REFRESH JOURNAL

An Infusement of Refreshment in All of Life's Dimensions

November 20, 2014

Dawn's Refreshing Contents:

My Perspective

Be Refreshed with Dawn Herring

#JournalChat Favorites

Interviews

For Your Journal

#JournalChat Live Power Points

The Artist

Dawn's Refreshing Resources:
Dawn's Life Dimensions
#JournalChat Live
Your Life Refreshed!
Your Business Refreshed!
Dawn Herring Collection Art Gallery
Dawn's Testimonials
Your Refreshment Connection

My Perspective

Open and Closed.

I'm not necessarily talking about physical doors here. I'm thinking more in terms of our perspective, our mindset and our response to life experiences as well as our expectation of what is to come.

When we are closed, we are setting boundaries, and that's okay. Boundaries are necessary to protect ourselves when appropriate.

But sometimes when we are closed, we are blocked too; in essence, we may feel stuck, scared or unsure of what to expect. We may feel like we need to stay closed when life throws challenges our way that really leave us feeling flustered, angry or even resentful.

How do we know the difference between being closed for the best and being closed as a hindrance?

I suggest tuning in with your journal or simply in your mind and determine what triggered that closed place for you. Determine if the trigger is illusory based in fear or if your intuition has led you to a place of personal protection.

Once you see more clearly and get a refresh perspective on your immediate life experience, you can then determine the best way to get OPEN again.

You'll know what feels right as you step outside your comfort zone. Take it easy and be gentle with yourself.

Once you get to a place where you're beginning to feel less stress and more centered and grounded, that openness will grow if you let it.

It's important to Stay Open to the good life has in store for you. Staying open enables you to see new possibilities and maybe experience some things you desperately need right now.

When I stay OPEN to my creative center, I learn a lot about myself. It's important to understand your deepest needs and activate that creative center daily. I enjoy recording these learning experiences in my journal so I have a visible testament of positive change in my life, like when I make and meet a new goal that aligns me with Who I Am.

Speaking of being OPEN, our #JournalChat Live Facebook group is an OPEN group and it's growing! If you keep a journal or want to, this group is Fun, Friendly and Informative.

Dawn Herring
Artist, Writer,
Host of #JournalChat Live
Creative & Social Media Consultant

I talk about the openness you can experience

with a regular journaling practice as I presented

Journaling for the Empowered Discovery of Who You Are

with host, Linda Joy Myers of NAMW. Here is a

link to the recording of that discussion. Enjoy!

I shared about my recent deeper understanding about the importance of daily refreshment in my blog post: Refreshment or Rejection? It shows the importance of staying OPEN to Who You Are at your core and honor that place daily.

There are more OPEN possibilities when you make positive change in your life. My website reflects some new changes I've made and some new offerings at www.dawnherring.net. That also includes my blog, Refresh Daily, which you can now subscribe to!

One of the ways I have stayed OPEN is by aligning Refresh Journal with Who I Am. I trust you are a refreshed as a result!

The next time you're feeling closed due to a recent challenge in your life experience, do what you can to get OPEN again so you can feel refreshed and enlivened.

Be refreshed,

Dawn

Your Refreshment Specialist,

Creative and Social Media Consultant

Host of #JournalChat Live

Stay Refreshed and Connected with Dawn!

Be refreshed

with

Dawn Herring

Refresh Your Work

Refresh Your Home

Refresh Your Kids

Refresh Your Self

Whether you work in a cubicle or in a home office, it can be helpful to have an OPEN sense of what you have to accomplish and create a physical openness as much as is possible so you don't run into the problem of feeling overwhelmed. It also may help to take a walk for a fresh perspective which can help keep your mind open to new possibilities and new resolutions to work problems you may have.

Have you ever noticed what a difference Opening a Window can make to the essence of your home abode? There's just something about fresh air that clears the mind, plus you might just hear beautiful birdsong as a result! What other ways can your home provide new perspectives concerning Who You Are? Decor, position of furniture, and maybe some fresh flowers can give you a whole new feel for living. Enjoy!

When it comes to the interest our kids have with any given topic or activity, it can sometimes seem fleeting at best, since often they go from one thing to another. But that's their way of Staying Open to all of life's possibilities. We can take a clue from them about being spontaneous and looking for new adventures. Then especially note when they find something they want to immerse themselves in for a while. Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?

It's important to Stay Open to what refreshes you. During this holiday season, it may be a good time to do a personal inventory of what still works for you and determine any new directions you may want to pursue based on what interests you right now. Honor your preferences, whether they are old standbys that never lose their flavor or it's something totally different, when you're just getting your feet wet.

Dawn's #JournalChat Favorites

Now Featured on

#JournalChat Live

for all things Journaling

Facebook Group!

7 Journal Writing Prompts for Beginners

by Naomi Arnold

Reflecting for Change, From Journaing to Blogging

by Rafranz Davis

Questions for Within: What to Ask Yourself When Creating Your Dream Business

by Heather Piedmont

Interviews

Marianne Rossi interviews me on her Journaling for Your Life blog as I share my journaling and art journaing practices.

Linda Joy Myers, founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers, interviews me as I present, Journaling for the Empowering Discovery of Who You Are.

I am interviewed by Nathan Ohren of Write4Life on his JournalTalk podcast.

YOUR LIFE REFRESHED!

Featuring

Your Creative Center

Strategy Sessions

Honor Who You Are

& What You Love

Activate your creativity

based on your personality, preferences

and purpose in life and thrive in your refreshment!

See details on Creative Strategy options with Dawn as your Creative Consultant!

Your Authentic Refreshment Blog

FOR YOUR JOURNAL

Open the Book!

Q: Do you find it easier or more difficult to Stay Open when you write in your journal?

A: I use my journal for clarity and a fresh perspective, so I find myself more flexible in challenging situations; I think part of it has to do with releasing angst in order to understand my life experience better which helps me Stay Open more so than without it.

#JournalChat Live

Discussion

Power Points

Topic:

Your Journaling: Decision Making

(This discussion was prompted by a question posted by Robyn McIntyre:

I'm thinking about keeping a decision journal. Anyone done this?)

Robyn McIntyre says:

What I was thinking was to keep track of decisions I have made and follow up on them to see how well I have done in choosing the right path. For this personal decision journal, I'm laying out the decision and why I decided to make it. Then I'm leaving space for revisiting the decision down the line and recording the outcome.

Dawn Herring says:

I also use my journal for decision making; it helps make the process more concrete and less intimidating. It's a great place to vent and to stay accountable when I decide something to initiate consistency.

Sue Ekins says:

I often use my journal to help me make decisions. Seeing my reasons in print helps me see if one of my reasons is a bit irrational or not that important. Seeing my decision-making in print cements my decision in my mind sometimes. I don't have a separate journal for decision-making though.

Nathan Ohren says:

Whenever faced with a decision (doesn't have to be MAJOR) but where I can tell there will be consequences either way, I take about 30 minutes to write up, using the following:

1 - Very brief synopsis of the issue/decision I need to make.
2 - What I perceive are my 2-3 best options.
3 - What decision I am choosing, and Why.
4 - What consequences I expect from the decision, including: what negative consequences I think my decision will avoid.

21 Day Refresh Intensive Course

in PDF

Activate your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages

The Birthday Wall:

Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

E-Book

Read about Dawn's Family Tradition of how she has created a visual collage for her kids to celebrate to celebrate their birthday and tips on how you can create one for your child or grandchild!

It's a great way to show your child how much you appreciate them and honor who they are right now!

Sarah Bryant shares how The Birthday Wall helped her reconnect with her son Cody.

Customized Message Cards
from Dawn's own art studio
in your favorite colors
with your favorite message.

Honor Who You Are
and What You Love
in a visual card!

The Artist

Don't you have the greatest fun opening a new artistic product, like a new tube of paint, a new jar of gesso, or maybe a new CD you plan to dance to, or a new book you want to read?

When we open something new, it has a curiosity aspect to it. We want to know and experience all it has to offer.

It reminds me of the excited expectation children have when they play with something new; they get so elated and have boundless energy in response to these new experiences.

We can respond the same way; after all, that's what engaging in refreshment is supposed to do; enliven and energize us as we Honor Who We Are as creative people.

What new thing will you discover today?

***

I'm excited to share with you my newly focused Refresh Daily blog on my website where I'll be sharing my artistic point of view in all of my life dimensions. You're welcome to subscribe.

My latest post: Into The Woods...An Artistic Adventure

YOUR BUSINESS REFRESHED!

Combine Your Creative Business Dynamic

with a

Strong Social Media Presence

to Showcase You and Your Business!

Hone Your Purpose, Create a Voice of Authority

in Your Fields of Expertise

and Create a Strong Network of

Colleagues

and Clients

for Your Business Success.

See details on Creative and Social Media Strategy options with Dawn as your Creative and Social Media Consultant!

THANK YOU!

I so appreciate feedback and words of encouragement from my friends, colleagues and fellow artists and journal keepers.
My life in even more enriched from these words of kindness and appreciation.

Here is a recent word from a Mom and School teacher, Debbie Q:
"You have a great way of validating people and encouraging them to be who God created them to be - to be authentic and not fit into a mold.The thing that always resonated with me is the idea of following my preferences to discover who I am."

Have you heard the song, "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield? I think it perfectly suits staying open to all that lies before you.

Keep Your Heart Open and Stay Aligned with Who You Are.

That's the best place to be.

Be refreshed,

Dawn

My latest painting titled, "Potential"

DON'T FORGET TO REFRESH YOURSELF!