Writing Your Own Reflective Journal Anthony R. Quintiliani, Ph.D., LADC

 

My blog site mindfulhappiness.org has many posts on meditation, Buddhism, education, clinical practices and self-activated emotional health practices.  Perhaps you may wish to initiate a Reflective Journal practice after you do practices presented on the site.  There are many  benefits from maintaining a written journal about personal experiences and practices.  Not only does a journal help concretize your thoughts and emotions, but later re-reading of entries may improve your motivation, mood, and skills. I suggest you consider the format noted below.  Of course, you can use any format you please.

1. Why are you interested personally in the www.mindfulhappinesss.org site?
2. Why are you interested in specific posts and practices- is there a pattern?
3. What do you hope to gain from the posts and practices?
4. Do you have a personal, more private desire/need for suggested practices and posts?
5. What are your personal goals in life, and how does participating in posted practices support your efforts?
6. How does personal suffering influence your practices?
7. Are you aware that attachment and never-ending change are the primary causes for suffering?
8. How does the concept, process, and reality of impermanence impact your goals, desires, practices?
9. How does the concept, process, and reality of ultimate emptiness impact your goals, desires, and practices?
10. What makes you happy in life?
11. Have you learned yet that chasing and grasping after sense-pleasures provides only short-term joy AND long-term suffering?
12. Are there other areas for meaningful comment?

Good luck with your journal work.  Hope it helps you better understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Inspiration for this post on reflective journals came from Keiser, D.L. and Sakulkoo, S. (2014). Fitting in breath hunting. In J. Gunnlaugson et al. (Eds.). Contemplative Learning and Inquiry Across Disciplines. New York: State University of New York, pp. 81-91.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont

Author of Mindful Happiness  

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!