DailyOM: How does this course help people gain a deeper understanding of their motivation and reason for what they do?
Rachel: Through mindful journaling prompts and reflection, participants are encouraged to uncover the deeper layers of their experiences and thought patterns. By examining these aspects of ourselves, we can gain a clearer understanding of why we do the things we do.
The course provides exploratory questions about students' core beliefs and how these might drive their behavior. We discuss how emotions influence decision-making. We take a look at patterns or triggers that can identify reasons behind actions. By engaging in this self-inquiry process, participants can begin to unravel the complexities of their own motivations and gain valuable insights into themselves.
We also delve into various techniques and perspectives to help folks gain new insights and even challenge their existing beliefs. By examining their experiences from different angles, they can gain a broader understanding of themselves and their truth. Ultimately, the goal is to empower people to make conscious choices aligned with their authentic selves. By digging into the deeper truths within, participants can navigate their lives with greater clarity, purpose, and self-awareness.
DailyOM: How do you believe journaling and contemplation can contribute to a person's understanding of themselves and their truth?
Rachel: Writing can be so healing. It allows us to explore situations and feelings in a way that is safe. The words can be kept private until we wish to show them to someone else. We also are safe in knowing that it doesn't have to be perfect the first time. We can continue writing until we find the truth we're trying to expose. So often, we begin writing about one thing only to realize that in the end the story is about something else altogether. Something deeper. Something we may not have realized without going through the journey on paper.
Writing also gives our minds a chance to call up all the details. We can take time to explore a thought or memory almost as if it were its own thing, gaining some separation from ourselves. Once we get the thought out of our minds and onto paper, a clarity forms that we might have never found if we had only allowed the thought to roll over and over in our head. It's in the digging up of the themes in the writing where we can find the wisdom — the "why" behind the actions. And in this, we often find compassion (both for ourselves and others), as well as a sense of closure.
DailyOM: Your course is very focused on the homework that participants do each week. How does this format serve those who take this course?
Rachel: I am a strong believer in "doing the work." I've read so many self-improvement books and taken many, many courses, and what I've found is, you can understand concepts on an intellectual level without necessarily getting the information to stick in a meaningful way. Since authors and course presenters can never know each participant's history, the information is always given in a general way.
Only through exploring how each topic relates to your own life and past can a person make real progress. When this is done — when the person sits down and applies it to themselves — magic happens. Healing happens. Wisdom happens.
DailyOM: Throughout the course, you sometimes ask participants to remember moments in their lives that could be potentially scary or traumatic. What if someone isn't comfortable or ready to delve into these experiences?
Rachel: That is 100 percent okay! The most important thing to remember while going through the course is to always take care of yourself and your mental wellness. I never want anyone to dive into an area that scares them without having the tools to do so. If a student feels they need to use a less intense memory for inspiration that week, that is always okay and encouraged. If a participant feels they need to skip a week, that is totally fine too!
Though the act of writing alone can be healing, I also strongly encourage participants to seek outside help — a friend, therapist, or spiritual professional — whenever anything becomes too difficult to process on their own. You and your safety and wellness are always the first priority.
DailyOM: Who is this course for? Do students have to be writers?
Rachel: Absolutely not! What makes this course special is that each lesson has several prompts. Participants can choose to use one prompt if it immediately speaks to them, or they can go through all of them, allowing the questions to spark memories, thoughts, and new ideas. From there, the writing flows easily. This course is for anyone who feels like they have wisdom to uncover, period. It doesn't matter whether a person has even written in a diary before. This course is designed for novice and advanced writers alike.
Through the course topics each week, we explore so many aspects of life that students may have never even considered writing about. This means, they also may not have spent a lot of time thinking about these topics. Participants will be amazed at the insights they have while examining these concepts, and they may even discover new ways to perceive moments they have been revisiting for years.
We hear about "going inward" and discovering our "inner wisdom," but it's not always explained how we're supposed to do that. This course makes it so much easier to find this inner wisdom as we review our past and experiences — as well as our desires and beliefs. As students receive sparks of inspiration in the prompts, they will begin to solidify their thoughts on each topic. They will get them down on paper, connecting themes and genuine beliefs as they go, and make their way closer toward their authentic selves each week.
DailyOM: Thank you, Rachel. The power of words can change lives. Join us on this magical yearlong journey to uncover your authentic self — and your deeper wisdom. Until next time, be well.
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