An Investment: Writing Your Truth

Just begin. Getting your thoughts and ideas down on paper starts the process of knowing your own truth. A time investment of just five minutes can help you “dump” immediate stresses. Writing it down is part of your natural ability that can be nurturing, even indulgent when you can move beyond the fear of the inner critic. There are no certain skills required beforehand to write your life-map seasoned with your own unique twists and turns.

Don’t subscribe to the preconceived idea and the stigmas associated with personal writing. It is not necessary to write every day or tell every detail. But if you prefer to log only the facts of your daily agenda, you will miss out on some of the journaling magic. The journey to goal setting and self-discovery will be overlooked. You will get better results when you write because your moods and thoughts guide you to action, knowing that the time invested will pay off when you strive to write more often for longer periods of time.

Most people find great satisfaction when it comes to finding solutions for their lifestyle with diet and exercise. You pay attention to what is good for you and may even join a gym. Yet, when it comes to the core of who you really are with thoughts and feelings, you often minimize or distract yourself. Start today and challenge yourself by writing for just five minutes. Don’t worry about what you don’t say or the perfect way to phrase it; just write the words as they come naturally. It will be an investment you may never regret.

What you think has value.

Many times, expectations are placed on what you think you “should” write when it is really about being comfortable with your own truth. This is your story the way you see it. Allow it to be that. The way you felt yesterday about your boss, your mother or your spouse may be different today because time lessened the anger. That’s okay. Whatever you think and feel is about giving yourself permission to just be you.

By picking up a pen and allowing the words to flow freely just as you think them is known as stream of consciousness. This is the most common form of personal writing. The actual act of writing slows down the brain process in order to provide the subconscious thoughts to come forward. This is a great reason to start writing. Most likely, you will discover the thoughts you began with turn into something else entirely. This is an added bonus for writing it down.

When I offer the opportunity for someone to learn seventeen targeted writing techniques for overall life management, people often look bewildered. A common response is, “Isn’t all you have to do is just sit down and write?” The truth is when you write only stream of consciousness, you only have one avenue available to you with problem solving. Many times, you may find the same questions asked repeatedly without solutions or you may be writing the same mistakes over and over without getting anywhere.

Stream of consciousness, or free writing, is a great start when you have the urge to just “get it out.” Many wonderful unexpected thoughts find their way to paper. At one time or another, there has been a time or event in your life that needed exactly what stream of consciousness has to offer.

Think of other benefits that could be gained by learning several targeted writing skills. Your possibilities are limitless. By investing the time to learn specific problem solving solutions with yourself, your relationships, your dreams and life’s dilemmas, you will soon discover options available to you and never find yourself stuck. It’s the difference between doing your best without determining the outcome and having a detailed road map to get you there.

Cherokee Ottesen
CEO/Certified Instructor

Phone: 919-363-6380
Cell: 919-649-9399
PO Box 894
Cary, NC 27512

Email Cherokee

The Write Weight by Cherokee Ottesen

A powerful tool is available to you when you choose to combine weight loss and journaling. It is human nature to move towards wholeness and growth. We start by taking inventory of our current attitudes and situation. How do you feel about the way you look in the mirror? What changes would have to take place to get you started? By finding out how you feel presently, you will be able to see adjustments that need to be made in order to proceed.

If knowledge is power, then guidance is the key. When you take the tiny steps toward your goal of losing weight, your body will respond. Here are some facts to ponder. Did you know that erratic eating confuses the body and wreaks havoc on your metabolism? When you choose this behavior, 95% of all calories will be absorbed by the body. Yet, inherently, each of our bodies has the ability to absorb only 75%. According to Diet Directive, overweight people do not chew their food enough so they produce too little saliva. This means the stomach is being forced to overwork. An overworked stomach then stretches. Portion control is recommended because the digestive enzymes work best with smaller quantities. When these enzymes are outnumbered, digestion is short-circuited which leads to weight gain.

In my case, a weight gain of over eighty pounds lingered with me after the birth of my first, then second child. I felt hopeless knowing I had so far to go and made subconscious excuses not to begin. It had nothing to do with lack of knowledge. Those three simple words called “diet and exercise” were easier said than to obtain. As a Certified Instructor through the Center for Journal Therapy based on the work of Kathleen Adams, I knew the targeted writing techniques would direct me to the place I aspired to be within as well as outwardly.

Writing gives you access to the different dimensions of how you see yourself. By learning seventeen strategic techniques, you are going to be able to use writing as a tool for self empowerment and become your own visionary. You can start by writing quickly for five minutes utilizing your own wisdom regarding food. That word alone has several meanings so just start with some facts. An example may be “I know there are good sugars and bad sugars.” This will help reveal your knowledge and attitudes you currently have. Don’t stop until time is up. You may even use a kitchen timer to see what you come up with in a short amount of time, and you may be amazed.

A previous participant once revealed that by utilizing the captured moment technique (like a freeze frame in time), she was able to identify core reasons from her past to unlock her personal power. She stated by letting go of some of the old ideas such as eating everything on her plate, she could plant the seed for a new willingness towards weight loss. Knowing she could get the answers she was searching for and which one of the seventeen methods would lead her there allowed awareness beyond just dumping random thoughts.

There is much to be gained when combining the elements of a weight loss journaling series. The tools are available for you to be able to track your cycles, patterns and trends. You can find support with others and keep a record for the future. You will learn new ways to write so that you never feel stuck. Discover how to identify food, self image, weight management facts and prompts to new awareness. First we must begin to see our lives as possible, positive and with unlimited potential.

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