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Posts Tagged ‘yourself’

Micro Journaling – Current Journal

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Current Journal

I saw this idea first on Elise Blaha’s blog and I fell in love immediately. Apparently, the first to start the awesome “Currents” movement is talented Tina Aszmus – kudos to her.

The idea of micro journaling is just perfect for someone who likes to record everyday life but feels overwhelmed about it [Me. Me. Me].

One of my favorite things is going over old journals and reliving the days I took the time to record.

One of my deepest regrets is getting rid of the journal I’ve had all through high school and through law school. I mostly wrote bad things in it. Bad experiences. I think most of it was filled with teen unrequited love (I believe that goes hand in hand with being a teenager).

At the time I got rid of it I thought it will be therapeutic to get rid of all the harsh memories and concentrate on all the happiness and loveliness I have in my life. But in retrospective, I do regret throwing it away, because it seems like I have thrown away parts of my life. Not to mention that some of my best writing was manifested there.

Anyhow, let bygones be bygones. [and it’s not like I can unearth it from the dumpster in Dublin]

This mini journal was so easy to make and I printed it on the back side of some OLD [even ancient] patterned papers. I got hooked on the idea of printing on patterned paper after I saw one of my workshop’s member, Mandy do that – amazingly! The only difference is that I printed mine on the back side of the pages and Mandy used double sided papers and printed her pages on the pattern.

Tools & Supply

  • Word processing software (I’m not providing a printable, because it isn’t an original idea of mine)
  • Old patterned paper
  • Recycled cardboard
  • Crop-a-dile
  • Binding rings
  • Chipboard letter stickers [mine are from Making Memories “5th Avenue” collection that I bought a while back]

How To

  1. Create a 4″ by 6″ page with your regular word processing software (make sure the page settings are set to the right size for easy printing) where you make a list of the categories you want to record
  2. Cut all your extra paper to 4″ by 6″ pieces (6 pieces out of each 12 by 12 sheet, unless you discard parts that have the company’s logo on it)
  3. Feed your cut paper through your printer, the same way you put a 4″ by 6″ photo paper in it to print photos.
  4. Cut 2 thicker 4″ by 6″ pieces for the cover. I used corrugated cardboard.
  5. Punch hols for the binding (or use any binding system that you love using).
  6. Bind all the pages together with binding rings or ribbon.
  7. Write. Write. Write. [Just put it on your desk, nightstand or purse and fill in a page whenever you have a minute – that’s all it takes].

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What do you think about the idea of micro journaling? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Make Your Own Planner 2012
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Picture Imperfect – Creativity Prompt

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Me And My Little Quirks - Picture Imperfect

[Fonts: Urania_Czech; Digital Kits: KD Digi Essentials 5 (alpha brushes and coffee stains), KD Jillian (patterned papers) – all by Karla Dudley.]

In telling your story, the first thing you need to tackle is embracing imperfection.

Our true story, life story, isn’t about all the moments we were meticulously dressed, our make up perfectly applied and our hair glamorously done.
Our true story is about real – day to day – life.

It is the way we are when we wake up in the morning after a sleepless night.
It is the funny faces we allow ourselves to make only when we are surrounded with loved ones.
It is the way we deal with hardships.
It is the things we struggle with and eventually achieve.
It is the glow we have after completing a workout in the early hours of the day.
It is the laughter in our eyes when we make it to the top of the hill or when we meet a long lost friend.
It is about looking in the mirror and smiling because we accept ourselves the way we are.

This is who we truly are!

This picture was taken with Nadav’s cell phone camera.
I was jet lagged after a looooong flight and setting up my laptop at his parents’ guest room.
I was tired, cold, a bit dehydrated and making a goofy face (on purpose).
The picture is far from being perfect but it represents me. It portrays a side of me I want my future kids to see.

So I made a layout out of it.

Go ahead and embrace your imperfect pictures. Let them tell a true story.

Design Drill Down

As both me and the photo’s quality were sub par (hello understatement of the year…) I worked around it, making the photo look more “artistic” and “organic”.

I turned it to black and white, cranked up the levels settings, used funky alpha brushes instead of just a font and blurred and manipulated the background plus i added a touch of color to highlight my “true colors”…

The heart, lips and e-mail symbol make a visual triangle of red and the purple mat against the yellow background helps the photo pop up – as it is the main element.

The embellishment under the photo mat softens the quirky look and the bookplate “grounds” the page and also conveys the theme… Its small size is also purposeful story-wise.

There is also contrast between the soft and traditional look of the background pattern and the embellishment and the modern, funky look of the photo, myself and alphas.

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Have you scrapped an imperfect picture that tells a true story lately? share your thoughts with me and leave a comment.

Inspiration Prompt – Believe In Your Rainbows

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

I have not lived long enough to become old and wise but I have noticed that whenever I truly believe in something, and do whatever I can to capture my dream, it comes true.

Sometimes it happens right away. Most times it takes a while to get there. But if you keep believing, there comes a time that IT happens and everything falls right into place.

When you lose hope you usually extinguish the ember, but as long as you believe you are keeping it burning until the fire is up.

It takes patience, belief, hard work and persistence. I didn’t say it just miraculously happens…
However, it does happen if you give it a chance.

I have stumbled upon this quote by Gerald G. Jampolsky, MD:

As a child I was told and believed that there was a treasure buried beneath every rainbow.
I believed it so much that I have been unsuccessfully chasing rainbows most of my life.
I wonder why no one ever told me that the rainbow and the treasure were both within me.

I love it!

Chasing rainbows is the underlying idea behind believing in your dreams and knowing that it is already within you to succeed, is the rudimentary understanding that will get you to the treasure.

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Are you a believer? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment. I always love to read your comments and replay almost each and every one!

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Journaling Prompt – How Can You Treat Yourself Better

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Mommy and IThis week’s journaling prompt is inspired by my mom, who read to me in confidence something she had written in a time of change.

Let me backtrack a little bit, tell you something about my mom and tie it all in with Monday’s inspiration prompt.

My mom used to be a teacher. She was the kind of teacher who gives part of her body and soul to her students. She used to teach in schools whose students came from a social economic background that did not leave much hope – but my mom had given hope to her students, who had won national writing contests with her guidance and encouragement.

After many years of teaching children, she was injured while guarding a kid at school with her own body. Using her human shield she took on a kick aimed at a kid that had ruptured her liver and could have killed the poor kid.

My mom, the fortress of comfort and safety, became sick. Her body weakened and after a few more years she was asked to retire for medical reasons (after repeatedly winning educational trophies – each and every year).

The early retirement (just a few years before she was at the legal retirement age) hurt her more than the kick and its medical repercussions has ever done. She lost her ray of light – helping children reach their full potential.

Little by little, year by year, she started withering in a way that had broken my heart. She stopped thinking about herself altogether and only lived for others. Only cared for others. Only breathed for others.

Just a week ago she called me and for the first time in a long time she looked genuinely happy. She said she has decided to take a step towards accepting herself and loving herself again and she is going to do that through writing and painting.

Then she read to me.

And I cried inside.

She wrote about how writing makes her feel.

And I wept. Inside.

I am so happy for her and wish her only the very best. Hopefully her new teacher will be as wonderful to her as my mom was to her students.

I want to spread my mom’s educational spirit and encourage you to take the time and list what are the things you can do for yourself, what activities can you engage in, that will make you feel better and love yourself.

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How can you treat yourself better? leave a comment below and share with me. I love hearing from you and I almost always reply.

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out the new “Make Your Own Planner” workshop and you may solve this year’s holiday gift shopping problem. An affordable workshop that keeps on giving…

Inspiration Prompt – Love Yourself

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Love Yourself
[Photo by: Meddygarnet]

American Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Hanukkah and Christmas are not far behind and craft stores are already stocking up Valentine’s Day collections. The holidays are here.

“The holidays” is a period in which we value being charitable, helpful and loving. We put our friends in the center. These are wonderful virtues that I value as well. Sadly during this festive albeit stressful period we tend to concentrate so much on others that we completely forget ourselves.

Loving thyself is okay.

Loving yourself isn’t vain nor egotistical, provided you are doing it for the right reasons and with the proper means. Loving yourself is appreciating your accomplishments. Loving yourself is keeping yourself strong and healthy – both physically and mentally – so you can be there for all the others. Loving yourself is OKAY.

I love you and I encourage you to love yourself.

To show my love and appreciation I dedicate a poem to you.
This poem is by E. E. Cummings and I absolutely love it:

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Have you loved yourself enough today? Are you going to love yourself tomorrow? … and the day after?

Journaling Prompt – Record Your Personal Change Of Seasons

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Change Of Seasons
[Photo by: Aunt Owwee @Flickr]

Sometimes I look at the four seasons – summer, fall, winter and spring – as Mother Earth’s clothing. The change of season sets a change in both the color palette and the texture (fabric) of its couture.

Fall is extremely colorful with a warm palette and a thick coat of loose foliage, nonchalantly covering all surfaces. Just like a woman with long curly hair whose hair falls down naturally on her shoulders.

Winter brings in a cooler palette. In some places the gray hues tones are ruling in a classic tailored suit and in others earth wears a festive and glistening white dress – like a bride flaunting her pristine beauty at her groom.

Comes spring and the artistic spirit of Mother Earth is revealed along with the appearance of flower buds. Vibrant and colorful and beautiful, filled with anticipation, a song is sung in her broad heart – like a carefree muse.

During the summer, Mother Earth strips off of all the color and heaviness of the year and gets ready to absorb warm sunshine rays – like a beautiful diva, wearing her swimsuit and tanning at the beach.

While observing the change of seasons I have noticed that I change along with them.

The spring wakes me up, brings color to my cheeks and prepares me for the summer – my favorite of all seasons. As the air gets cooler and the leaves are changing their color and fall I begin to dread the winter with its rainfalls and darkness, which makes me feel lethargic and wish I could stay under the covers all day long.

I know for a fact that many people are the exact opposite of me.

Some enjoy the purity of winter and cringe to the thought of the frying rays of sun.

What about you?

Record your personal change of seasons.

How do you change in a course of a year? When are you the happiest and when do you wish the season should end before it started? When do you feel most prolific and efficient? Have you noticed any change?

You can take this opportunity to look at your personal seasons on a larger scale. Have you noticed a certain cycle in your life? Can you compartmentalize your life to clear-cut periods that shows significant change in your life, your personality, your growth?

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How do you change in a course of a year? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on this post.

Journaling Prompt – Answer The Most Profound Questions

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Home
[Photo by: Jody McNary]

I have recently stumbled upon a fascinating quote by Richard Bach:

“The simplest questions are the most profound.

Where were you born?
Where is your home?
Where are you going?
What are you doing?

Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.”

This quote appeals to me for two reasons:

  1. Its attribution to the most important things in life: your origin (roots), your plan and your actions towards it.
  2. Its attribution to the changes that appear as time goes by. Even the most profound aspects of life are affected by the passage of time.

Make use of Richard Bach’s brilliant observation and answer these questions in your journaling. Don’t forget to put a date on your journaling.

After a while go back to your answers and see if there’s any change. Record the change. Has anything remained the same?

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What is your answer to these questions right now? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on this post.
What other important aspects of life do you cherish? Do they change over time as well?

Can questions referring to the past, such as “where were you born”, really change over time? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it!

Journaling Prompt – Paint a Self Portrait With Your Words

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Paint a Self PortraitMany strong and capable women squinch to the thought of having their photo taken. There are many reasons for that reluctance. The two most common reasons are fear of being perceived as vein and self absorbed and inability to think about ‘self’ and always concentrating on others.

Due to the same misconceptions you may find layouts about your significant other, children, grand-children, close family, heritage but either very few or more often none about yourself.

Same goes for journaling. You write about your family, friends, your day but you seldom write about yourself in a documentary manner. You seldom (or never) describe yourself and document the “dry” facts about yourself and your own history.

Why not changing this RIGHT NOW?

To embark on your autobiographic mission start by painting a self portrait with your words.
Describe yourself as you are right now:

You can concentrate on physical traits, characteristics, actions or all the above. You may write in the first person or the third person. Past tense or present tense. With or without adding any background. Just start, then go on.

She sat against her blinking white screen. Her mahogany hair was clasped back with a couple of black bobby-pins. A number of unruly curls had broken through the thin metal prongs.

Her somewhat long and slim fingers ran frantically across the keyboard racing with her blazing mind. She was desperately trying to catch up with the downpour of thoughts and beating waves of self awareness.

Her green eyes opened widely amazed at what the broken dam yielded. Every freckle and each mole suddenly assumed a role in making her the unique being she is, differing her from any other person in the universe.

She took comfort in concealing herself under thick masks of anonymity but that day, a glimpse of realization had made her take a peek inside and the view was overwhelming.

The winds of change had taken her by surprise and she grieved everything that was lost forever, not even caught by ink. She promised herself she would linger no more.

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How would you paint yourself with words? When was the last time you took a self portrait – either by journaling, photographing or scrapbooking? Please share by leaving a comment on this post.

Journaling Prompt – List Your Current Favorites

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
List of favorites
[Photo by: liz_com1981]

Were you ever asked what is your favorite song? book? movie? destination? I was. Many times. I seem to easily find the answers, but each time I am asked again – the answers change.

My favorites keep on changing based on periods in life, mood, trend, different experiences, etc.

Therefore I think compiling a list of favorites and updating it monthly, annually or at any other rate that works for you, might be a great journaling prompt.

This is going to serve as an important document of your life, perpetuating various thoughts, moods, fashions and trends in a course of a year, several years or however long you choose to update your Catalog of Favorites.

This week I am prompting you to make a “FAVORITES” scrapbook or journal.

So grab a new journal and start documenting:

  1. What is your favorite book?
  2. What is your favorite song?
  3. What is your favorite color?
  4. What is your favorite destination?
  5. What is your favorite memory?
  6. What is your favorite TV show?
  7. What is your favorite movie?
  8. What is your favorite food?
  9. What is your favorite dessert?
  10. What is your favorite treat?
  11. What is your favorite car?
  12. What is your favorite piece of clothing?
  13. What is your favorite fashion accessory?
  14. What is your favorite perfume?
  15. What is your favorite leisure activity?
  16. Who is your favorite author?
  17. Who is your favorite actor/actress?
  18. Who is your favorite singer?
  19. Who is your role model?
  20. Where is your favorite place to be?

You can go ahead and answer all those question, you can add more questions or pick your favorite 10 and answer them annually, or monthly or once in a blue moon… Whatever works for you!

For an additional “historic value” try to find images that correspond to your list of favorites – either take them yourself with your handy-dandy camera or give Google Images a try and combine those images in your list.

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Have you noticed a change in your list of favorites? Would you like to follow and observe your favorites? What are your current favorites? Leave a comment and share with us 🙂

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Inspiration Prompt – You Are Great

Monday, April 27th, 2009
You Are Great
[Photo by: Pardeshi]

A friend of mine linked to a bunch of inspiring videos on twitter, among which this short movie by Kurt Kuenne has appealed to me the most (shared below). Everyone needs validation. (some people less than others). How lovely it is to hear “You are great” in a way that sounds genuine and sincere. It prompts a smile and warms one’s heart. It is wonderful.

If you haven’t heard it today, I wanted to tell you that YOU ARE GREAT. Yes you are.

You might live routinely – day in and day out – without noticing how amazing you really are. Without appreciating how beautiful you are. Without recognizing your accomplishments. Without smiling. Now is the time to stop for a split second and recognize how amazing you really are.

while a smile is starting to form, the heart to warm up and widen, validate a person standing near by and looking all gloomy and blue. Tell this person how amazing he is. Make him smile. You will feel even more amazing, so will this person – and the person he’s going to validate next, and the one validated afterward.

Lets make this world filled with happy and smiling people by validating forward.

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Let me hear your thoughts and leave a comment on this post 🙂

Have a great day wonderful person!!!