Mark Ballard

📖 Exactly 6 months ago, I embarked on my daily journaling journey, marked by a deliberate intention that has brought forth profound insights and lessons. And so, I'd love to share some reflections on my practice of journaling with you.

Like running, journaling has become a way to navigate the complexities of my life. As I open to a blank page, I create a space of inward stillness amidst all the noise, and can begin to feel into new perspectives of my experiences.

And also like running, getting started is challenging, and patience is needed before any benefits are appreciated. Unlike running, journaling consistently and with deep intention is oh so much more difficult. Its benefits are directly proportional to my capacity to embrace truths about myself without running away. This urge to run away takes the form of seeking a distraction, and any distraction can seem awfully attractive sometimes. However, this time around, I have a renewed appreciation of the power of journaling as a daily practice for stabilizing the turbulence of life.

Journaling is a practice that slows the pace of my life, allowing me to pause, notice my inner world, and reflect on the discovery of profound insights—a quiet, gentle wisdom connecting my life to the universe's divine essence.

It's now a mindfulness ritual, my journal my constant companion, ready whenever the urge to write arises. Each entry starts with a grounding of my breath, a reminder of being fully present in the moment, mirroring the rhythm of my running practice —steady, sometimes challenging, always propelling me forward.

In its pages, I reflect on gratitude, kindness, acceptance, growth, emotional awareness, and healing. Particularly during these trying times, with a world feeling harsh and hearts growing lonely, I'm inspired to share my journey. It emphasizes the importance of compassion and empathy, for we never know who may need it most. So let’s be kind to each other and cultivate more love. Let’s do this.
Pause
Notice
Reflect