Journal Share: From My Journal

Episode Summary

In this heartfelt and introspective episode, Carla Reeves shares snippets from her personal journals, offering a raw and honest glimpse into her journey of navigating doubts, fears, inspiration, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. She highlights the transformative power of journaling as a tool to uncover clarity, find courage, and align with one's deepest values. Carla also shares her insights on how journaling, paired with the guidance of a trained coach, can lead to lasting growth and meaningful change.

Key Takeaways:

1. Journaling as a Tool for Growth:
   • Journaling creates a space for self-reflection, emotional release, and connecting with deeper wisdom.
   • Writing down thoughts can help process emotions and navigate life's challenges.
2. Themes from Carla’s Journal Snippets:
   • Overcoming Self-Doubt: Facing inner voices that question one's calling and abilities.
   • Navigating Stress and Fear: Embracing courage to move past fears and uncertainties.
   • Staying Aligned with Purpose: Listening for wisdom beyond oneself and staying committed to meaningful work.
   • The Role of Faith: Relying on God’s presence for guidance, strength, and clarity.
   • Focus and Simplicity: Prioritizing faith and presence over stress and over-strategizing.
3. The Power of Sharing Journals:
   • Sharing journal entries, even anonymously, helps others see themselves in the stories of others.
   • Having a trained coach respond to journal entries adds depth and perspective to the self-reflection process.
4. Encouragement for Listeners:
   • Journaling can help uncover answers and wisdom already within you.
   • Support from a coach or guide can amplify the impact of journaling and personal growth efforts.

Resources Mentioned:

• Upcoming Class:
  • Journaling for Growth Workshop
  • Date: January 22nd
  • Limited spaces available.
  • Sign up link in the show notes.
• Personal Growth Toolkit:
  • Explore Carla's curated resources and tools for journaling, coaching, and personal development at CarlaReeves.com.
• Quote Reference:
  • “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” - 2 Timothy

Sign Up for

Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast

Go to https://carlareeves.com/freeclass to get The Class schedule, sign up, and/or pass it on to a friend. Each month is a new topic. Come hang out and learn with us for FREE!
Go to https://www.carlareeves.com/getunstuck.com to download Carla's on demand journaling workshop + exercise to help you stop spinning and start moving forward.

Explore Coaching with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching

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Thank you for listening!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently. Whether you feel stuck in survival, navigating a change or seeking more for your life, may this podcast be your weekly nudge to take a risk to build a life that is uniquely bold, authentic and in alignment with your deepest values. What if you worried less about the bumps in the road and instead got equipped for the journey? Get ready to rethink what's possible. Welcome back to another episode of Differently. Today's episode comes right from my journal. We're doing something a little differently. I want to share some snippets from my own journal and talk you through these important ways that journaling can help you achieve your deepest desires.

Speaker 1: 0:51

This past year, I started training guides to work inside of my interactive coaching dashboard, where you can journal with a trained guide on the other side that's there to coach you in getting out of your own way, helping you challenge your own thinking, and they're on the other side of your journal, so you're not alone in your journal and in training them. We would take some journals and we would read those journals together. Journals and we would read those journals together, and I was really wowed and reminded of the honor that it is to read a client's journal and be invited into a snapshot of their life, a part of their life that they may not even be sharing with anyone else, and this is truly an honor, and it's inspired me so much that I want to bring some new episodes to the podcast this year, where I share anonymous journals with you, solely with permission, to let you get a glimpse into what I see, because we can all see our own story inside of the story of another, and that is the power of reading someone else's journal. So I knew, if I wanted to share this with you this year, that it was really important to lead with some of my own journals, and that's what we're going to do today. So I'm going to share some snippets from my journals and, as a coach, I believe in the power of raw honesty, because when we're willing to be honest with ourselves and with God is when true change occurs, and that's why I'm going to share some of these reflections with you.

Speaker 1: 2:42

These pages capture my own moments of doubt, fear, questioning, inspiration, emotions that we all navigate on this life journey. And warning, these are going to. My thoughts are choppy, my journaling is choppy, and so that's how these are going to sound to you, I'm sure, but this is how I journal, and these are just snippets from my journal, so I'm the first one that I'm going to read is titled Do you ever question the path you're on? Does fear, doubt and confusion show up for you and derail your best efforts? This snippet is about that. So this is my journal.

Speaker 1: 3:24

Forgive me for getting off track. I find it hard to find balance from going too hard and then too light. And then there's that voice in my head that tries to make me think I don't really have a calling, I'm not equipped. And yada, yada, yada slay the mental dragons, make them flee God. I want to be obedient. I will keep moving forward. I promise to follow. Doubt, fear and confusion go away. You aren't needed here at this moment. You aren't ever needed in this mission, unless it's from God to point me in a new direction.

Speaker 1: 4:02

Side note on this little entry that I have always felt like my work is a calling and I also have the Clifton strength if you're familiar with those of responsibility that I sometimes take too far and you can hear in this journal like I desire to honor this call in my life and I also get tripped up along the way a lot trying to get it right. Can you relate to any of that? Okay, journal snippet number two, titled Hello, stress. I feel emotional today. I'm not sure what's happening. All this build up and then what? Will anyone like it, try it, allow it to impact their life, or will there be crickets? What if people don't get it? All the fears, one by one, come marching in. But what about the courage? Can't it come marching in too? That's my job to lead the change, to lead the charge with courage and new thoughts, thoughts I've cultivated for a long time. Why aren't they always at my fingertips? I teach this stuff day in and day out, and sometimes it feels like they all run away right when I need them the most.

Speaker 1: 5:17

In this entry, you can hear my fear again. You can hear my angst of being an entrepreneur. Sometimes I get tired, sometimes doing new things and sharing new things and plugging along and doing the next brave thing. Sometimes it's tiring and sometimes it's discouraging, and some days are like this. The next one is about staying in step and listening for wisdom that's bigger than you, and this is truly what keeps me going and guides me along the way.

Speaker 1: 5:50

Here's the snippet. Something is stirring me yesterday and tonight, and that's why I can't sleep. God is reminding me to act swiftly, be courageous, move, be relentless in quieting the mind and step forward, finishing what he has called me to do. Time is of the essence. Don't wait, don't hem and haw. Stay in the flow. And these journals like this are just honestly. I sit down and I write, and it's just listening and remembering, remembering the things that I truly know deep down in my heart and soul, because sometimes the mind not sometimes all the time the mind is trying to derail us. The mind gets super noisy and we need to get quiet. This is our superpower in this life to get quiet, to connect with God and to hear wisdom that's much, much bigger than we are.

Speaker 1: 6:47

Okay, the next one is about where to focus. So journaling helps us to get out of our head and tap into that deeper wisdom, and for many of us, it's hard to slow down, to listen, and this is the very thing that we need to do, because that's where we have access to the things that we truly, truly want, and in this entry I'm referencing a book that I was reading it is the presence of God that changes us, it is the presence of God that empowers us, it's the presence of God that enables us to change the nature of where we are. It is the presence of God that makes all the difference that we cannot make on our own, even with all of our best efforts. It is the presence of God that makes all the difference that we cannot make on our own, even with all of our best efforts. The one need of our life is the presence of God. I will be with you. That's from the Bible. In essence, god is saying to Moses I know you feel inadequate, I know you feel like you don't have what it takes to accomplish the impossible assignment, but I will be with you and that is enough. The one irrepressible need in our life is the presence of God. Moses internalizes this lesson for the rest of his life. This becomes the number one priority the pursuit of the presence of God. Quotes. That was from the book.

Speaker 1: 8:01

This is my journal. I love this so much. This is my mission too, because when I get in my head and I try to strategize and figure it all out on my own, it creates stress, confusion and overwhelm. That when I show up and pray and focus and listen, god shows up and everything happens with greater ease than a joy. I love this so much. This is my mission too, because when I get in my head and try to strategize and figure it all out on my own, it creates stress, confusion and overwhelm. When I show up and I pray and I focus and I listen, god shows up and everything happens with greater ease. It is that simple. If I focus on one thing, the rest falls into place with more richness than I could ever imagine.

Speaker 1: 8:49

So sometimes I'm journaling because I've read something and it's stirred my heart and soul and I write in my journal like what does that mean for me today? Well, how do I interpret that for my life? Okay, the next one is about courage to take action and stay the course. I wrote this in my journal over and over again this year to remind me left to my own thinking and devices, I will derail myself, for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and sound mind.

Speaker 1: 9:23

Second Timothy I think that sound mind 2 Timothy. I think that's 2 Timothy 2. I can't read my writing. This is the goal, this is the stretch, this is the mantra Get out of the way, let God do a new thing here. That's the end of my journal entry, and a lot of times you can see, I'm just processing through my own natural feelings and emotions, as I'm committed to fulfilling something in my life and continuing on this path of my life's work. So what you see here is the natural ebb and flow of growth, the questioning, the uncertainty and yes, the moments of getting stuck and off track, and they're all part of the journey. What matters most isn't the absence of doubt, but our willingness to keep showing up, to keep seeking direction and to stay committed to what truly matters.

Speaker 1: 10:17

So throughout the year, I'm going to share more journal entries on the show, demonstrating how we work with our clients through journaling to create lasting change, because having someone else on the other side of your journal to give you perspective, to help you see beyond your own limiting beliefs, is so powerful in the journey of growth. If that's what you're up to and I hope that you can see here too, that we believe that the answers are within you and we're here to help you find them. And you can see, even in just reading some of my journal snippets here, that I was able to find wisdom, I was able to find courage, I was able to find what I needed to focus on, and I believe journaling is a powerful tool for getting clarity and direction in your life. There is power in journaling and even more when getting clarity and direction in your life. There is power in journaling and even more when you share it with a coach or a guide, someone that's trained to help you. So if you're feeling ready to explore journaling as a tool for growth this year, or you're ready to create some big, lasting, real change in your life, I want you to know that we have reimagined our suite of offers and tools to support you on the journey class, which we're going to have our first one on January 22nd.

Speaker 1: 11:40

Space is limited. You can see the link in the show notes to sign up. Or you're looking for a dashboard to manage your life and your mind differently, or maybe you're ready to kick off the year and create some real, foundational change. We have a deep dive. All in all, it's a toolbox for living your life and we've got you covered, so we would love to support you. You can explore the full menu of offerings at CarlaReevescom. Think of it as your personal growth toolkit, carefully curated to really help you move from surviving to thriving. So remember you don't have to figure it all out on your own. Sometimes the bravest thing to do is to get some support so you can get out of being stuck and move forward intentionally.

Speaker 1: 12:26

Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for listening. If you haven't left a review of the podcast, can I please ask you to go do that? That helps us share this show with more people. And until next week, I'm Carla Reeves and this is Differently. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Differently. It's been an honor to share this conversation with you. You know, one of the keys to living fully is to take action when you're inspired to do so. I hope you found that spark of inspiration today and would you help us spread the word. Did someone you know come to mind while you were listening? If this episode could impact someone you know, please share it and pass it along. New episodes drop weekly, so tap that subscribe button and join us next time as we continue to challenge the status quo and get equipped to live life differently.