Friday 4 March 2016

What are your fears? Journaling prompt week 10

Lets dig the heart a little this week, sometimes by ignoring what you know or what you don't know will have you living life a bit unsettled. By writing them down, perhaps you'll find some clarity and and are able to move forward. This week's journaling prompt - What are your fears?

Most of us have fears, some we carry from childhood, from the unpleasant experiences that we have had in the past or perhaps just unexplainable fear like fear of heights, spiders or even cats. Other peoples fear might seem petty to you but can be a real challenge for them. I have fear of confined spaces, fear that what I make will not be liked by people are just some of them. I'm not saying that by writing them down they will go away, just that by writing them down, you are clear you have fears and acknowledge them. Then you can change your view on them just a little, seeing fear as perhaps a lesson, a guide or a motivation to move you to where you want to be instead of hindering you to moving forward. Fear can be the turning point where you decide to change the direction that your life is going. I view my fear of rejection as a way of putting my creativity into action. Experimenting and creating journals that hopefully will be loved and appreicated by others. Then, along with it comes other fears, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough bla bla bla... the list goes on. That's when the phrase "Feel the fear and do it anyway" comes in, and of course there is so much more to it. There are hundreds of books out there on Fear and ways to live couragesly, we know this is pretty normal, so have no fear of having fear :) When you think of all this, it is ridiculous isn't it? The thoughts that goes round and round in our heads! 

Anyways, your task this weekend is to write all the fears you have and just keep writing what comes through and do not filter (I call them interruption gremlins: my grammar sucks, my handwriting is horrible, I don't want to write THIS, someone may KNOW, bla bla bla...), just let your writing flow. period. If you can't or don't know how to start, I suggest you take a few deep breaths and set an intention before you begin writing. Example: I am going to write about my fears so that I can be clear on where I am and my next steps of action to take to move me forward. Then begin. 

If you would like to share your journaling journey with me, leave a comment below with a link to your blog or on my facebook page. For instagram, you can find me @mettaville and tag #mettajournaling. See you there.

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Two new journals are listed in Etsy store this week.


"No mud no lotus" by renowned teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. It is explained with the understanding that without hardship/unpleasantness (the mud) in life we cannot truly understand happiness (the lotus), hence we should not discriminate the mud or hardship. Instead we have to learn how to embrace hardship with tenderness and compassion. I love this quote so much that I made it into a journal. The lotus and words are hand stamped and sewn onto green linen fabric. It is listed here.


A new shibori indigo journal with grid pattern is also in the shop.



















My Etsy shop will be having a sale 7-21 March 2016. All journals in my Etsy store are 20% off during that time. If you're thinking of starting your journaling practise, here's a great time to grab a journal from my store.

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Happy journaling!

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." 
~ Nelson Mandela

4 comments:

  1. An interesting post. I certainly have a few fears, including heights and snakes to name two.
    Have a good weekend. Flighty xx

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    1. I used to love being high up and have done some foolish act of standing at the edge of tall buildings too, I am glad nothing happened though. Have a lovely week Flighty! xx

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  2. I love the No Mud, No Lotus quote! It is so true. I'd like to know more about Thich Nhat Hanh. All best wishes from The Woods.

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    1. Hi Cameron, so good to hear from you again. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist monk who lives in Plum Village in France. He wrote a book of the title No Mud No Lotus (the art of transforming suffering). Thay (translate as teacher in Vietnamese) is currently recovering from a stroke. Deer Park Monastery in Southern California is a centre by Thay also. (http://deerparkmonastery.org/).

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