laughter, smiles & giggles!!!
A big smile when our great granddaughter age 7 came home and told her Grandma (I’m her great grandma) “I saw Grandma Jean and she hugged me, she had on a pretty dress and glasses.” This is a vision of my Mother who passed away when she was 3!! We are not only smiling but jumping for joy! She said she told her teacher and she said “I wish I could see my Grandma and get a hug.” We were amazed because some teachers and adults would go right to “were you dreaming? are you telling me a lie? Did you make that up? but NO she validated our granddaughter and I am filled with Happy, Happy. I have you on my Facebook Susannah and looking forward to another wonderful class with you.
Teeeted and shared!
Facebook shared!
Something that’s made me smile: my amazing friendships. I’m deeply blessed by the wonderful women in my life :)
My darling dog who encourages me to get off my butt and walk the neighborhood! Smiles every day!
I cannot help smiling every time my little canine companion of 13years+ is more than happy to stay true to herself when she is enjoying her present moment experiences in the yard and is oblivious to my bidding for her to come and attend to my needs (desiring of a cuddle). Lots of wisdom to be shared by our faithful companions if only we open our eyes to see all the myriad of ways they smile in our life. Time enough for cuddles later undoubtedly.
What has made me smile in 2018?
Waking up every morning. yup really.
Feeding the birds. (and by default the squirrels)
The Winter Olympics. Inspiring!
and of course this…..Thank you for the opportunity!
karen
healwithkaren@gmail.com
Birthing my baby, firstly and secondly, now enjoying her has put the biggest smile on my face – more than I can ever imagine. A fresh start to a new year.
*Facebook shared!
Pinned! <3
saved to my board "The Journey" where I keep lessons of inspiration
Shared the pic on Instagram.
Thinking of my granddaughters!
and….Facebooked …is that a verb?
Facebooked it on my biz page :)
facebooked it (yes, it seems to be a new verb) and forgot to post my email address here: kerstinpilz@yahoo.com
What made me smile already this year is …… my creative muse came to play. Many more smiles coming this year.
FBed and IGed.
Thank you Sasannah.
What made me smile today was the sight of my hubbie dressed up in patchwork to apply primer to a problem area in some little buildings we are renovating!
Kathy C.
Artist + Soul Reader
http://KathyCrabbe.com
I also just shared this giveaway in my Facebook Group: Temecula Artist’s Circle!
Hugs!
Kathy C.
Artist + Soul Reader
http://KathyCrabbe.com
I just shared this on Pinterest and Twitter too :)
What has made me smile so far in 2018: Seeing my daughter’s first smile and realizing all the long nights and exhaustion (and everything else to come with motherhood) are so worth it.
I have been wanting to take up running for ages, but couldn’t find the motivation. The other day at work, my coworker mentioned how she wanted to get back into running, and even do a 5K. Now I have a running buddy, and we’re planning on doing a 5K this spring!
I shared it on all platforms listed! I’m private everywhere though so I don’t think you can see it.
One of the things that’s made me smile this year is our sweet calico barn kitty finally trusts us enough to come inside. She is currently sleeping curled up right by my side right now. Ahhhhh kitty snuggles!
I still smile when I think of the visit me and my two cousins made to a “dispensary” for the first time last week. Three bad ass women (62, 66 and 56) buying arthritis balm at the medical marijuana shop. Maybe too racy for this blog but it does make me smile ?.
It is legal where I live.
What made me smile in 2018 was the perfect yoga teacher training dumped right in my lap with no time to say no. And my home yoga practice with the lights low in the quiet evenings.
Pinned too! :)
A new tiny garden in front of my house, with a bird bath and some weeping willows. I love it! And it has made me smile every day because it’s bringing all the birdlife back to the yard. There’s even a ritual ‘pool party’ for the sparrows and finches at around 5.30 each evening – it’s just great.
My one year old’s big proud smile as he pushes his walker around the house is infectious!
So many things to smile about. Watching my kids grow in confidence as we travel. ??
Facebooked
Instagrammed
What made me smile in 2018? Making time for art most days; and my goddess project for 2018. :)
Pinned!
Pinned and posted on Instagram!
I love how closely your experiences mirror my own. Thank you. :)
The last few years have been full of a lot of grief. In fact, that is how I found you… Your book, in the library, while I was melting in puddles of tears and searching for a way through that hell, was one saving grace. This year, my word is triumph, and I smile a whole lot. I make a conscious effort to do so, because every one feels hard-earned. Today, my dog, my kids, the hyacinths poking up through the dirt, and my husband’s silly puns all made me smile.
Shared on Pinterest here https://za.pinterest.com/pin/196469602478252316/ :-) Such a beautiful course my lovely Susannah. Can’t wait!
Shared on Instagram and Facebook!! Cant wait!! ?
Facebooked….then Tweeted! (She’s on fire ?)
It is still below zero here BUT the sun is shining…smile, smile, smile!
-Lynn
Makes me smile my husband standing on an ice jam also my fb cover
Shared on Facebook