by David M. Ross, LCSW

Journaling is a powerful form of self-therapy and self-healing that engages us in shamanic right-left, right-left back and forth eye and hand/arm movement. All that is needed is pencil and paper and attention given to the emotional content of a distressing issue.

We often believe we need to seek out another—a therapist, counselor, priest and in the process overlook an opportunity to engage our own ability to heal. Many of us were raised to believe we need a “priest” to forgive and return us to the goodness of ourselves and God. To self heal is a powerful affirmation of our ability to heal, to forgive ourselves and remember that we are One with Source.

Here is an example of a recent self-healing journal entry and process:

I am in this moment searching for an important piece of awareness that brings me back from ‘life is a struggle’ to ‘life is a gift’.

I have had it before. It has to do with my sense of awe that in all the universe, in all the billions and billions of years of this universe I am here now.

But right now life feels like a struggle. Do I do this? Do I do that? Do I have this resource? Do I? Can I? Should I? Do I want to? Am I enough? Analysis paralysis. Confusion—fear—ego. The racing mind!

Serenity goes and peace escapes me. Gratitude for what? The big picture is lost and the small voice is no longer small. It feels big and real! Call it victim, call it powerless, call it fear, worry. Call it lack of discipline—a loss of me.

The time is now to call myself back—to reclaim the truth of who I am. What is the truth?

Focus! What is the truth?

Deep breath! Another and another.

Ego, you are not the truth! You are fear—subtle and not so subtle. You erode my serenity, my peace. You tell me all the ways there is limitation. You tell me fear is real.

No, ego! Fear is only real where danger is real. No, ego! Fear is not my ally.

My ally is to acknowledge the gift of life. I am here now alive on this great planet and alive at this precise moment in time—to acknowledge my true precious life and to see the big picture. To be grateful for being alive, to be grateful for this life—my life.

Grateful for the big and small:

To be free of pain right now.
To be free of illness right now.
To see the beautiful blue sky right now.
To be listening to the Moonlight Sonata right now.
To breathe freely right now.
To write these thoughts and return to gratitude.
To call myself back right now.

Thank you!
I am back—grateful to be back!