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Journaling and Affirmations
The following Affirmations and Thoughts are excerpted from The Divorce Recovery Journal . Each excerpt contains a thought provoking Quotation, an Affirmation, Our Thoughts and Your Thoughts.
Expectations
You get what you expect
Venus Veritas
Affirmation
I appreciate the happy events in my day, especially the small ones, and share them with others.
Our Thoughts
It's easy to become negative during a divorce because there is so much about the process that's disturbing and wrenching. Don't get in the habit of expecting everything to be bad. Go hang out with your friends and join in the laughter. Let yourself be swept up in the fun and funny stuff, and allow yourself to forget your drama for a while. Afterward, go home and get a good nights sleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, consult with your health practitioner for either prescription or natural remedies. Don't neglect laughter and sleep.
Your Thoughts
Have I become negative in my outlook?
Relaxation
Living is entirely too time-consuming.
Irene Peter
Affirmation
I often stop and look for shapes in clouds.
Our Thoughts
The long process of divorce has a way of devouring all the hours of your week. You're so intent upon the next meeting with the attorney, or the court date, or that brand new mortgage payment that before you know it, the year's half gone. Every once in awhile, reclaim the here and now by gazing at the tree branches against the blue and clouded sky, or bending to feel the velvet of the rose petals. Take a few slow, deep breaths along the way, and you'll feel centered again in real life.
Your Thoughts
What will be my own version of stopping to smell the roses?
Planning
It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
Howard Ruff
Affirmation
I make concrete plans to prepare myself and my home for the changes of season.
Our Thoughts
Preparation is a great stress reducer! It's having the furnace checked before cold weather hits, getting your taxes done before the Ides of April, or catching up with the laundry. An ounce of preparation will help you avoid a ton of troublesome moments.
Your Thoughts
What seasonal preparations do I want to mark on my calendar?
Humor
Start off every day with a smile and get it over with.
W. C. Fields
Affirmation
Knowing that laughter is an essential part if a healthy life, I spend as much time as possible with good humored friends.
Our Thoughts
There will be days when you feel as irascible as W. C. Fields. For some, time out is healing. A retreat into music, books, TV or other at-home relaxation may be just the ticket. For others, spending time with a particularly supportive friend may help take away the crankiness.
Your Thoughts
What jump-starts my spirits?
Change
Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with
themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Susan Ert
Affirmation
I take joy in exploring new pleasures and activities I never had time to try before.
Our Thoughts
The married state develops a routine and life of its own. Many find themselves at a loss when they are suddenly on their own with their routines changed or in some cases gone altogether. If you are at a loss over what to do with yourself, start thinking about all those things that you wanted to do when you were a twosome but didn't have time for. Now is the time.
Your Thoughts
What did I always want to do, but never had time for? What did I always want to do, but never had time for?
Patience
Lord, give me patience -- and hurry!
George Robinson Ragsdale
Affirmation
I will savor each day without being unduly impatient for the next.
Our Thoughts
Some people are lucky and have rapid and polite divorces. Others (probably the majority) have divorces that range from mildly annoying to an experience that rivals the seventh level of Hell. If you are anywhere on the continuum of annoying to Hell, you no doubt have the patience of a gnat. Hang on. Do what you have to do to ungrit those teeth. Deliverance is at hand.
Your Thoughts
Am I impatient?
Strength
We are what we pretend to be.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Affirmation
I am always stronger today than I was yesterday.
Our Thoughts
Personal pride straightens our shoulders, lifts our chins, and helps us to create a make-believe appearance of confidence and strength. It's a bit defiant. It says don't pity me. It says I'm strong. And for now maybe it's lying, but the more you act the part, the closer you'll be to feeling it -- and becoming it. Fake it 'til you make it!
Self-Esteem
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never
hurt me.
Childhood Rhyme
Affirmation
I am as deserving of respect as everyone else is.
Our Thoughts
Dare to express your own true thoughts, no matter what conventional wisdom tells you, and no matter what names people may affix upon you for doing so. Getting through a divorce without being called hateful names is distinctly unlikely. Develop a thicker skin, and know that you will survive.
Your Thoughts
Do I know how to stand up for myself?
Your Thoughts
What positive mantra or phrase can I repeat to myself when I need to boost my morale?
Change
The past must no longer be used as an anvil for beating out
the present and the future.
Paul-Emile Borduas
Affirmation
I will try something new, large or small, every day.
Our Thoughts
How often do you fashion today's and tomorrow's plans on what you did a decade ago? Do you order mint chocolate chip ice cream simply because you always have? Do you check the want ads under Sales just because you've worked in sales? Now is the time to try on new ideas. Taste them, roll them around in your mouth, feel how they would fit into your new life. This is the time for fresh starts.
Your Thoughts
In what areas, large and small, can I spread my wings and experiment with change?
Related Articles
How to Use Journaling in Divorce Survival and Recovery
Meet Mary Stuart M.A., Co-Author of the Divorce Recovery Journal
Table of Contents, Divorce Recovery Journal
Other Resources
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