Reviewing Our Journals

What I suggest is going at the journaling for two to three weeks,
fourteen to twenty one days. At the end of that time, pull out the
journal and give yourself an hour or so to go through it.

Review each page and soak in the essence of whom you
have been and where you have trod. Allow it to wash over
you and affect you.

Pretend that it is the work of someone you love and admire
and see how it impacts you. Ask yourself some basic
questions about the work:

• What does this reveal about this person’s heart?
• What does it reveal about how they think?
• What does it expose of their hopes and desires?
• How is God/the spiritual life revealed in these pages?
• Is there a common thread?
• Do you sense a direction this person is headed?
• What has been revealed about this person?
• Where is Love in this whole thing?
• Where is nurturance in this whole thing?
• What is this person yearning/crying out for or to?
• What has helped you grow from this work?
• Who would benefit from this kind of work?

You can add your own sets of questions to these. But,
these are the beginnings of some good notions to look into
or good paths to go down when you are considering the
work of spiritual formation and direction.

It is good to do this again after two months of journaling.
Then again, review your work after three months. Once
you have done this practice for three months, set some
regular intervals into your calendar for you to sit and glean
the insight that your heart has to offer you in your path of
spiritual formation and direction.

Again, journaling must be done consistently and over a
span of time. And, you must review what has been
journaled over a span of time if you are to gain the
reflexive help available from the hearts ability to lead us in
spiritual formation and direction.

You are looking for common themes and threads that run
through your writings.  Do you see or hear anything overarching?
This kind of eye and ear toward the journal is exactly
the same type of distance one takes in therapy to hear and see
oneself.  This birds-eye view is quintessential in the spiritual life.
It becomes a central feature throughout the path of direction and
formation.

This habit of being is giving us a map of the terrain of the heart.
 
“The heart is the hub of all things. Go there and wander.”
- Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri