How Does the Trinity Practically Apply to Your Life Today?

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

The Trinity is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious Christian doctrines. It can be intimidating to explain and we tip-toe carefully with our words so as not to slip into heresy. However, we would miss the point if we left the Trinity as a mere doctrinal discussion. How does the Trinity practically apply to our everyday life?

The practicality of the Trinity is clear in John 13–17. The disciples were deeply troubled at Jesus’ words about leaving them, thinking it would bring a devastating break in their relationship with God. But Jesus spoke tenderly to them, giving them guidance for continuing their walk with God after his departure. In giving this instruction, Jesus spoke about God’s Trinitarian nature. This passage of Scripture teaches that knowing God as three in one should be at the center of our daily relationship with him.

Responding to the Father's Love

In light of Christ's lessons on the nature of the Father . . .

He is the fountain of divine love. He is the source of the encouragement we receive in the Scriptures, in answers to our prayers, in the grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and in all the other blessings we receive.

As the source of all, He is to be served as the object of all. He is the One to whom we respond with love, prayers worship and adoration. We also worship the Son and the Holy Spirit, but because even the Son and the Spirit give glory to the Father and share in his glory (e.g., John 16:14-15; 17:4-5), we worship the Three-in-One with an understanding that the Father is the ultimate object of all.

We should honor the Father with the fruits of our lives. Just as a vineyard owner plants his vines in order to receive a harvest, so the Father (the Vinedresser) rightly receives the fruits that Jesus (the Vine) brings to our lives (the branches). John 15:1-5.

Responding to the Son's Mediation

There are four main ways we are to respond to the Son's Mediation . . .

We look to the Son to bring us into favor with God. It is only in the words and work of Jesus that favor with God is provided.

We join ourselves with believers—specifically within a local church. Jesus instructed his disciples: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, your are also are to love one another. (John 13:34-35; cf. John 13:13-17; John 15:12)

We pray to the Father in Jesus' name. (John 16:23)

Jesus brings the Father's words to us, so we respond to his role within the Trinity by using the Scriptures as the standard for our faith and life.

Our Triune God

Our Triune God

Philip graham ryken , michael lefebvre.

Relating to God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can have a deep impact on one’s faith. Ryken and LeFebvre outline the saving, mysterious, practical, and glorious Trinity in this theologically rich resource. 

Because of the promise of the Spirit . . .

We expect the Spirit to instruct our decisions through the Word. This doesn't mean the Spirit will produce new meanings from the Bible tailored to our individual questions, but we expect the Spirit to help us as we bring our lives under the light of God's Word.

We expect the Spirit to guide Christians as a community. It is important for us to study our Bibles with confidence that the Spirit will help us, and to do so with careful attention to the counsel of others who have studied the same Scripture.

We trust that the Spirit authorizes us to serve as witnesses. Wherever Christians live, the Spirit is with them to make them witnesses to their communities.

We respond to the continual presence of the Spirit by welcoming his conviction. When we lack faith, the Spirit stirs our hearts to believe at the hearing of Scripture. When we sin, the Spirit brings conviction and draws our hearts to remember and obey the words of Scripture.

This article is adapted from Our Triune God by Phil Ryken and Michael LeFebvre.

Michael LeFebvre

Michael LeFebvre (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is an ordained Presbyterian minister and an Old Testament scholar. He is also a fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians. Michael and his wife, Heather, have five children and live in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Philip Graham Ryken

Philip Graham Ryken (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the eighth president of Wheaton College. He preached at Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church from 1995 until his appointment at Wheaton in 2010. Ryken has published more than fifty books, including When Trouble Comes and expository commentaries on Exodus, Ecclesiastes, and Jeremiah. He serves as a board member for the Gospel Coalition and the Lausanne Movement.

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The Work of the Trinity in Salvation

Michael LeFebvre , Philip Graham Ryken

God plays the symphony of our salvation in three movements. Each of these movements is associated with and facilitated by a different Person of the Trinity.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

Differentiating the Work of the Son and Spirit in Salvation

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A classic way of looking at the two-handedness of God’s work in salvation is the relationship between how the Trinity accomplishes redemption and how the Trinity applies that redemption to us.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

The Life and Mission of St. Patrick

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Who Was St. Patrick? Patrick was raised in a nominally Christian home in Britain during the collapse of the Roman Empire. At 16 he was captured by Irish pirates and taken to the west coast …

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The Deep Things of God

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  • A Reflection on the Holy Trinity
  • Benedictine Spirituality

A Reflection on the Holy Trinity

A REFLECTION ON THE HOLY TRINITY

Exodus 34:4-9      john 3:16-18    2 corinthians 13:11-13.

The third chapter of John’s Gospel John proclaims that the Father loves the world and sent His Son to share eternal life with all who believe. The God, we contemplate today is present in, with and for us. The story of God’s love, Jesus, the Word Incarnate, draws us into His relationship with God as Father.

If you notice, Jesus as the “Son” is referred to three times in this passage, but the Holy Spirit is not mentioned. We come to know and recognize the Spirit in the love that is poured out into the world through the oneness of the Father and Son.

The first reading (Exodus 34:4-9) and the Gospel emphasize the power, mercy and love of God. In the second reading (2 Corinthians 13:11-13), Paul confirms that God is a “God of love and peace”. The reading from 2 Corinthians is the only one that mentions all three Persons of the Trinity. The Alleluia verse reminds us that all three Persons of the Trinity share in glory: “Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: To God who is, who was, and who is to come.”

A bit of interest: The Doxology was instituted in 1674. The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity was instated in the Third Century.

Trinity Offers the Gift of Relationship

The Trinity offers us a precious gift of relationship, a grounded connection with God, self, others and the world. This Easter Season invited us to be in relationship with Jesus; it awakened us to a way of living, loving and relating.

We are invited to be like the Trinity-living in absolute relatedness.

During this pandemic, I realize more and more that we are all together in a web of mutual interdependence. When we recognize this on a spiritual level, we call it love .

We know it is through Love, we come to know God. As Christians we believe that God is revealed to us as a Trinity-three persons who are who they are because of how they love one another. It is in God’s nature to love, to reach out to all.

Reflecting on Andrew Rublev's Icon

This leads me to Andrew Rublev’s beautiful Icon in ous Dining Room. We see the Oneness of the three in this icon. They are a unity of persons in one divine nature. The Divine Persons are in relation to each other.

In his book, Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons , Henri Nouwen writes, “Rublev wrote this Icon not only to share the fruits of meditation on the mystery of the Holy Trinity but also to offer his fellow monks a way to keep their hearts centered in God while living in the midst of political unrest.” We certainly know that experience today.

Nouwen goes on to say: “Within the circle of the Holy Trinity, all true knowledge descends into the heart. The Russian mystics describe prayer as descending with the mind into the heart and standing there in the presence of God. Prayer takes place where heart speaks to heart, that is, where the heart of God is united with the heart that prays. Thus, knowing God becomes loving God, just as being known by God is being loved by God.”

Similarly, Pope Francis wrote the following in 2018: “The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity leads us to contemplate the mystery of God who unceasingly creates, redeems and Sanctifies, always with love and through love.”

Reflecting on the Doxology and the Rule of Benedict

This brings me to our daily Community liturgy. I was reflecting on the many times we pray the Doxology in our office (at least ten times). I am aware that sometimes I am not really paying attention to the words. I do the ritual of bowing and then go on. I desire to appreciate it. Pope Francis woke me up to the beauty of what I am praying. We have two forms for our doxology. This is the main one:

All honor to God, the Giver of Life,                                                                             To Christ, the Risen One,                                                                                            And to the Spirit, Bond of Love                                                                                   Let Glory and Praise be Sung!

I was looking in the Rule of Benedict to see how and if he used the words Holy Spirit. I found he never used the name of Jesus, he used Christ, Christus many times, and a few times, Holy Spirit, Spiritu Sancto.

To site just two: In Chapter 7:70 his very last sentence on Humility:

All this the Lord will be the Holy Spirit graciously manifest in this workman now cleansed of vice and sin. 

On the observance of Lent, in Chapter 49:6, Benedict uses Sancti Spiritus:

So that each of us will have something above the assigned measure to offer God of his own will, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. 

Reflecting with the Catholic Catechism for Adults

An excerpt from the Catholic Catechism for Adults says:

The Doctrine of the Trinity  includes three truths of faith:

FIRST: The Trinity is One.                                                                                                          SECOND: The Divine Persons are distinct from each other.                                                 THIRD: The Divine Persons are in relationship to one another. 

We see this ONENESS in the circle of the Icon. They are distinct in the relationship they each hold. Henri Nouwen again sheds light on this for me.

The sacrificial lamb forms the center of the icon. The hands of the Father, Son and Spirit reveal in different ways its significance. The Son, in the center, points to it with two fingers, thus indicating his mission to become the sacrificial lamb, human as well as divine through the Incarnation. The Father, on the left, encourages the Son with a blessing gesture. And the Spirit, who holds the same staff of authority as the Father and Son, signifies by pointing to the rectangular opening in the front of the altar that this divine sacrifice is a sacrifice for the salvation of the world.

The open space to which the Holy Spirit points is where we become included in the Divine Circle. Today, let us each take time to reflect on this mystery and our own call into this Trinitarian Relationship.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

Written by S. Virginia Matter OSB

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View all posts by: S. Virginia Matter OSB

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Reflective Journal: How to Write One and Prompts

  • Self-development

Reflective Journal: How to Write One and Prompts

Keeping a reflective journal is one of the most common ways of keeping a diary. Many people use it to write about their experiences, impressions, feelings, or doubts, and that’s exactly what reflecting is all about: gaining an insight into your inner life.

What is a Reflective Journal?

Imagine this: you’re out having dinner with your partner. Suddenly, they propose moving in together when you least expect it. How do you react?

Perhaps there’s a smile on your face — you’re happy to take your relationship to the next level. But, you also notice that your palms are suddenly sweaty and you’re simply not ready to just scream: ‘yes!’.

Reactions like these are normal. Moving in with someone, apart from being amazing, is also scary, complicated, and new. Just like many other situations life has to offer.

Keeping a reflective journal can be extremely helpful in situations like these.

All you need is a little time to yourself, just 5 minutes of focus, and an open mind. A self-reflective journal can help you gain a deeper understanding of certain situations in your life, untangle complex emotions, and make better decisions.

A reflective journal can be a curated notebook with various reflective journal prompts, or you can use a simple blank notebook to freely express what’s on your mind. What’s important is that you’re honest and open-minded when approaching your reflective journal.

In this article, we would like to tell you more about this amazing practice and give you some tips on how you can keep a reflective journal.

Why Keeping a Reflective Journal is Good for You

Expressive writing is one of the most efficient ways to combat stress, right after talking to someone you’re close with. Journaling about life events, feelings, insights, and relationships can have a tremendous positive impact on both your mental and physical health.

A large body of research shows that journaling can improve our immune system response , clarify our thoughts, improve our relationships with others, help us stay well-organized, and bring many more positive changes to our lives.

Whether you choose to reflect on what’s burdening you deeply, or how grateful you are for everything that’s good about your life, either way, you’re doing yourself a favor.

According to Dr. Mark Dinwoodie, practicing reflection has a number of benefits that might help you be a better person:

  • Helps you gain deeper insights into your thought processes and actions;
  • Brings you closer to making significant changes in your life;
  • Helps you build a different approach to problems.

If you’d like to find out more about why expressive writing about your life is good for you feel free to check out our article about the benefits of journaling.

How to Write a Reflective Journal

There are no clear rules on how to write a reflective journal , but there are some useful guidelines you can follow to benefit the most from this activity.

If you’re a fan of expressive writing, that’s great, as reflective journaling requires you to document situations that happen in your life. It’s sort of a critical dialogue that you’re having with yourself, only in written form.

One thing to avoid when approaching your reflective journal is obsessing over your use of language or phrasing. This kind of restrictive behavior can be uninspiring and push you away from journaling. Your self-reflective journal is for your eyes only, so you can talk gibberish, be pathetic, or tell bad jokes as much as you like!

Reflective Journal Tips

Reflective Journal

Here’s a short list of tips to help you get started with your reflective journal.

Keep it close: this doesn’t mean you have to carry it around everywhere if you don’t feel like doing so, but in order to get into the habit of journaling, it should be with you most of the time. Imagine thinking of something important to add to your journal while riding a train from one city to another. It’s hard to believe that you’d be able to hold on to that thought until you come home. That’s why it pays off to have your journal with you, or at least an online one that’s accessible from your phone.

Build a habit: journaling every now and then is okay, but if you really want to feel its benefits, you need to make it into a daily habit. Make sure to fill out your journal regularly, even when you’re not inspired. Building a habit is not easy, but luckily, there are some helpful tools: mobile reminders or alarms. After a while, you’ll be surprised by how much you have to share with your diary even when nothing big is going on.

Engage deeply: in order to be able to reflect properly, you need to be deeply engaged in the journaling process. Consider turning off your mobile phone for a while, so you can fully commit to it. Describe the situation in detail, as that’s how you warm up for reflection.

Appreciate small wins: it’s not necessary to have a profound life-changing experience every time you finish an entry. Also, you don’t have to spend an hour or two filling out your reflective journal, as sometimes 10-15 minutes is enough. According to psychologist and researcher Teresa Amabile, the highest driver of positive emotions is making progress with the tasks at hand. Small steps lead to big revelations.

Review: after finishing a reflective journal entry, processing that specific situation is not over. It’s recommended that you return to it after a while, and re-contemplate it. Do you feel any different? Do you have something to add? Did you learn something meaningful?

Effective Reflecting

Now you know how to approach writing in your reflective journal, but how do you actually reflect on things?

Again, there are no special rules, and no one can tell you that your thoughts and insights over a certain situation are not a reflection. However, when it comes to self-improvement, we can always do better, so let’s see what the experts have to say.

According to Donald Schon , reflective practice can take two forms:

  • Reflection-in-action
  • Reflection-on-action

Reflection-in-action happens while participating in a certain activity. It’s a cognitive habit of observing our thought processes in-action, and adapting them according to the situation. Reflection in-action means to analyze the situation, be aware of our presumptions, and understand the problem we’re facing. In Schon’s words, it's a ‘ conversation with a situation’ .

Here are some examples:

  • Thinking about your experience in a given moment;
  • Thinking what to do next;
  • Making presumptions about another person’s feelings;
  • Acting in the moment;
  • Defining your feelings on the run.

Reflection-on-action usually happens once the activity is done. It’s based on what you can remember about the situation. First, you need to explore your memory and try to remember as much as you can. Then, you try to understand the event more deeply and learn a valuable lesson from it.

Examples of reflection-on-action:

  • Recalling the details of a specific event;
  • Thinking about various solutions to it;
  • Thinking how that event has affected various areas of your life;
  • Defining your emotions over that certain event.

Keeping a reflective journal is practicing reflection-on-action. However, this practice is also considered to improve our reflection-in-action, as we become more and more sensitized to observing and identifying our emotional and mental states.

Besides Schon’s, there are other ways to approach the process of reflection. Yes, we can always reflect on past situations, journal about them, and rethink them multiple times. We can also become increasingly self-aware and learn how to reflect while being present and engaged in a certain situation. However, sometimes we expect a situation to happen, and the process of reflection starts before the event.

So, another approach to efficient reflection is to reflect before, during, and after the experience.

For example, you’re preparing for a job interview. Today is Tuesday, your job interview is on Thursday. One part of your psychological preparation can be to reflect on your expectations from the situation.

Before the interview :

  • What could the interviewer ask you?
  • What’s the worst thing that could happen?
  • What are you going to wear and why?
  • How will you describe yourself?
  • How will you describe your previous experiences?

During the interview :

  • How are you feeling at the moment?
  • Is this job a good decision?
  • Are you as confident as you expected?
  • How do you like the interviewer?
  • How are you handling the challenges?
  • Is there anything more you can say?

After the interview:

  • Take your reflective journal and describe the situation from an emotional distance.
  • Would you do or say anything differently?
  • What did you learn from this job interview? How do you evaluate this experience?

Reflective Journal Prompts

If journaling is new to you (especially reflective journaling), you might find yourself sitting and staring at a blank page for hours. As they say—beginnings are the toughest.

This can become quite frustrating, and even impact your will to continue keeping a reflective journal. In order to prevent such outcomes, and boost your ideas and creativity, we’ve prepared a list of reflective journal prompts.

We’ve divided these prompts into four subsections, however, you are free to change or reorganize them however you like. The more creative you get—the better!

When you don't know where to start, it’s always best to start with yourself. A reflective journal is a great space to think about who you are and how you feel about yourself. Here are some examples:

  • What are the five traits that describe you the best? Why?
  • Can you recall any situations when you exhibited these traits?
  • What unique skills do you have? When and how do you use them?
  • Where do you see yourself in a year/5 years/a decade?
  • What kind of person would you like to be?
  • How are you going to become such a person?
  • What do you value the most? Why? How did you gain those values?
  • What makes you happy? When was the last time you were happy? Get into details.
  • What do you fear the most? Why?
  • What’s an ideal gift for you? Why?
  • What are you looking forward to?
  • What makes you sad? Or angry?

Things that Happen to You

This category of prompts is probably the broadest, as it encompasses all of your experiences. You can dig through your personal history and reflect on your childhood, first sex, first refusal, or last week’s events.

  • In what ways have you grown throughout the last year?
  • What were some key events that happened last month?
  • Which memory do you cherish the most?
  • What is your least favorite memory?
  • What’s your first memory?
  • What was your day like? How did that business meeting/interview/date/road trip go?

Relationships

One of the most important aspects of our existence are other people. Relationships with other human beings encompass and define our reality, so they definitely should be a part of your reflective journaling. Here are some relationships prompts:

  • Name the 3 most important relationships in your life. Try to explain why they are so important.
  • Is there a person in your life on whom you’ve had a major impact, or who had a major impact on yours? In what way? Describe.
  • Who is your best friend? What are their top 3 qualities that you cherish? Why?
  • What qualities are important to you in a loving relationship?
  • What are the most important lessons you learned from your previous relationship with someone?
  • Are there any rituals or traditions that your family has? Try to think about their meaning.
  • What do you love the most about your parents? Why?
  • What values do your parents have that you feel aren’t aligned with your values? Why?
  • What do you think about the society you live in? What do you find good or empowering about it, and what do you dislike?

Things You Believe In

These are a bit more abstract, but always valuable to think about. Every human being sticks to a ton of explicit and implicit beliefs about themselves, the world, other people, nature, space, or religion. Exploring these can tell you a lot of things about yourself that you never thought about before!

  • What do you see as the most important invention for humankind? Why?
  • Do you believe in destiny or miracles? Are there any personal examples that support your beliefs?
  • Do you think that we’re alone in the universe? Or you believe there are other forms of life somewhere out there? How does the idea of (not) being alone in the universe make you feel?
  • Are you spiritual? If yes, in what way?

Reflective Journal

As you can see from this article, reflective journaling is a kind of self-therapy in a way. The only thing that could happen if you practice it is your personal growth. At first, your entries may seem more chaotic, but it doesn’t matter—they’re yours.

If you’re interested in finding out more about journaling—you’re at the right place. There are so many types of journals you could keep apart from the reflective journal. If you’d like to find out more about the various types of journals to keep , pay a visit to our blog and dive into the magnificent world of journaling .

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reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

How to Journal for Mental Clarity: Master the Power of Reflection

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Introduction

Welcome to the world of journaling, a transformative practice that can unlock the power of reflection and self-exploration.

In this blog post, we will delve into the intersection of mindfulness, neuroscience, and journaling, exploring the benefits, techniques, and prompts that can help you establish a journaling habit.

Whether you’re a seasoned journaler or new to the practice, this guide aims to empower you to cultivate mental clarity and overall well-being through the art of journaling.

In today’s fast-paced and digitally connected world, finding moments of stillness and self-reflection has become increasingly challenging. Journaling provides a sanctuary amidst the chaos, allowing you to pause, breathe, and connect with your inner thoughts and emotions.

By putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, you embark on a journey of self-exploration and personal growth.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

But journaling is more than just writing down your thoughts and experiences. It is a powerful tool that can have a profound impact on your mental health , cognitive abilities, and mindfulness.

By understanding the science behind journaling and incorporating it into your daily life, you can unlock its full potential and reap the numerous benefits it offers.

Throughout this blog post, we will explore the various aspects and benefits of journaling, from the mental health benefits of reducing stress and managing emotions to the cognitive benefits of enhancing focus and gaining insights into personal growth.

We will also delve into the mindfulness benefits of developing present-moment awareness and cultivating gratitude.

We also look at some journaling tips that will make your daily journal a cherished resource. By integrating journaling into your daily routine and deepening your practice, you can truly harness the transformative power of reflection and self-expression.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to start a journaling habit or enhance your existing practice to start journaling regularly, this guide is for you. Keeping a journal is pure self-discovery, and as we write pages we uncover the incredible benefits and techniques that journaling has to offer that truly improve our everyday life.

Let’s dive in and unleash the power of journaling for mental clarity and overall well-being. You will find all the tips you need to start a journal and how to use journaling work to reap some amazing benefits.

Still not convinced you should start a journal? Read on.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

Benefits of Journaling

If you journal consistently, there are numerous benefits for both mental and cognitive health. Here are some examples:

Mental Health Benefits

  • Reducing stress and enhancing mental resilienceJournaling provides a safe space and a blank page to unload your thoughts and emotions, serving as a form of catharsis. By expressing your worries, fears, and anxieties on paper, you can release the burden they carry and experience a sense of relief. This act of emotional purging can help reduce stress levels and promote mental resilience in the face of challenges.
  • Managing intense emotions and fostering self-compassionWhen faced with intense emotions such as anger, sadness, or frustration, journaling can act as a supportive outlet. By describing and exploring these emotions in your journal entry, you create distance and perspective, allowing you to gain clarity and understanding. Additionally, journaling enables you to practice self-compassion by acknowledging and validating your emotions without judgment, fostering a sense of empathy and self-acceptance.

Cognitive Benefits

  • Improving cognitive functions and mental agilityThe act of writing stimulates the brain and engages various cognitive processes . Journaling regularly can enhance your focus, concentration , and problem-solving abilities. As you put your thoughts into words, you clarify and organize your thinking, leading to improved cognitive functions and mental agility.
  • Gaining insights into personal growth and connecting with your younger selfLooking back at past journal entries provides a unique opportunity for self-reflection and self-discovery. By revisiting your thoughts, experiences, and perspectives, you gain valuable insights into your personal growth over time. Journaling allows you to connect with your younger self, rediscovering forgotten dreams, desires, and aspirations, and providing a deeper understanding of how far you’ve come.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

Mindfulness Benefits

  • Developing a sense of presence and deepening self-reflectionJournaling encourages you to slow down, be present, and fully engage with your thoughts and experiences. By creating a dedicated space and time for reflection, you cultivate a sense of presence, allowing you to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. This practice deepens self-reflection and increases your awareness of the present moment.
  • Cultivating gratitude and positive affirmations for overall well-beingIncorporating gratitude journaling into your practice can have a profound impact on your overall well-being. By regularly expressing gratitude in your journal, you shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life, fostering a sense of appreciation and contentment. Additionally, incorporating positive affirmations in your journaling practice can boost self-confidence, promote self-belief, and reinforce a positive mindset. Each diary entry in your gratitude journal will make keeping a journal an absolute pleasure. From the first blank page, the life changing benefits of this incredible tool become clear. This is a great way to approach journaling as a new habit will only stick if there is pleasure associated with it. From the moment that you start writing things in your gratitude journal, you will be flooded with positive emotions. You might discover that you enjoy writing

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

How to Journal: Establishing a Transformative Practice

A. setting up your routine.

To make journaling a consistent and meaningful practice, it’s essential to establish a journaling routine that suits your preferences and lifestyle.

Here are some key journaling tips to consider to start journaling again:

  • Finding the ideal writing time and duration: Determine the best time of day when you can dedicate uninterrupted focus to your journaling practice. It could be in the morning to set intentions for the day or in the evening to reflect on your experiences. Additionally, consider the duration that works well for you—whether it’s a few minutes or a longer session.
  • Creating a conducive journaling environment: Designate a quiet and comfortable space where you can fully immerse yourself in the journaling process. Eliminate distractions, such as electronic devices, and create a peaceful atmosphere that inspires reflection and introspection. You may also want to gather journaling supplies, such as a notebook, pen, and any other materials that spark creativity.

B. Exploring Journaling Techniques and Journaling Prompts

Journaling techniques and prompts can provide structure and guidance to your journaling practice, helping you delve deeper into self-exploration and personal growth.

To learn how to journal for this purpose, consider experimenting with the following:

  • Trying different journaling styles, such as bullet journaling or guided journaling: Bullet journaling allows you to organize your thoughts in a concise and structured manner, using symbols, lists, and short entries. On the other hand, a guided journal provides prompts and specific themes to explore, which can be particularly helpful for beginners or when seeking a focused approach.
  • Utilizing journaling prompts for self-exploration and personal growth: Journaling prompts serve as catalysts for introspection, helping you dive into specific topics or areas of your life. They can range from thought-provoking questions about your values and aspirations to creative prompts that encourage imagination and self-expression. Explore a variety of prompts and find those that resonate with you, allowing you to uncover new insights and facilitate personal growth.By setting up a journaling routine and exploring different techniques and prompts, you can establish a transformative journaling practice that aligns with your unique needs and goals. In the next section, we’ll discuss how to seamlessly integrate journaling into your daily life.

How to Establish a Journaling Habit

A. journaling in everyday routine.

Making your journaling time a consistent part of your daily life: Journaling becomes more effective when it becomes a regular daily habit too.

By integrating your journaling time into your daily routine, you create a dedicated space for self-reflection and personal growth. Here are some journaling tips to help you make a consistent practice:

  • Set a specific time: Find a time during the day when you can dedicate yourself to journaling. It could be in the morning, during a lunch break, or before going to bed. Choose a time that works best for you and commit to it.
  • Create a ritual: Establish a ritual around journaling to signal your brain that it’s time for introspection. It could be as simple as lighting a candle, playing soft music, or making a cup of tea before you begin writing. These cues will help you transition into a reflective state of mind.

Incorporating journaling into your morning or evening routine: Journaling can be seamlessly integrated into your morning or evening routine, providing a powerful start or end to your day. Consider the following approaches:

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

  • Morning journaling: Begin your day with journaling. Set aside a few minutes to reflect on your thoughts, intentions, and goals for the day ahead. Write about your dreams, aspirations, or any concerns you may have. Simply writing into your morning pages helps you gain clarity and set a positive tone for the day.
  • Evening journaling: Reflect on your day before going to bed. Write about your accomplishments, challenges faced, and any lessons learned. Use this time to express gratitude and let go of any negative emotions or stress. This practice promotes self-awareness and helps you unwind before sleep.

B. Journaling for Specific Contexts

Taking advantage of your daily journal in work life and goal-setting: A Journal can be a valuable tool for professionals and individuals striving for personal growth and success. Yet another advantage of starting to journal regularly. Here’s how you can use a journal in a professional context:

  • Goal-setting: Write down your short-term and long-term goals. Break them down into actionable steps and track your progress. A Journal helps you clarify your objectives, identify obstacles, and develop strategies to overcome them.
  • Reflecting on achievements: Document your professional achievements, milestones, and lessons learned along the way. Reflect on your successes and challenges, and use these insights to further develop your skills and career.
  • Using your journal for stress management and problem-solving: A Journal can serve as an effective outlet for managing stress and solving problems. Consider the following approaches:
  • Venting and releasing emotions: Write freely about your stressors, frustrations, and worries. Rather than an excuse to be self critical, allow yourself to vent and release any pent-up emotions onto the pages of your journal. This practice can provide a sense of relief and help you gain perspective.
  • Problem-solving: Use the journal as a problem-solving tool. Write about a specific challenge or issue you’re facing and brainstorm potential solutions. Explore different perspectives, weigh pros and cons, and consider alternative approaches. A Journal can help you organize your thoughts and find clarity amidst complexity.

By incorporating a journal into your everyday writing routine and leveraging it in specific contexts, you can harness its transformative power to enhance your personal and professional life .

V. Deepening the Journaling Practice

A. exploring journal entries: delving into your inner world.

Reflecting on your thoughts, emotions, and experiences: Your Journal provides a safe and private space for introspection. By delving into your inner world through writing daily or journal entries, you can gain deeper understanding. Here are some suggestions to enhance your daily journal practice:

  • Self-reflection: Take the time to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Ask yourself meaningful questions and write honestly about your innermost thoughts. This process allows you to gain insights, uncover patterns, and develop a better understanding of yourself.
  • Emotional exploration: Your Journal can help you navigate and manage your emotions. Write about the emotions you’re experiencing, whether it’s joy, sadness, anger, or fear. Explore the underlying causes, triggers, and how they impact your overall well-being. This practice promotes emotional intelligence and self-regulation.

Writing with honesty and self-expression: Authenticity is key when it comes to learning a good journaling process. Allow yourself to really write in your journal with honesty and self-expression, without fear of judgment or criticism. Here are a few tips to help you embrace your unique voice:

  • Embrace imperfections: Remember that there’s no right or wrong way to journal. Embrace imperfections in your writing, grammar, or spelling. Focus on the process rather than striving for perfection. Your journal is a judgment-free space for self-expression.
  • Write freely: Give yourself permission to write freely and without self-censorship. Let your thoughts flow onto the pages, allowing your true feelings and thoughts to emerge. Don’t hold back or filter your words. This practice encourages authenticity.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

B. Journal Prompts for Mindful Self-Exploration

Exploring personal growth through targeted writing prompts: Journaling prompts are powerful tools for self-exploration and personal growth. They can get you started when writer’s block is leaving you feeling overwhelmed. They provide specific topics or questions to guide your writing. You might want to start journaling but perhaps you are not sure how to get started. It’s not that you don’t know how to journal, rather that as you write in your journal, nothing comes to mind. So to start journaling, a guided journal makes all the difference. Here are some prompts to inspire mindful self-exploration:

  • “What are my core values, and how do they guide my decisions and actions?”
  • “Describe a recent challenge or setback and reflect on what you learned from it.”
  • “What are my strengths and how can I leverage them to reach my goals?”
  • Stoic Style Journal Prompts:
  • Reflect on a challenge you are currently facing. How can you reframe it from a Stoic perspective and find opportunities for growth and wisdom?What are some virtues or character traits you admire in others? How can you cultivate those qualities within yourself?Imagine your worst-case scenario. How can you prepare mentally and emotionally to face it with Stoic resilience and equanimity?
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Style Journal Prompts:
  • Identify a negative thought or belief that is causing you distress. Challenge it by providing evidence that contradicts it and offer a more balanced and realistic alternative perspective.Record a situation where you experienced a strong negative emotion. Analyze the thoughts that triggered the emotion and identify any cognitive distortions present. How can you reframe those thoughts to promote a more positive emotional state?Explore a recurring negative pattern or behavior in your life. Use the ABC model (Activating event, Belief, Consequence) to understand the underlying beliefs that contribute to this pattern and brainstorm alternative beliefs and behaviors.
  • Positive Psychology Style Journal Prompts:
  • Write about a moment of genuine happiness or joy that you experienced recently. What were the factors that contributed to that happiness? How can you incorporate more of those factors into your everyday life?Identify your signature strengths and reflect on how you can leverage them to enhance your well-being and make a positive impact in your relationships and community.Practice gratitude journaling by listing three things you are grateful for each day. Reflect on the positive emotions and mindset shift that gratitude brings.

VII. The Bullet Journal

The Bullet Journal method (Bujo for short) is a popular journal technique that has gained widespread recognition for its flexibility and effectiveness in organizing tasks, goals and thoughts. Developed by Ryder Carroll, the Bullet Journal system combines the functions of a planner, to-do list, and diary into one concise and customizable format.

At its core, the Bujo method relies on a rapid-logging system using bullet points to represent different types of entries. Here’s a breakdown of key elements in the Bujo method:

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

  • Rapid Logging: The foundation of the Bullet Journal method is rapid logging, which involves using concise bullet points to represent different types of information. For example, an open circle (•) is used to denote tasks, an “X” is used to mark completed tasks, and a greater-than sign (>) is used for migrating tasks to a different day or month.
  • Collections: Collections are thematic lists or pages that help organize specific topics or areas of focus. Examples of collections include a monthly calendar, habit tracker, reading list, gratitude log, or goal setting pages. These collections allow you to customize your journal based on your needs and interests.
  • Indexing: The Bujo utilizes an index, which acts as a table of contents for your journal. It enables easy navigation and retrieval of information by listing the page numbers of different collections and important entries.

The Bujo’s popularity can be attributed to its adaptability and versatility. It offers a structured framework for writing lists while allowing for personalization to suit individual preferences. Some reasons for its widespread appeal include:

  • Customization: The Bullet Journal method can be tailored to match your specific needs and organizational style . You have the freedom to design layouts, choose colors, and create collections that align with your goals and interests.
  • Flexibility: Unlike pre-printed planners, the Bujo method doesn’t restrict you to fixed layouts or predetermined formats. You can experiment with different page designs, trackers, and spreads, adapting them as your needs change.
  • Mindful Engagement: The process of setting up and maintaining a Bujo encourages mindful engagement with your tasks, goals, and thoughts. By actively logging and reflecting on your entries, you cultivate a deeper awareness of your priorities and progress.
  • Creative Outlet: The Bullet Journal method provides an outlet for creativity, allowing you to express yourself through doodles, illustrations, hand-lettering, or collage. This artistic aspect adds an element of enjoyment and personal expression to the experience.
  • Community and Inspiration: The Bullet Journal method has a vibrant online community where enthusiasts share ideas, inspiration, and tips for using the system effectively. This sense of community fosters motivation, accountability, and a continuous flow of fresh ideas.

While the Bullet Journal method has gained immense popularity, it may not be suitable for everyone. Some individuals may prefer a more structured or minimalist approach to journaling. Ultimately, the effectiveness of bullet journals or any journaling method depends on finding the one that resonates with you and supports your organizational and reflective needs.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

What is better: A Paper Journal or a Journal App?

When it comes to choosing between a traditional paper journal and a digital notes app, there are pros and cons to consider for each option. Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of both:

  • Tangible Experience: Writing in a physical journal can offer a tactile and sensory experience, allowing you to feel the texture of the paper and the smooth flow of the pen.
  • Unplugged and Distraction-Free: Using paper eliminates the distractions that may come with digital devices, providing a focused and uninterrupted writing experience.
  • Personalization: With paper, you can customize the journal to your liking, choosing different types of paper, adding drawings or magazine clippings, and even using different pens or markers to create a truly beautiful notebook.
  • Accessibility and Portability: Carrying a physical journal everywhere can be cumbersome, and it may not always be readily available when you want to capture a spontaneous thought or idea.
  • Limited Organization and Searchability: Finding specific entries or organizing content can be challenging with a physical journal, especially as the number of entries grows.
  • Risk of Damage or Loss: Physical journals are susceptible to damage, such as water spills or misplacement, which could result in the loss of valuable content.
  • Accessibility and Portability: Some great writing apps are available on smartphones, tablets, and computers, providing easy access to your journal anytime and anywhere.
  • Enhanced Organization and Searchability: Digital journal apps often come with features that allow you to tag entries, search for keywords, and organize content into categories or folders.
  • Multimedia Integration: Journal apps enable the inclusion of photos, videos, and audio recordings, allowing for a more multimedia-rich experience.
  • Digital Distractions: Using a journal app on a device that is connected to the internet may expose you to potential distractions, such as notifications or other apps.
  • Privacy and Security: Storing personal thoughts and emotions on a digital platform raises concerns about data privacy and security, although reputable journal apps typically provide encryption and password protection features.
  • Potential Learning Curve: Learning how to navigate and use a journal app effectively may require some initial investment of time and effort.

Ultimately, the choice between the paper or digital option depends on personal preferences and individual needs. Some people may prefer the traditional feel and tactile experience of a paper journal, while others may appreciate the convenience, accessibility, and organization features offered by digital journal apps.

Consider your lifestyle, preferences, and the specific benefits and limitations outlined above to make an informed decision that aligns with your daily journaling goals.

reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

VIII. Conclusion

In conclusion, the correct use of a journal is a transformative practice that can have a profound impact on your mental clarity and overall well-being.

Throughout this blog post, we explored the significance of using your journal for mental clarity and well-being. We delved into the intersection of mindfulness and neuroscience, highlighting the mental health , cognitive, and mindfulness benefits it offers.

We discussed how to establish a daily journal-ing routine by finding the ideal writing time and duration, creating a conducive environment, and exploring various journaling techniques and prompts. If you have already started journaling, now you have to make it a consistent habit, whether by incorporating it into your morning or evening routine.

We also emphasized the importance of deepening your journaling practice through exploring journal entries, reflecting on your thoughts and emotions, and writing with honesty and self-expression.

Mindful self-exploration journal writing can be facilitated through targeted prompts that encourage self-dexploration and personal growth, while gratitude journaling and positive affirmations cultivate a sense of appreciation and positivity.

Now, armed with the knowledge, techniques, inspiration and even some journaling tips to start your journey, it’s time to embrace this transformative practice. Begin by picking up your pen or opening a blank document, and let your thoughts flow onto the pages.

Start journaling today. There’s no right or wrong way to start writing a journal—what matters is the process of self-reflection and self-expression. It’s not just useful, you will enjoy journaling.

So, start writing, explore your inner world, and witness the amazing benefits that daily journaling alone can bring. Embrace the personal growth, and enjoy all the rewards that come from cultivating mental clarity and well-being through daily journaling habit.

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Reflection Toolkit

Structure of academic reflections

Guidance on the structure of academic reflections.

Academic reflections or reflective writing completed for assessment often require a clear structure. Contrary to some people’s belief, reflection is not just a personal diary talking about your day and your feelings.

Both the language and the structure are important for academic reflective writing. For the structure you want to mirror an academic essay closely. You want an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

Academic reflection will require you to both describe the context, analyse it, and make conclusions. However, there is not one set of rules for the proportion of your reflection that should be spent describing the context, and what proportion should be spent on analysing and concluding. That being said, as learning tends to happen when analysing and synthesising rather than describing, a good rule of thumb is to describe just enough such that the reader understands your context.

Example structure for academic reflections

Below is an example of how you might structure an academic reflection if you were given no other guidance and what each section might contain.  Remember this is only a suggestion and you must consider what is appropriate for the task at hand and for you yourself.

Introduction

Identifies and introduces your experience or learning

  • This can be a critical incident
  • This can be the reflective prompt you were given
  • A particular learning you have gained

When structuring your academic reflections it might make sense to start with what you have learned and then use the main body to evidence that learning, using specific experiences and events. Alternatively, start with the event and build up your argument. This is a question of personal preference – if you aren’t given explicit guidance you can ask the assessor if they have a preference, however both can work.

Highlights why it was important

  • This can be suggesting why this event was important for the learning you gained
  • This can be why the learning you gained will benefit you or why you appreciate it in your context

You might find that it is not natural to highlight the importance of an event before you have developed your argument for what you gained from it. It can be okay not to explicitly state the importance in the introduction, but leave it to develop throughout your reflection.

Outline key themes that will appear in the reflection (optional – but particularly relevant when answering a reflective prompt or essay)

  • This can be an introduction to your argument, introducing the elements that you will explore, or that builds to the learning you have already gained.

This might not make sense if you are reflecting on a particular experience, but is extremely valuable if you are answering a reflective prompt or writing an essay that includes multiple learning points. A type of prompt or question that could particularly benefit from this would be ‘Reflect on how the skills and theory within this course have helped you meet the benchmark statements of your degree’

It can be helpful to explore one theme/learning per paragraph.

Explore experiences

  • You should highlight and explore the experience you introduced in the introduction
  • If you are building toward answering a reflective prompt, explore each relevant experience.

As reflection is centred around an individual’s personal experience, it is very important to make experiences a main component of reflection. This does not mean that the majority of the reflective piece should be on describing an event – in fact you should only describe enough such that the reader can follow your analysis.

Analyse and synthesise

  • You should analyse each of your experiences and from them synthesise new learning

Depending on the requirements of the assessment, you may need to use theoretical literature in your analysis. Theoretical literature is a part of perspective taking which is relevant for reflection, and will happen as a part of your analysis.  

Restate or state your learning

  • Make a conclusion based on your analysis and synthesis.
  • If you have many themes in your reflection, it can be helpful to restate them here.

Plan for the future

  • Highlight and discuss how your new-found learnings will influence your future practice

Answer the question or prompt (if applicable)

  • If you are answering an essay question or reflective prompt, make sure that your conclusion provides a succinct response using your main body as evidence.  

Using a reflective model to structure academic reflections

You might recognise that most reflective models mirror this structure; that is why a lot of the reflective models can be really useful to structure reflective assignments. Models are naturally structured to focus on a single experience – if the assignment requires you to focus on multiple experiences, it can be helpful to simply repeat each step of a model for each experience.

One difference between the structure of reflective writing and the structure of models is that sometimes you may choose to present your learning in the introduction of a piece of writing, whereas models (given that they support working through the reflective process) will have learning appearing at later stages.

However, generally structuring a piece of academic writing around a reflective model will ensure that it involves the correct components, reads coherently and logically, as well as having an appropriate structure.

Reflective journals/diaries/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflection

The example structure above works particularly well for formal assignments such as reflective essays and reports.  Reflective journal/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflections tend to be less formal both in language and structure, however you can easily adapt the structure for journals and other reflective assignments if you find that helpful.

That is, if you are asked to produce a reflective journal with multiple entries it will most often (always check with the person who issued the assignment) be a successful journal if each entry mirrors the structure above and the language highlighted in the section on academic language. However, often you can be less concerned with form when producing reflective journals/diaries.

When producing reflective journals, it is often okay to include your original reflection as long as you are comfortable with sharing the content with others, and that the information included is not too personal for an assessor to read.

Developed from:

Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.

University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online].  Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable).  Reflection. [online].  Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.

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Writing in the sciences...: Reflective Journals

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  • Referencing

What is Reflective Writing?

Reflective writing differs from the more objective forms of writing you do in assignments and reports.

Reflective writing encourages you to reflect upon your own thoughts, actions and experiences as they relate to what and how you are learning.

"Learning to write reflectively will equip you with the relevant ethical and analytical ability to benefit from your practical experiences.Reflection may be articulated differently, depending on whether you are speaking or writing about your experiences."

(Howatson-Jones, L (2010). Reflecting writing. In  Reflective practice in nursing.  Exeter; Learning Matters p. 120-121)

Examples of Reflective Writing

  • Monash University
  • University of Leeds
  • Canberra University (PDF)

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What is a Reflective Journal?

A reflective journal is a personal and unstructured form of reflective writing. In a learning journal you can write about:

  • what you and others did on any particular occasion
  • what you thought; what others might have thought
  • what you felt; what others might have felt

Why write a reflective journal?

  • helps clarify thinking
  • allows you to express feelings about yourself/peers/lecturers/course content/your writing/others' writing
  • helps identify misunderstandings / non-understandings
  • can help you identify learning needs
  • can inform dialogues between you and your lecturer / peers
  • allows you to perceive links between knowledge/experience - past/present

Your journal could include reflective running notes on:

  • experiences with others
  • personal experiences which impinge on your work
  • interactions with peers / lecturers
  • things you did / would not say, but did think
  • feelings about your writings
  • comments on your reading
  • any increase in your knowledge
  • increase in your ability to articulate and identify issues
  • the expansion of your depth of understanding
  • changes in beliefs, theories, attitudes, relationships or practices

    ( Adapted from Gillie Bolton (2005).  Reflective Practice: writing and professional development.2nd Ed.)

Guided reflection

Guidelines for keeping a reflective diary/journal & writing up critical reflective incidents

  • Keep a journal of experiences over the year
  • Write up the journal entry/incident
  • Below the entry write up your reflections / analysis notes of the situation
  • Write up experiences the same day if possible
  • Use actual dialogue wherever possible to capture the situation
  • Make a habit of writing up at least one experience per work day/shift
  • Balance problematic experiences with satisfying experience
  • Challenge yourself at least once a day about something that you normally do without thought / take for granted
  • Ask yourself 'why do I do that?'  (i.e. make the normal problematic)
  • Always endeavour to be open and honest with yourself - find the authentic 'you' to do the writing

Ask yourself: 

What did I learn from the situation?  

In what way has it assisted my learning to be a health practitioner? 

Could the situation have been better managed?

(From: Johns (1992) & Carper (1978) in P. Palmer, S. Burns and C. Bulman, C.,   Reflective Practice in Nursing  (1994). London. Blackwell Scientific Publications. p. 112).

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How to Write a Reflective Journal with Tips and Examples

  • How To Create a Reflective Journal

One of the most commonly used and therapeutic ways to utilize your journal is to reflect upon experiences you deem profound or that had an impact on your life. Getting it all down on paper can really give you a completely different perspective on things. Writing in your journal can be an incredibly useful tool to help you better understand yourself and the world you operate in. Reflective learning journals are also a great way to find creative solutions to difficult problems.

So, what exactly is a Reflective Journal?

A reflective journal (aka a reflective diary) is the perfect place to jot down some of life's biggest thoughts. In a reflective journal, you can write about a positive or negative event that you experienced, what it means or meant to you, and what you may have learned from that experience.

A well-written journal can be an important tool. As with any tool, to get the most benefits, you need practice. This could mean forcing yourself to write, at first, but after a while, it will become like second nature. Write down your entry as soon as possible after the event. This way, the details will still be fresh in your mind, which will help later in your analysis.

5 Reasons To Write a Reflective Journal

Reflective journals are most often used to record detailed descriptions of certain aspects of an event or thought. For example, who was there, what was the purpose of the event, what do you think about it, how does it make you feel, etc. Write down everything, even if you don't have a clear idea of how this information will be helpful. 

Here are some of the most common reasons why people find reflective journals so useful:

  • To make sense of things that happened. What you write should sound as if you are describing the details to someone who wasn't there. Be as descriptive as possible. Just the act of writing down the details of what happened may give you perspective that you may not have otherwise considered had you just continued to think about it.
  • To speculate as to why something is the way it is.  Your views can come from your own common sense, or from something you have heard at a lecture or read in a book. Either way, speculating why something is the way it is can be a very useful exercise in reasoning.
  • To align future actions with your reflected values and experiences.  After positing your interpretation, continue to observe the subject of your speculation to decide whether you want to stick to your original views, or make changes. That is one of the great things about an online journal--you can make changes to your entries at any time.
  • To get thoughts and ideas out of your head.  Writing down your thoughts can help relieve pressure or help resolve problems. It will also help you focus the task at hand.
  • To share your thoughts and ideas with others.  Getting opinions from others about what you wrote can help you clarify your feelings for a deeper understanding of yourself.

The Reflective Journal Thought Process

When writing a reflective journal, you are simply documenting something that has happened in your life that requires you to make a change or consider the impact of your decision. Your journal, in many ways, is a dialogue that you are having with yourself. You are forcing your brain to think critically about something and to produce written words accordingly.

The worst thing you can do to a creative flow is to start inputting criticism before your thought is complete. Allow yourself the time to make a mistake and keep going. Who cares if you didn't phrase that exactly how you should have or you didn't spell that word right? Those things just aren't important here. Find whatever works for you.

4 Tips To Get Your Reflective Journaling Started

Writing a reflective journal requires not only that you describe a learning experience, but also that you analyze the topics covered and articulate your feelings and opinions about the subject matter. There is no set structure for writing a reflective journal, as the diary is meant for your own use. The writing process is entirely free-form. However, there are certain guidelines to follow that will make you more successful at this. Here are some basic tips at how to write a reflective journal. 

1. Always Keep the Journal Nearby

The first step in learning how to write a reflective journal is as simple as being prepared to jot down your thoughts and opinions on something you are learning anytime the mood strikes. For example, if you have an insightful observation about a book you're reading while on the bus, it pays to have your journal with you. Penzu's free diary software  come in handy in such a situation, as online and mobile entries can be made in your Penzu journal from any location.

2. Make Regular Entries

While you can write in whatever form and style you please, it's important to write regular entries, even if a moment of inspiration doesn't arise. This ensures you are reviewing content and actively thinking about what you have learned. This will develop your writing and critical thinking skills while keeping you organized. In the end, this should enable you to better understand specific topics you are studying.

3. Participate, Observe, Summarize and Contemplate

While reflecting is the main part of keeping a reflective diary, it's also vital that you first participate in a learning activity, make observations and summarize facts and experiences. For example, if you are writing a lab for science class, be sure to first cover what you did and what the goal and outcome of the experiment was prior to elaborating on your ideas and opinions of what was discovered. Reflective journaling is first about participating and observing before writing.

4. Review Regularly

Take time to read over previous journal entries and see how new experiences, additional knowledge and time have altered how you think and feel about the material you've been analyzing and contemplating. This will make the journal more valuable to you personally, as it will shed light on how you've grown. 

Reflective Journal Topic Examples

To create a reflective journal that really provides detail on your overall perspective on a variety of different situations, consider using one of the prompts below to help with your thought process.

  • Write about which relationships have the most meaning to you and why. Include ways you can grow to help maintain these close relationships and get rid of the toxic relationships currently in your life.
  • Write about what you are learning at school or in college.
  • Write about someone in your life who has experienced a positive change and how you can learn from their situation.
  • Write about what you want out of the next five years of your life and what you can do to achieve these goals.

If you’re looking for more topic examples, check out these great reflective journal prompts

Reflective Journal Example

The passage below is a sample reflective diary entry about losing a job:

“This week I lost my job because my employer thought I was not consistent in my work. At first I was a little upset, because I'm always on time, and I complete what I can by the end of the day. I couldn't figure out what she meant by stating that I wasn't consistent in my work. After thinking about the situation, I realized that I can only complete the work assigned to the best of my ability. What she doesn't realize is that the problem started because I constantly received incomplete reports. Whoever ends up with my former job will have the same issues if that problem isn't addressed first. However, knowing that I did what I could will allow me to continue to move forward with a positive outlook for the future.

A reflective journal is a personal account of an educational experience that offers a variety of benefits, from enhancing your writing skills and helping you retain information to allowing you to express your thoughts on new ideas and theories.

When keeping a reflective journal, it's important that you have privacy and convenience. Penzu's online account and mobile platform offer secure access and the ability to write entries from anywhere, and your diary will never get lost or stolen.

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Higher Order Thinking Skills in the Language Classroom: A Concise Guide pp 147–158 Cite as

Reflective Journals

  • Afsaneh Ghanizadeh 5 ,
  • Ali H. Al-Hoorie 6 &
  • Safoura Jahedizadeh 5  
  • First Online: 12 September 2020

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Part of the Second Language Learning and Teaching book series (SLLT)

A reflective journal , also known as a reflective narrative , is a collection of thoughts, feelings, observations, notes, and other related resources created over a period of time. It typically supplements the study cycle, fieldwork, or a placement experience. The purpose of a reflective journal is to enrich individuals’ learning through the actual process of writing and thinking about their personal experiences. It is a growing document written by the learner to record their learning progress.

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Ghanizadeh, A., Al-Hoorie, A.H., Jahedizadeh, S. (2020). Reflective Journals. In: Higher Order Thinking Skills in the Language Classroom: A Concise Guide. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56711-8_6

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Journaling About Relationships: 70 Prompts for Deeper Connections

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  • August 23, 2023

Home » Day One Blog » Journaling About Relationships: 70 Prompts for Deeper Connections

Journaling about relationships isn’t a magic solution to relationship problems, but writing about your relationships can help you enjoy deeper, more meaningful connections. Keeping a journal allows you to reflect on your feelings, actions, and reactions in a safe space. By putting pen to paper, you give yourself the opportunity to understand patterns, recognize areas that need growth, and appreciate the moments that bring joy.

In this guide, we’ll explore an approach to journaling about relationships by examining some of the components of healthy relationships through guided prompts.

The Components of Healthy Relationships

Healthy relationships are as essential to your well-being as a nutritious diet and a good night’s sleep. According to Harvard Medical School, the health benefits of strong relationships show that people with strong connections to others have fewer health problems, live longer, and feel happier overall.

a couple holds hands

Whether they be romantic, familial, or platonic, healthy relationships are typically characterized by several key components:

  • Trust : Trust is foundational in any relationship. It involves believing that the other person will act with integrity, honesty, and in your best interest. Breaches in trust, like dishonesty or betrayal, can be damaging, though not irreparable with effort and commitment.
  • Communication : Open, honest, and effective communication is essential. This means both speaking and listening actively, expressing needs, understanding, and seeking to be understood.
  • Respect : Treating each other with respect involves valuing and acknowledging each other’s feelings, wishes, and rights. It also means avoiding actions or words that are harmful or demeaning.
  • Boundaries : Healthy relationships have established boundaries that respect individual rights and feelings. These boundaries ensure that each person feels safe and valued.
  • Equality : Each person has equal say and equally invests in the relationship. Decisions are made together, and each person’s input is valued.
  • Independence : While sharing time and experiences is crucial, it’s also important for each person to maintain their sense of self and independence outside the relationship.
  • Empathy : The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person is crucial. It involves being attuned to each other’s emotions and offering support when needed.
  • Affection : Physical and emotional expressions of love, care, and appreciation, like hugging, complimenting, or saying “I love you,” can strengthen bonds.
  • Conflict Resolution : Disagreements and conflicts are natural in any relationship. However, the key lies in addressing them constructively, without resorting to blame, avoidance, or aggression.
  • Shared Experiences and Interests : While it’s essential to have individual interests, shared experiences and common interests can strengthen the bond between people.
  • Support : A healthy relationship involves mutual support in both good and challenging times. This means being there for each other, offering help, encouragement, and understanding.
  • Growth and Adaptation : As individuals change and grow, the relationship must adapt. Recognizing, appreciating, and accommodating for personal growth and changes ensures the relationship remains healthy.
  • Intimacy : For romantic relationships, emotional and sometimes physical intimacy is an important component. This intimacy is built on trust, respect, and open communication.
  • Commitment : Being dedicated to the relationship and working towards its longevity and health is crucial.

A person journaling about relationships

70 Journal Prompts for Relationships

Using journal prompts is a great way to spark introspection, dive deeper into personal thoughts and feelings, and cultivate a consistent writing habit. These journal prompts for relationships can act as starting points for deeper reflection and understanding of one’s relationships and personal feelings towards each component.

Over time, gaining self-awareness can lead to better communication, empathy, and understanding with your partner or loved ones. Revisiting past entries can offer perspective, showing how far you’ve come or reminding you of the lessons you’ve learned. Journaling about your relationships can foster a deeper sense of self-awareness and build a foundation for healthier interactions and communication.

Tip: If you’re journaling as a couple’s exercise, using the same prompts and sharing your entries with one another could offer insights. 

To make selecting prompts easier, consider the following suggestions in categories commonly addressed in relationships. 

Navigating trust in relationships can be a journey of self-discovery and understanding. The following prompts aim to help you uncover the depths of trust in your interactions.

  • How do I feel when my trust has been broken? How do I respond?
  • What actions or signs make me feel that someone is trustworthy?
  • Have I ever broken someone’s trust? How did I work towards rebuilding it?
  • How do I differentiate between a one-time mistake and a pattern of dishonesty?
  • How can I cultivate more trust in my relationships?

Communication

Dive into these prompts to reflect on how you communicate and how it shapes your connections.

  • When was the last time I felt truly heard and understood in a conversation?
  • How do I usually express my needs to others?
  • Are there topics or feelings I find difficult to communicate? Why?
  • How can I improve my listening skills?
  • What barriers often prevent me from effective communication?

Use these prompts to explore how respect manifests in your interactions and how it influences your bonds.

  • How do I feel when I am respected versus when I’m disrespected?
  • Are there times I might have shown disrespect unintentionally? How can I rectify that?
  • How do I show respect to others in my daily interactions?
  • What boundaries do I set to ensure I am respected?
  • How can I better respect the differences in others?

Healthy boundaries pave the way for mutual respect and understanding. Delve into these prompts to evaluate and reinforce your personal boundaries.

  • What are my personal boundaries in relationships?
  • Are there boundaries I’ve let others cross? How did it make me feel?
  • How do I communicate my boundaries to others?
  • How do I respond when someone communicates their boundaries to me?
  • What steps can I take to better establish and maintain my boundaries?

True partnerships thrive on equality. Reflect on the role of equality in your relationships with these thought-provoking prompts.

  • Do I feel like an equal partner in my relationships?
  • Are there times I’ve felt dominated or overshadowed?
  • How can I ensure that decisions are made collaboratively in my relationships?
  • How do I handle situations when equality seems off-balance?
  • What does equality in a relationship look like to me?

Independence

Maintaining individuality while nurturing a shared bond can be a delicate balance. Explore this dynamic with prompts centered on independence.

  • How do I maintain my independence while being in a relationship?
  • Are there times I’ve felt I’ve lost my sense of self? Why?
  • How can I balance shared experiences with personal time?
  • How does my independence enrich my relationships?
  • Are there areas where I need more independence or autonomy?

Empathy allows us to connect on a profound level. These prompts can guide you in understanding and cultivating empathy in your relationships.

  • When was the last time I truly empathized with someone? How did it feel?
  • How do I respond when someone shares their emotions with me?
  • Are there situations where I find it challenging to be empathetic?
  • How can I cultivate a deeper sense of empathy in my relationships?
  • What steps can I take to better understand the feelings of others?

Affection, in its many forms, strengthens our emotional bonds. Dive deeper into the role of affection in your life with these insightful prompts.

  • How do I prefer to receive affection?
  • How do I show affection to others?
  • Are there times I’ve felt starved of affection or overwhelmed by it?
  • How can I communicate my needs for affection?
  • What role does affection play in my relationships?

Conflict Resolution

Handling conflicts with grace and understanding is key to relationship longevity. Reflect on your conflict resolution strategies with these prompts.

  • How do I typically react during conflicts?
  • Are there unresolved conflicts in my life? What holds me back from addressing them?
  • What strategies can I adopt to handle conflicts more constructively?
  • How do I feel after a conflict is resolved healthily?
  • Are there triggers that escalate conflicts in my relationships?

Shared Experiences and Interests

Shared moments and interests enrich our bonds. These prompts aim to highlight the significance of shared experiences in your relationships.

  • What shared experiences have brought me closer to someone?
  • Are there common interests I wish to explore with someone?
  • How do shared activities or interests enhance my relationships?
  • How do I balance shared interests with individual pursuits?
  • How can I introduce a new shared experience or interest in my relationships?

Offering and receiving support strengthens our connections. Use these prompts to reflect on the support dynamics in your relationships.

  • When did I last feel genuinely supported by someone?
  • How do I offer support to those I care about?
  • Are there times I’ve felt unsupported? How did it affect me?
  • How can I better communicate my needs for support?
  • What does mutual support look like in a healthy relationship?

Growth and Adaptation

Growth is an inevitable part of life, and adapting within relationships is crucial. Explore this evolution with the following prompts.

  • How have I grown or changed in the past year, and how has it impacted my relationships?
  • Are there times I’ve resisted change in myself or my partner? Why?
  • How can I better adapt to changes in my relationships?
  • How do I feel when my partner or friend grows or changes?
  • How can I support growth and change in my relationships?

Intimacy goes beyond the physical, touching the very core of our emotional bonds. Delve into its depths with these reflective prompts.

  • What does emotional intimacy mean to me?
  • How do I create a safe space for intimacy in my relationships?
  • Are there barriers I’ve put up that prevent deeper intimacy?
  • How does trust influence intimacy for me?
  • Are there areas of intimacy I’d like to explore or improve upon?

Commitment is the anchor of enduring relationships; these prompts will help you explore its nuances and significance in your life.

  • What does commitment look like to me in a relationship?
  • How do I show my commitment to those I care about?
  • Are there times I’ve questioned my commitment? Why?
  • What challenges test my commitment, and how do I navigate them?
  • How can I strengthen the commitment in my relationships?

The Benefits of Journaling About Relationships

Journaling is the practice of writing about your feelings, insights, and experiences on a daily or regular basis. Journaling is one of the best ways to connect with your truest, most authentic self. 

Numerous journaling benefits include improved immune system functioning, lower blood pressure, improved mood and feeling of general well-being, and improved performance at work, school, and in sports.

Journaling about relationships can be an effective way to build stronger bonds and fully enjoy the benefits of your connections with others. No one is born knowing how to be a good friend or a romantic partner. People learn how to be in relationships through personal experience and by watching those around them. If you didn’t grow up in a supportive environment where you practiced healthy relationship habits, you might struggle to create the kinds of connections you want. 

Even if you do have strong interpersonal skills, maintaining and deepening long-term relationships can still be a challenge. Journaling about relationships is a great place to start.

Here are a few of the benefits of journaling about relationships:

1. Improve Communication

Good communication is one of the cornerstones of meaningful relationships. Being able to speak truthfully and clearly is just as important as listening closely when someone speaks. But, if you’re not the best communicator, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to have poor relationships for the rest of your life. 

Like other relationship skills, you can learn communication strategies. You can practice communication skills through writing before you express yourself verbally. Building confidence in your ability to communicate will make it easier to share thoughts and emotions with someone else. 

2. Encourage Self-Awareness and Understanding

Do you and your best friend always get into an argument when her sister comes to town? Does choosing a weekend activity with your romantic partner often end up in a power struggle? You may not even realize there are patterns to your relationship challenges. 

Journaling about relationships allows you to reflect on difficulties and successes in your interactions. Journaling can help you gain insight into your patterns and the things that trigger strong emotions. With a better understanding of your own behaviors, you’ll be in a stronger position to make positive changes. 

3. Deepen Emotional Intimacy and Connection

When people think about improving relationships, they often focus on “fixing” what is wrong. Addressing weaknesses is an important part of creating healthier bonds, but remembering why you love and appreciate a person is also vital. Through journaling, you can explore why you were drawn to a person to begin with.

Writing about their best qualities and the things you admire about them may help put petty issues in perspective and help you focus on more important things. Sharing these insights with your partner can help strengthen your bond by encouraging emotional vulnerability and building trust. 

4. Set Relationship Goals

Do you ever feel like your relationships are lacking, but you don’t know what they are missing? The problem may be that you’re unsure of exactly what you want from important connections. 

Journaling is a great way to explore relationship goals and expectations. Writing them down gives you an opportunity to see if your goals are realistic. If they are, you can then begin working on the steps needed to achieve your goal. 

Remember, unless you are directly working with and sharing your insights with another person, relationship goals should focus on things you can do to make the relationship more satisfying. For example, if you feel disrespected in a relationship, you may think the goal of “Get X to show me more respect” is the answer. But, the goal of “Communicate to X what respect means to me. Set and protect my boundaries when I feel disrespected” is within your control. Expecting someone else to change is not. 

3 Practical Tips for Getting the Most From Journaling

Getting started journaling about relationships is simple and costs little. There’s really no downside to trying it. The following tips will help you develop an effective, beneficial journaling practice. 

1. Set the Stage for Self-Reflection

Creating a safe and private space for self-reflection is key. Journaling can bring up strong emotions. Being in a private place where you can laugh, cry, or express anger is an essential part of the process. 

Sticking to a reliable schedule is another critical element in journaling. Many people find that writing first thing in the morning every morning is the most effective. But, a journaling schedule that works for your life is ideal. 

The kind of journal you use is also worth considering. You want something that’s convenient for you. If your journal is easily accessible, whether it’s a simple drugstore notebook and a pen or a journaling app like Day One , it will encourage you to write when the mood arises, or the need to do so hits. 

2. Be Completely Honest

Using honesty and authenticity while journaling about relationships is really the only “rule.” If you don’t express the truth as you know it, you’ll miss out on opportunities to grow your relationships. 

Being honest puts you in a better position to explore the positive and challenging aspects of relationships. No relationship is all good or all bad. Writing about what works and what doesn’t is helpful. Keeping a balanced perspective increases confidence in your relationship-building skills and shows you which aspects need improvement. 

3. Build a Consistent Journaling Habit

Multiple studies have confirmed that building a journaling habit will help you experience more benefits. It doesn’t matter when you write. What matters is to keep your commitment and show up for yourself. 

Your actual writing time may be no more than 20 minutes per session, but giving yourself a few moments of quiet reflection before and after journaling can help. Taking a few breaths and getting focused before you start can help calm your mind and free it from distractions. 

If your writing brings up strong or painful emotions, having a little extra time to process your feelings will make reentry into daily life less jarring. 

Using a timer for journaling relieves your mind from schedule concerns. Set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes or whatever your preferred session length may be. You’ll have no need to stop your stream of thought to check the clock and can focus on your journal. 

4. Explore Different Journaling Techniques

Using gratitude and appreciation in relationship journaling increases positive feelings about yourself and others. Learning to express gratitude to others — or even to yourself — can be difficult. Including gratitude journal entries in your journal reminds you about the good things in your relationships that are worth working for. 

Though people often think of journaling as an exercise in writing, there’s no need to limit yourself to writing traditional paragraphs — or writing at all. Art journals combine drawing, collage, sketching, doodling, and other forms of visual art with writing. You can include poetry, quotes, or anything else that helps you open up to the journaling process. 

Wrapping Up: The Power in Journaling About Relationships

Relationships take effort and a commitment to personal growth and one another. Building connections with others is important to your physical and emotional health. If you are struggling to have satisfying relationships or you simply want to improve the relationships you already have, journaling can help. 

Not everyone learns about being a good friend or partner or has good examples to model. Fortunately, it’s never too late to learn. Journaling about relationships is one way to discover the strengths and weaknesses in your interpersonal skill set and gain insight on how to improve them.

Start Journaling Today in the Day One Journal App

Day One is an intuitive journaling app that provides insightful prompts and other features designed to help you get the most from journaling. Download the Day One Journaling app today and see how journaling about relationships can help you create the meaningful connections you’re missing. 

About the Author

Kristen Webb Wright is the author of three books on journaling. With a passion for writing and self-reflection, Kristen uses her experience with journaling to help others discover the benefits of documenting their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In her role at Day One, she helps to promote the power of journaling so people from all walks of life can experience the transformative power of journaling.

Journaling expert, Kristen Webb Wright

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11 Things to Know about the Doctrine of the Trinity

  • May 19, 2018
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reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to “set your mind on the things above” (Col. 3:2).

It’s easy to turn doctrinal discussions into strictly intellectual affairs, but as Dr. Fred Sanders teaches in The Triune God course, we need to do so “in a way that enlists the reader’s strict and holy attention for what is essentially a spiritual exercise.”

Any discussion of trinitarian doctrine is an attempt to more deeply understand the character and nature of God.

If we’re interested in discovering (and maintaining) an orthodox understanding of the Trinity, there are some principles we need to understand.

These 11 things you need to know about the doctrine of the Trinity are adapted from his course:

1. The revelation of the Trinity comes with the revelation of the gospel.

The doctrine of the Trinity is need-to-know information that we didn’t need to know with any clarity until, as Paul puts it:

“When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” —Galatians 4:4–6

God published both the revelation of the gospel and the revelation of the Trinity same time, in the same ways: more obscurely and by way of anticipation under the old covenant, more luminously and by way of fulfillment under the new.

The question of whether the Trinity is revealed in the Old Testament runs parallel to the question of whether the Gospel was .

In both cases, Trinity and gospel, we must account for two factors:

  • The consistency of God’s entire work of salvation
  • The newness in “the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages” (Rom. 16:25) “which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed . . .” (Eph. 3:5).

Learn more in The Triune God online course.

2. The revelation of the Trinity accompanies salvation.

We make statements in the doctrine of the Trinity that would be true of God even if we didn’t exist or if the incarnation had never occurred. But what we know about the Trinity always accompanies salvation, and always flourishes in the context of teaching about salvation. This is why the doctrine of the Trinity has been the quintessential catechising doctrine throughout church history.

Even though it can be stated propositionally and in the form of information, the doctrine of the Trinity was not given primarily as information. Rather, this knowledge came along with the carrying out of God’s work of salvation.

God saves, and further, wants the saved to “understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). God did not hand down statements regarding the Trinity, but extended his arm to save, an action that by design brought with it knowledge of the one doing the saving.

As B. B. Warfield wrote, “The revelation of the Trinity was incidental to, and the inevitable effect of, the accomplishment of redemption.” (B. B. Warfield, “The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity,” in Biblical and Theological Studies )

The doctrine of the Trinity is not mainly for apologetics or for opposing heretics (although that’s been an important element of the doctrine); it’s mainly for the purpose of teaching Christians what they believe about God on the basis of being saved by that God.

3. The revelation of the Trinity is revelation of God’s own heart.

It’s hard not to use more emotional language here. As Thomas Goodwin, says, “The gospel reveals the deep things of God.”

When God makes himself known to us and saves us, what he reveals is something from the fundamental depths of who he is.

Theology, broadly considered, is knowledge of God and of all things in God; “all things” are accounted for by a great many doctrines. But the doctrine of the Trinity is theology proper—the knowledge of God.

Its focus is not on those aspects of the divine nature that are knowable by the things created or of God in relation to things outside of him; those things are spoken of in Scripture substance-wise, according to God’s one nature. But the doctrine of the Trinity is a statement about God’s interior life, requiring statements relation-wise, internal to the divine being, describing the Father and the Son and the Spirit as they stand toward each other.

Prepositions will be decisive here: “That true and absolute and perfect doctrine, which forms our faith, is the confession of God from God and God in God” (Hilary of Poitiers, On the Trinity ).

If we’re able to say that the Holy Spirit is God or that Jesus is God, we’re able to say that what is made known to us in the Son and the Spirit is about the very heart of God.

4. The revelation of the Trinity must be self-revelation.

The way that God made himself known was not declarative. He didn’t tell us, “I am Father, Son, and Spirit.” He actually sent the Son and the Spirit so that they were here among us, revealing themselves by making themselves present.

This knowledge cannot be delegated or delivered by proxy. As Hilary of Poitiers said, “Since then we are to discourse of the things of God, let us assume that God has full knowledge of Himself, and bow with humble reverence to His words. For He Whom we can only know through His own utterances is the fitting witness concerning Himself” ( On the Trinity ).

5. The revelation of the Trinity came when the Son and the Spirit came in person.

As was said in the last point, the doctrine of the Trinity wasn’t shouted over the ramparts of heaven. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son . . . And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal. 4:4, 6).

God did not openly proclaim the existence of his Son and Holy Spirit and then send them; but he sent them. God did not announce the Trinity; rather, the Son of the Father showed up, with their Spirit.

“The revelation itself was made not in word but in deed. It was made in the incarnation of God the Son, and the outpouring of God the Holy Spirit” (B. B. Warfield, “Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity).

6. New Testament texts about the Trinity tend to be allusions rather than announcements.

There is never a point in the New Testament when Paul writes to a church, “Now concerning the three persons in the one God, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” That doesn’t happen because neither Paul nor the other apostles ever announce to the church for the first time that we have received information that God is triune.

The churches exist because the Son and the Spirit were sent on the mission of the Father. The kind of work that Paul and the apostles are doing is alluding to a revelation that they had already received.

The evangelists and apostles write from a background assumption that readers know God the Father because they have met the Son and Holy Spirit. They refer almost offhandedly to this understanding as something already given, not something to be introduced, put in place, or argued for. There is an obliqueness in nearly every sentence on this doctrine in the New Testament.

7. The revelation of the Trinity required words to accompany it.

There is a modern way of looking at the revelation of God that only wants to focus on the revelation in actions and wants to deny that there are revelations in words. Or if there are revelations in words, it’s only minor elements and it couldn’t be something as important as the identity of God.

On the contrary, the Son came preaching and the Spirit came bearing witness. So this revelation of the Trinity happened mainly in history but were accompanied by words that have an inner unity with history.

Since the revelation was made by personal presence rather than by mere verbal announcement, interpreting it is in some ways more like interpreting God’s self-revelation through his mighty acts of deliverance than it is like interpreting God’s self-revelation through spoken oracles. But not exactly like it, because this particular mighty act of God was the mighty act of sending persons who speak.

The Son and the Holy Spirit came preaching and testifying to the truth and reality of their own twofold mission from the Father. Without these words, their personal presences would not have been the luminous truth of the knowledge of God.

If the risen Lord had not said, “Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” the early church would never have had the confidence to count to three in the doctrine of God. Biblical revelation is always through acts and words having an inner unity, or fact plus meaning; in the revelation of the Son, the inner unity of his acts and words is his person.

8. The revelation of the Trinity is the extending of a conversation already happening.

As Jesus and the Spirit came among us speaking, teaching, and bearing witness to the identity of God, they’re bringing into our world the conversation that has been going on within the life of God.

When the Father says to the Son, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11), this is a conversation happening within God. When the Father says to us, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” he adds, “Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). When we obey and listen to the Son, we find he tells us about his Father.

Unlike other doctrines, a leading skill in learning about the Trinity is the skill of overhearing as the Father and Son talk to and about each other in the Spirit. This is especially clear in the New Testament, but if the New Testament is to be believed, it is also characteristic of the Old Testament, where Father and Son were speaking to and about each other in words given by the Spirit to the prophets.

9. The revelation of the Trinity occurs across the two Testaments of the canon.

We can identify verses and passages, but what we really know about the Son and the Spirit is that their coming was prophesied.

And as we read the Old Testament witness to the one God promising salvation to his people and then see the arrival of the Son and Spirit in the New Testament, we can say, “The one God kept his promise by sending the Son and the Spirit.”

While the New Testament has a strategic priority as the latest moment in the process of progressive revelation, it actually takes both Testaments together to produce the right expectations and interpretive pressure that lead to recognition of the Trinity.

In particular, the canonical order is to be observed in the way God’s unity is analyzed and developed as internally threefold: the Bible is the story of how the one God reveals that divine unity has the form of the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

10. The revelation of the Trinity in Scripture is perfect.

There’s a perfection to God’s Word that’s a larger claim than inspiration or inerrancy. The perfection of God’s Word has the practical implication that when we are arranging trinitarian theology so that it can be taught clearly, we’re not improving on the Bible.

It’s easy to think that the task of theology is to make something useful out of the mess of materials that God gave us in Scripture, or at least to put in logical order what was communicated in historical sequence. We’re not looking at Scripture in a way that communicates, “Wow, I can see what you’re trying to say. It’s too bad you don’t have a trained systematic theologian who could get in here and tidy things up and explain to the world what you’re trying to say.”

Theology can think of itself as synthesizing doctrine from raw materials, so in Trinitarian theology we can get turned around by asking, “Is the Trinity in the Bible?” and meaning, “Can the later synthesis be identified as a legitimate construction from the raw materials given in the Bible?”

Something is backward in such a question. In this doctrine especially, it is better to suppose that Scripture speaks from an achieved synthesis and gives partial expression, here and there, to glimpses of that fullness and coherence. To be specific, what we have in Scripture is rightly ordered, with the emphasis falling in the right places .

One application of this principle is that when a passage of Scripture names the Father and the Son, but then fails to complete the triangle, we should neither pronounce it binitarian nor cram the Holy Spirit into it.

In Trinitarian theology, the Holy Spirit in particular has suffered as much from his overzealous promoters as his underzealous neglectors .

He is fully God and a distinct person. But triangular symmetry is manifestly not a concern, or emphasis, or prominent motif, of Scripture, and we should not belabor it in every subpoint of our doctrine.

11. Systematic theology’s account of the Trinity should serve the revelation of the Trinity in Scripture.

Christian theology should be a humble discipline, pointing from itself back to Scripture as much as possible. It may need to invent new terms, make careful distinctions, and construct conceptual schemas to make sense of the evidence; I’m neither justifying theological laziness nor criticizing scholastic predecessors (who tended to obey this rule more than moderns have).

But a systematic rendering of the Trinity should be careful not to rocket out of the orbit of the biblical content it is designed to explain. It ought to eventually lead back to good reading of the text.

Scott Swain argues that “doctrinal propositions apart from the exegetical arguments that they summarize are at best ambiguous” (Scott R. Swain, The God of the Gospel: Robert Jenson’s Trinitarian Theology ), and this is especially true in Trinitarian theology, where the dynamics of the arguments can be so conceptually seductive as to alienate theological affections from Holy Scripture.

Because of what the inspired text is—the words of the Father and the Son speaking in the Spirit—readers may actually come into contact with the triune God in them. The doctrine of the Trinity ought to help open that possibility, not obstruct it.

To learn more, sign up for The Triune God course, taught by Dr. Fred Sanders. Take a look at the free preview:

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reflection/journal writing how can i show the trinity to others

Introduction to Reflection

There are many ways to produce reflection in writing. Try using these examples to kick-start your reflective writing.

Open each drop-down to see a different reflective writing example and exercise. 

The Six Minute Write (Bolton, 2014)

If you are being asked to write reflectively you may feel that you do not know where to begin. Bolton’s Six Minute Writing exercise is a useful way to help get you started.

Peter has just started a course to train to be a counsellor and his tutor is asking every student to reflect on their learning and the development of their interpersonal skills. Peter is unsure where to start as reflective writing is a new thing for him, so he decides to try the Six Minute Write.

“Well, I’ve never written anything like this before! When I wrote at school I was always told to be really careful – make sure your spelling and grammar are correct, don’t use abbreviations, make it sound formal. This feels quite liberating! But, is it any good? The tutor says ‘Just write what’s in your head’ so here goes.

Today we did our first role play exercises and how scary was that? I always knew that the course would involve this and I do enjoy talking with people, but trying out listening skills and asking open questions is all really difficult. I felt so nervous and forgot what to do. The people I was working with seemed so much better than me – I know I’ve got so much to learn it’s frightening. Will I ever be able to do this? I really don’t know, but I do know I’m going to try.”

Use Bolton’s (2014, p. 136) Six Minute Write exercise to begin any writing exercise, whether academic or reflective, personal or formal.

Here are Bolton’s pointers:

  • Write for six minutes without stopping.
  • Write whatever comes to mind and let your writing flow freely.
  • Keep writing and do not pause to think too much about what you are writing.
  • Do not pause to analyse what you have written, otherwise you will be tempted to write what you think you should write rather than what you want to write.
  • Keep writing even if it does not make much sense to you.
  • Do not worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar or jargon.
  • Allow yourself to write anything.
  • This is your writing and whatever you write is correct because it is yours. Remember, no-one else needs to read what you have written.
  • Stop after six minutes and look at how much you have been able to write.

If we pay attention to how we think, we’ll soon notice that we are often in conversation with ourselves.

We have a kind of internal dialogue as we go about our day, making decisions (“The red top or the blue one?”) observing the world (“Beautiful day. But chilly. Where did I put my gloves?”) and maintaining self-awareness (“Oh goodness, she’s heading this way. You’re nervous? Interesting. Calm down. Be polite.”).

Reflective writing can take the shape of dialogue and be structured as a conversation with different aspects of yourself. We all have multiple identities (child, parent, student, employee, friend etc.) and each aspect of ourselves can take a different perspective on a situation.

Dialogic reflection harnesses these multiple perspectives to explore and inquire about ourselves in a certain situation, often when the purpose or outcome is unknown.

So now they’re encouraging us to try different types of reflective writing. I like the idea of this dialogical writing thing – feels like having a conversation with myself, so I think I’ll have a go. Not sure how it will pan out but I’m going to imagine talking with my organised self (OS) and my critical self (CS) and see how it goes.

OS – so doing really well at the moment, feeling pretty much on track with things and definitely on top.

CS – so how long do you think that will last? I know what you’re like! You always do this – think things are ok, sit back, relax and then get behind.

OS – do I? Umm… suppose you might be right…

CS – what do you mean, might be right?

OS – ok, you are right!

CS – and we know where this ends up, don’t we? Panic mode!

OS – and I need to avoid that. So, let’s think about what I can do. Look at the coming week and month and start planning!

Focus on an issue or concern that you have relating to your studies or practice. Imagine you are having a conversation with a friend about the issue because you want to get their perspective. Write a dialogue with “them” that explores your concerns. Raise any questions you’d like answered.

If need be, write another dialogue on the same issue with another “friend” to explore another perspective.

Once you’ve finished, re-read your conversation. Did your “friend” offer any new perspectives on the issue that hadn’t occurred to you before you began writing? Are any of these worth reflecting on further?

Driscoll (2007) What?, So what?, Now what?

Driscoll’s (2007) ‘What?’ model is a straightforward reflective cycle of 3 parts. Evolved from Borton’s (1970) Developmental Framework, it has 3 stages that ask us to consider What?, So what?, and Now what?

Step 1 – What? – involves writing a description of an event or an experience.

Step 2 – So what? – here we reflect on the event or experience and start to analyse selected aspects of it, considering why they were important and how they impacted the whole.

Step 3 – Now what? – a range of proposed action points are devised following the experience, focusing on what has been learned.

Dan is training to be a nurse in elderly care and wants to reflect on the experiences he is gaining on his placement. Dan decides to use the questions in Driscoll’s model to help him to begin to analyse what he is learning.

Step 1 – What?

Today I was observing an experienced community nurse change a dressing on a man’s leg that is badly infected. The man was nervous and became very distressed – he has had dressings replaced regularly and knows that the process is very painful. I felt awful about causing him more pain. The community nurse seemed very calm and spoke to him in a reassuring way. She asked him if he would like some pain relief and he said yes. She sat with him for ten minutes to make sure that the pain relief was working and spoke with him about his grandson’s visit that he was looking forward to at the weekend. This definitely seemed to put him at ease.

Step 2 – So what?

She made it all look so easy. How would I cope if I had to do this? As a nurse I am meant to relieve pain not cause it. She focused on the patient while I focused on myself.

Step 3 – Now what?

I learned a lot from the community nurse. She was very caring but firm. She knew the man’s dressing needed to be changed but did everything in a very calm and kind way. She distracted him and helped him to relax. These are all strategies that I can try in the future if I have to do this. Nursing isn’t only about my clinical skills; my interpersonal skills are vital, as is compassion and understanding for my patients.

Driscoll has formulated some useful questions to help us to use the model effectively, including:

Step 1 – What? – how did I react and what did others do who were involved?

Step 2 – So what? – do I feel troubled in any way, and if so, how?

Step 3 – Now what? – how can I change my approach if I face a similar situation again and what are my main learning points? What different options are there for me?

Write some notes about an experience you have had recently where you feel you have learned a lot. Can you use the stages of Driscoll’s cycle to develop this into a short reflection?

Note: Driscoll’s model is useful when you are new to professional practice and it seems like there is so much to learn. In particular, the question ‘Do I feel troubled in any way?’ is useful as our feelings can act as a prompt to deeper thinking. However, after a while you may find that you want to explore at a more complex level and move on to other approaches. It’s important to allow space for your reflective skills to develop in the same way as your professional skills.

Some small scale reflective questions :

  • What were 3 things that went well today/this week? How do you know?
  • What was a situation today/this week where I could have done better? How?
  • What was your biggest challenge today/this week? How did you overcome it?
  • What was the predominant feeling you had today/this week? Why?
  • What made you happy/sad/frustrated/angry/etc today/this week? Can you find some way of having more or less of the identified aspects?

Some larger scale reflective questions :

  • Am I optimising my time, energy and performance according to my values, goals and objectives?
  • Am I making the most of opportunities available to me? Am I working effectively within any fixed restrictions? Where there are barriers, am I identifying them and tackling or circumventing them where possible?
  • Do my values, goals and objectives still align with each other? Is this reflected in how I am spending my time?
  • Are my goals still the right ones to deliver on my values? Should/Can I refine or revise the strategies I am using for fulfilling my values and goals?

Where you have been

Where you are now, related links, © 2021. this work is licensed under a cc by-nc-sa 4.0 license..

Brilliantio

365 Journal Prompts to Help You Reflect, Grow, and Connect: A Year of Self-Discovery

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: October 4, 2022  - Last updated: January 2, 2024

Categories Writing , Creativity , Inspiration , Self Improvement

Do you enjoy writing in your journal? If not, it might be because you’re not sure what to write about.

Here are 365 journal prompts to help get you started! These prompts will help you reflect on your life, grow as a person, and connect with others.

These prompts give you something new to explore, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer. Happy writing!

365 Creative Writing Prompts for Your Daily Journal

Each day, choose one of the 365 journal writing prompts.

Each journal writing prompt will put you in a creative space and help you reflect and work on your life. This is also a great way to record the key moments in your life that shape you.

Season One – Self-Discovery

Embark on a journey of self-exploration this spring. These prompts will guide you in reflecting on your inner thoughts and aspirations.

An Illustration Of A Woman Looking Up At The Sun, Capturing A Moment Of Inspiration For 365 Journal Prompts.

  • What do you always think about but never talk about?
  • What’s something good that happened today, no matter how small?
  • What are five things that make you happy?
  • What’s something you want to accomplish in the next year?
  • What’s one positive affirmation you want to remember every morning?
  • When did you last lose your temper, and why did it happen?
  • Write a gratitude list.
  • Write a letter to someone who’s significantly impacted your life.
  • What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?
  • When did you experience your biggest adrenaline rush?
  • Did you have a dream last night? What was it about?
  • Did anything make you sad today?
  • What was the best part of your day?
  • Tell your future self about today.
  • If money didn’t matter, what would you do with your life?
  • Do you think you’re a good person? Why or why not?
  • What’s something you wish more people knew?
  • What are three qualities that draw you to other people?
  • Write down a positive affirmation and repeat it to yourself.
  • Is there a show on TV that makes you laugh every time?
  • What’s it called, and why do you love it so much?
  • Would it be better to live forever or die tomorrow? And why?
  • What advice would you give if you could go back in time and talk to yourself as a teenager?
  • Which of your fears do you think is least likely to come true?
  • Write about some things that give you hope.
  • What’s the best thing that happened to you this weekend?
  • Write a list of your strengths.
  • Describe three people who inspire you in your life.
  • Who are three famous people born on your birthday? Did they’ve anything in common besides their birthday?
  • Did you learn anything new about yourself today?
  • What’s the most crucial thing parents should consider when raising teens?
  • What would the book’s title be if someone were to write a biography about your life? Why did you choose that title?
  • Are you sticking to your goals and resolutions?
  • What did you do this week that brought you closer to your goal(s)?
  • What could you do today to get closer to your goal(s)?
  • What are your goals and plans for the rest of the year?
  • In what ways does journaling surprise you, or what unexpected things have come up for you?
  • Imagine you could stand on a rooftop and send a message to everyone below you; what would you say?
  • What’s the one aspect of you that you’re still trying to understand?
  • If you could wake up every day and it was a vacation or a season, which would you choose?
  • Would you make an extra effort or ask for help with an overwhelming workload?
  • Could you spend the whole day in your own company without getting bored?
  • What would it be if you could go back and change one thing from your past?
  • What two things could you do for a friend or family member in the next few weeks?
  • If you could change one thing in your life now, what would it be?
  • Have you stayed on track with your health goals?
  • What would it be if you could become an expert in one area or activity?
  • If someone told you they needed to be motivated, what advice would you give them?
  • What’s the one thing that always brings a smile to your face?
  • Do you reflect on past conversations and experiences and analyze your mistakes?
  • What would you like to try if you were confident you wouldn’t fail?
  • Is there something in your life that needs to be simplified ?
  • What random acts of kindness could you do in the next year?
  • How do you get along with people who’ve different views than you?
  • What’ve you always wanted to try but never got around to?
  • What’s the one thing you think you can only accomplish with the support of others?
  • What accomplishments or qualities do you want to be remembered for?
  • How do you handle it when people are unkind and mean to you?
  • How do you deal with your emotions, and how can you control them better?
  • What are you most grateful for in your life right now?
  • Write about one thing you learned this week.
  • What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
  • What’s something new you’ve recently found interest in?
  • Write about a happy childhood memory .
  • Write about a sad childhood memory.
  • Is there anything you’re most proud of in the past year?
  • What’s your favorite hobby and why?
  • If you could interview anyone (past or present), who would it be, and what would you ask them?
  • What was the last thing you bought for yourself? Was it something you loved or needed, or just to pass the time?
  • What qualities do you value in others? Do they apply to you as well?
  • What would your life be like without electricity?
  • How much time do you think you spend on social media per day?
  • List five things in your room.
  • What’s your favorite color?
  • Who’s your biggest role model ? And why?
  • What was a good memory you had with a friend?
  • Have you ever seen a ghost? What happened?
  • What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Why was it so special?
  • What’s the best class you’ve ever taken and why?
  • If money were no object, what house would you buy and why?
  • Write about your last dream.
  • Describe the clothes your parents wore most often when you were a child.
  • Write a letter to yourself, from yourself.
  • Write a letter to your younger self
  • Write a letter to your future self
  • Write about something that made you cry and how you felt afterward.
  • Who was the last person who made you cry? Why did it make you cry?
  • If you could have been in any band or musical group (current or defunct), which would you like to be in? What role would you play?
  • What did you do yesterday that you wish you hadn’t done today?
  • If you could go back in time, what would you say to your best friend at age 10?
  • Which of your family members do you admire and why?

Season Two – Embracing Growth and Memories

This quarter’s prompts focus on cherished memories, impactful relationships, and personal growth.

A Couple Is Sitting Under A Tree Surrounded By Lanterns In The Sky, Reflecting On Their Experiences Through 365 Journal Prompts.

  • Write about the person who impacted your life most and why.
  • What was your favorite toy growing up?
  • What event changed the direction of your life forever?
  • Who was your first love, and what was it like?
  • Write a letter to someone who’s hurt you in the past, but don’t send it.
  • Who’s the one person you can turn to when everything seems to go wrong?
  • Describe the happiest day of your life.
  • What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
  • Write about something you wish could happen.
  • Describe an ideal vacation.
  • What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream ?
  • What was the last person you talked to on the phone?
  • What did you talk about?
  • What’s one little thing that can make your day better?
  • How could you show someone how much he or she means to you?
  • What do you want to do this year but are afraid to?
  • If you could ask a living or dead person just one question, who’d you ask, and what would you ask?
  • What was the best day of your life so far?
  • What’s one personal accomplishment that’s significant to you?
  • Who’s had the biggest impact on your life so far?
  • How have they influenced you?
  • Who do you look up to in your family or community and why?
  • Who’d play you if someone were to make a movie about your life?
  • When we look back on this time in the future, what’ll we remember most?
  • What’s one of the proudest moments of your life so far? Why were you proud?
  • How has your life changed for the better in the last three months? How has it changed for the worse?
  • If you could change one thing in your personal life, what would it be? Why haven’t you made that change yet?
  • When was the last time someone made a negative comment about your personality? Who was it, and what did they say?
  • What’s one thing that makes people happy that doesn’t cost money but can only be bought with time?
  • Write in detail about a day when everything went well.
  • How old were you then, and what were the circumstances for that day of perfect happiness?
  • Is there a historical event that impacted your family or community growing up, and how did it change things for them?
  • Write about when someone annoyed or hurt you by saying something unkind about your body.
  • Are there any songs that make you nostalgic?
  • What are your favorite foods ?
  • What would it be if you could know one thing about the future?
  • Who was someone who wanted to be like you when you were younger?
  • What’s been particularly annoying to you lately?
  • How many keys do you’ve on your keychain right now?
  • What do you wish more people knew about you?
  • What makes someone a good leader?
  • Do you think a relationship changes people’s behavior or who they’re at their core?
  • Are there activities that always calm you down or cheer you up when you need it?
  • If the world ended tomorrow, what would I do today?
  • When was the one time you felt truly free?
  • Describe your perfect day.
  • What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in life?
  • If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
  • When have you felt most complete or whole?
  • Describe a beautiful place you’ve been.
  • What are things that give you a sense of purpose?
  • How can you tell you’re in love?
  • How have your priorities changed over time? What’s influenced those changes?
  • What do you want to teach others?
  • Who’s the most generous person you know?
  • Do you prefer to be alone or with others?
  • What do you find most satisfying about your work?
  • What was your most memorable birthday, and why?
  • What three words would you use to describe yourself?
  • Do you feel more comfortable with people older than you or younger?
  • What would it be if you could’ve one business or profession that doesn’t exist now?
  • Can a person ever be too rich or too thin? Explain.
  • What’s the best thing about living in this world now, today?
  • What movies do you love? And why?
  • Write about something you’d like to change.
  • Write about a situation where someone showed courage. It could be you, a friend, or even a stranger. Bravery looks different for everyone!
  • What item would improve your quality of life in the next week?
  • What does success look like for you? What’ll your life look like when you achieve it?
  • Imagine that one day in the future, a distant relative finds this journal entry and reads it. What would you like them to know about who you are today and what’s important to you?
  • How are you feeling right now?
  • Write about a time when you felt anxious.
  • Write about a time when you felt relaxed.
  • Write about a time when you felt lonely.
  • Write about a time when you felt confident.
  • Who’s someone you’d like to reach out to today?
  • What do you like best about yourself?
  • What makes you get up in the morning?
  • What’s your dream job?
  • Who’s your best friend and why is he your best friend?
  • How do you act kindly in everyday life?
  • Describe three of your desires.
  • Write about something you never thought you’d experience.
  • What makes you feel out of control?
  • Do you believe in fate or providence? How does that affect how you feel about your life?
  • If money didn’t matter, what would you do with your time and energy?
  • Describe a place where you feel calm.
  • If you could only have one superpower, what would it be and why?
  • Draw a picture of your fear.
  • What’s one thing you don’t understand about your parents?
  • What makes you feel like a child?
  • When have you felt the loneliest?
  • What’s something you know now that your younger self would be surprised to know?

Season Three – Nurturing Growth and Gratitude

These prompts aim to help you ponder your inspirations, gratitude, and the quieter moments of life.

A Woman Holding A Plant In Her Hands, Reflecting On Life Through 365 Journal Prompts.

  • Write about a song that changed your mind about music.
  • Write a letter telling the universe what you let go of today.
  • What’s an excellent gift to give someone but not good to receive yourself?
  • What was the last compliment you received?
  • What are the last five things you bought?
  • Who’s an inspirational mentor to you?
  • Do you collect anything? If so, what and why?
  • How are you taking care of yourself today, physically and emotionally?
  • Write a note to someone who’s positively impacted your life. Did you know this person had an impact on your life? Why or why not?
  • Where do you find your inspiration?
  • What are you most grateful for this week? This month? This year?
  • What’s something that’s weighing you down?
  • What do you like most about someone else?
  • How do you like to express yourself creatively ?
  • What’ve you failed at lately, and how did it make you feel?
  • Before you go to sleep, take a few minutes to write down your thoughts about the day. What went well? What didn’t go so well? Like
  • What can you do today to be a better person? How will your family, friends and community benefit from this change?
  • The most essential things in life are…
  • Your favorite word is…
  • Make a list of the most influential people in your life.
  • What are the things that make you nervous or insecure? How can you help yourself feel better about those things?
  • What are things that make you nostalgic?
  • If you were to write a fan letter to yourself, what would it say?
  • Would you describe yourself as an introvert or extrovert? And why?
  • What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
  • One person who made a difference in your life?
  • How would the world be different if you were president?
  • How do you feel when you look in the mirror?
  • What made you smile today?
  • Draw a picture of what you’re thinking about right now.
  • What would your dream room look like?
  • Write a love letter to yourself.
  • What does well-being mean to you?
  • What does it mean to be healthy?
  • What do you like best about your job or education?
  • What makes you proud of what you do?
  • Describe a significant milestone in your career that you’re looking forward to.
  • What new skills have you learned recently at your job?
  • Think of something you want to accomplish at work in the next few weeks. How do you plan to accomplish it?
  • Think of a challenge at your workplace. How can you overcome it?
  • What’s the worst thing about your job or job training? How can you improve it?
  • Why do you want to be a leader at work?
  • How do you show leadership outside of work?
  • Do you volunteer in your community? Why or why not?
  • What are the most critical issues in your community that affect you or others at work?
  • Do you prefer to work in a team or alone?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in groups or alone?
  • What would you want to study if you could start over, and why?
  • What career would you like to have someday, if any?
  • Did you have a mentor at your age who helped you with your career or life goals? If so, who was it, and why did they help you so much?
  • What are your fondest memories of your professional career?
  • What would you like to try in your career that you haven’t done yet?
  • If you could’ve lunch with anyone at work, who’d it be and why?
  • Write a career-related bucket list.
  • What was your first job? How did it impact your career today?
  • What’s your main motivation for working? Money, respect, the environment, a good cause, etc.
  • What questions would you ask someone who’s already achieved what you want to achieve? Write down how they’d answer these questions.
  • How do different people define failure in your life?
  • How can you build your confidence at work?
  • How do you stay motivated at your job?
  • How do you feel about asking for help at work?
  • How did you spend your evenings as a child?
  • How do you feel about your family?
  • How often do you talk to your parents?
  • What’s your relationship with money?
  • How can you remember to be kinder to yourself today?
  • Who or what deserves your attention the most?
  • How can you break bad habits or negative thoughts ?
  • What’s your earliest memory?
  • What’s the funniest story from your childhood?
  • What does it mean to you to be vulnerable? What does that look like for you?
  • Look around and find something… How does it make you feel?
  • Where’s your favorite place in nature? Describe it.
  • Write about a positive experience in the last week.
  • Are you holding on to something that you need to let go of?
  • What does mindfulness mean to me personally?
  • Is it possible to be happy in a world entirely of suffering?
  • List three things that annoy you right now. Why do they annoy you?
  • Section: Write a letter to someone from your past to whom you’ve always wanted to apologize but never had the opportunity.
  • Think about what you could do to make your environment better. If you could do one thing, what would it be?
  • What makes you feel like you belong to the world and are valued by others?
  • What are essential relationships that have made you who you are today? Think of things like family members, friendships, etc.
  • What does the word “forgiveness” mean to you?
  • Finish the sentence “If I’d more time…”
  • What’s something you haven’t shared with anyone until now?
  • Do you feel like your life is moving in the right direction?
  • What movie or book always makes you cry and why?
  • What’s the trigger for your anxiety?
  • Do you have a routine that helps you relax when you’re stressed?
  • Do you’ve any coping mechanisms that help you during stressful times?
  • Do you have a morning routine that puts you in a good mood for the rest of the day?
  • What was the one moment in your life when everything changed for the better, and how did it change your life forever?
  • What did you learn from your mistakes?
  • What are the things that make you sleep well at night?

Season Four – Contemplating Ethics, Dreams, and Life’s Journey

These prompts invite you to introspect on life’s profound questions, ethical dilemmas, and the dreams that shape your future.

A Woman Is Sitting In The Clouds Journaling.

  • Describe your ideal future.
  • What’s one thing your parents taught you that’s never left you?
  • What’s a dream you’re afraid to share with others? And why?
  • How would you spend $1,000,000?
  • What do you take most for granted in life?
  • What’s the first step to making a dream come true?
  • How would you describe your current life?
  • Are there aspects of your life that aren’t how you’d like them to be?
  • What do you think is the most significant challenge people your age face?
  • If you could be any animal, which one would you be?
  • What’s your favorite thing to do on a warm summer night?
  • Have you ever lost someone close to you? How did it make you feel, and who helped you through it?
  • If you could live in any historical era, which would you choose?
  • Describe your dream life.
  • What would be the best thing about having a utopian world?
  • What do you think is the most meaningful use of your time?
  • What’s the most fun thing you can do with your time?
  • Do you think money can buy happiness? Why or why not?
  • What single word best describes what your ideal life would look like?
  • Write your mission statement. What do you want to achieve in life at this moment?
  • How do you define a successful relationship or marriage?
  • What are your ambitions for retirement?
  • What activities are you investing your time, money, and energy in to create a better future for yourself?
  • Do you feel that your work is helping to make the world a better place? If so, in what ways? If not, what would you need to change to make it so?
  • How has technology positively impacted your life?
  • What do you think is most important in life? And why?
  • What values do you think are essential to your identity?
  • In what decision have you consciously violated your own ethical beliefs?
  • What are three words that describe you? How about three words that represent you as a person?
  • How would you define the word “integrity”?
  • When have you had to make difficult decisions to come into alignment with your values?
  • When did something happen that made you seriously question yourself and your choices?
  • What’s the difference between selfishness and self-centeredness?
  • Are you fiscally responsible? Do you have a savings plan?
  • What’s your definition of family, and who’s in your family?
  • How do you define the word community? Are you part of a community right now?
  • What are things you’d rather die for than do?
  • Is there anything you’d be willing to sacrifice for others?
  • Is there one thing that’s so important to you that you’d be willing to devote your life to it? What’s it, and why do you care so much about it?
  • Have you ever faced a decision where you had to choose between two or more values or two or more sides of yourself?
  • What do you struggle with when making decisions based on your values? Where does this conflict come from (your upbringing, religious beliefs, and intellectual beliefs)?
  • How would people close to you describe your values? Would those descriptions match how you see yourself and your values manifest in your life? Why or why not?
  • Who’s the most ethical person you know?
  • What values do you hold that society largely disagrees with?
  • How do you respond when a person challenges your values?
  • Where do you see the line between ethics and legality being crossed in my environment?
  • Where are your values the same as your parents?
  • How would your life change if you acted more ethically?
  • At what moment in your life did you have the most at stake in terms of ethics?
  • Write down when you felt you were being dishonest.
  • What did you learn from that experience?
  • In what ways have you learned to be honest with yourself?
  • Have you ever found being honest with someone close to you difficult?
  • How do you feel about “white lies”?
  • Do you feel that there are exceptions to the rule of honesty?
  • Do you think honesty is a significant value that others should share?
  • Do you think honesty is necessary for good leadership? If so, why? If not, why not?
  • Why is it so difficult for some people to live honestly?
  • Do you believe all lives are equal, or are some more valuable?
  • How would you describe your values?
  • Do your values change depending on the people you’re with?
  • How can you tell whether a situation requires you to stand up for your values?
  • Are there situations where you’ve compromised your values without being forced to do so? If so, what were those situations? Were they worth it?
  • What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done for yourself?
  • If you could choose a new name, what would it be? And why?
  • Would you call yourself a forgiving person? Why or why not?
  • Have there been times when forgiving has been difficult for you?
  • When have you tried to forgive someone (even yourself) recently? How did you overcome that experience to come to forgiveness finally?
  • Sometimes, unexpected events are a real blessing. Write about an event where something didn’t go as planned and how happy it made you.
  • Describe how a friend surprised you.
  • What are you afraid of in the future?
  • How can you overcome your fear of failure?
  • Write about an experience where you scared someone.
  • What makes you stay in your comfort zone instead of stepping out and trying something new or different?
  • How does your body usually react when you’re nervous or anxious, and what can you do to calm down quickly?
  • How can you tell that something is out of your comfort zone and not only challenging but also within the realm of possibility for your skills and experience?
  • Do you think people are born with fears, or do all fears come from our experiences?
  • Write a poem about your fear.
  • How do you deal with change?
  • Do you feel at peace most of the time? Why or why not?
  • Can you name something or someone that steals your peace?
  • How much time do you spend each day on social media, news, or other things that increase your anxiety? Can reducing this time help you feel more peace and serenity?
  • When do you feel most connected to others?
  • How do you set your boundaries ?
  • Who cares most about you and your well-being?
  • What would you be willing to give up to create peace?
  • Where do you feel safest?
  • List 5 activities that help you feel peaceful .

Start With Easy Questions If New to Journal Writing

The more you write, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

There’s No Right or Wrong Way to Journal, but There Are Some Methods That Work Better Than Others

Here are a few ideas on how you can get started writing:

  • Write about your day . Writing about the day’s events can be a great way to reflect on your life and gain a new perspective on the day’s events.
  • Write about your feelings and emotions . This method is effective because we get lost in our thoughts and feelings without realizing it. When you write them down, they become tangible and easier to understand.
  • Write down what you love/hate/hope/fear etc … People often forget their importance until someone says something nice or makes them feel special – sometimes even doing it unintentionally! So make sure your loved ones know how much they mean to you by writing it down!

Keeping a Daily Reflective Journal Is a Healthy Discipline

It can help you connect with your feelings, problem-solve, and make decisions.

It also helps you focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or the future. Writing allows you to express your feelings and understand yourself better.

Here are some of the benefits of journal writing:

Self-Awareness

Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences regularly will help you become more aware of your inner self. You’ll recognize how you feel in different situations and understand why you react in specific ways. This way, you’ll learn what makes you tick and how to better deal with negative feelings like fear or anger.

Creativity Boost

Keeping a journal can boost your creativity by forcing you to think outside the box and look at things from different perspectives. It helps you discover ideas you mightn’t have thought of, which can lead to new discoveries or solutions to problems in your life.

Problem-Solving Tool

Keeping a journal can also be a great way to solve problems. You can write down all of your thoughts and feelings, as well as any information about your problems, mental health , and any challenges you may encounter so that you have everything clearly in front of you later.

Help With Decision Making

A diary can also help make decisions easier by helping you weigh the pros and cons objectively, without being influenced by the opinions or feelings of others. If something is bothering you, writing it down can help clarify your thoughts and feelings and make the problem easier (and less stressful) to resolve.

Writing down what happened during the day can help you remember things better. The more details you write down, the easier it will be for you to remember them in future conversations with friends or family members.

Journal Writing Tips

The best way to learn about journal writing is to read the journals of others. You can find many examples of self discovery journal prompts on our website (gratitude journal prompts, creative self discovery journal prompts, self care journal prompts, etc.).

Here are some tips on what makes journaling prompts worth working on:

  • When you write about something that happened in your life, be sure to include the date . This will help you remember exactly when it happened, and it’ll help other people who read your diary understand when the events took place.
  • Be honest about what you’re writing about . Don’t pretend something didn’t happen when it did – just write it down as it happened, and be done with it! And don’t worry about whether people think less of you because they see something they disagree with; if they think less of you, then they weren’t worth knowing in the first place! If you keep a journal, it’ll help you get to know yourself better and know what makes you tick. This means that one day, when someone asks you why he or she should date or marry someone else, you’ll know exactly how to answer (and appropriately).
  • Don’t apologize for what you write in your journal; if you don’t like something, just change it .
  • Write your journal in the present tense and first person . This will help you focus on what’s happening right now, not what happened yesterday or last week.
  • Keep a positive attitude when you write in your journal . If you start out saying, “I can’t do this,” you probably won’t get much done! Instead, say something like, “It feels good to be working toward my goals.” Then focus on how good it feels to do something that’s important to you.

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  • Journal Types
  • Reflective Journal

What is a Reflective Journal?

A reflective journal is a place to write down your daily reflection entries . It can be something good or bad that has happened to you that you can self-reflect on and learn from past experiences.

A reflective journal can help you to identify important learning events that had happened in your life. The events include your relationships, careers and personal life. By writing a reflective diary , you can find the source of your inspiration that defines you today. A reflective journal also provides a better understanding of your thought process.

Reasons to Write a Reflective Journal

  • To understand the things that have happened.
  • To reflect on why it happened this way.
  • To align future actions with your values and lessons learned from your past experiences.
  • To share and get your thoughts and ideas out of your head.

How to Reflect Effectively

According to Schön, there are two types of reflection, one during and one after an activity or event.

Reflection In-Action

When you are thinking about or reflecting while you are in an activity, you are using reflection in-action. Some reflection include:

  • Experiencing
  • Thinking on your feet
  • Thinking about what to do next
  • Acting straight away

Reflection On-Action

You can do reflect-on-action once the activity has finished based on what you can remember about it. Step back into the experience, explore your memory and retrieve what you can recall. Reflect and understand what has happened and draw lessons from the experience.

  • Thinking about something that has happened
  • Thinking what you would do differently next time
  • Taking your time

Examples to Reflect Effectively

Before the experience.

  • Think about the things that could have happened.
  • What are the things that you feel might be a challenge?
  • The things that you can do to prepare for these experiences.

During the Experience

  • Observe what is happening at the moment, as you make a particular decision.
  • Is it working out as expected? Are you dealing with the challenges well?
  • Is there anything you should do, say or think to make the experience successful?

After the Experience

  • Describe your thoughts immediately after, and/or later when you have more emotional distance from the event.
  • Is there anything you would do differently before or during a similar event?
  • What are the takeaways from this experience/lesson?

How to Write Reflectively

Use the three "W"s to write reflectively. The three "W"s are What , So What and What next .

What (Description)

Recall an event and write it down descriptively.

  • What happened?
  • Who was involved?

So what? (Interpretation)

Take a few minutes to reflect and interpret the event.

  • What is most important / interesting / relevant / useful aspect of the event, idea or situation?
  • How can it be explained?
  • How is it similar to/different from others?

What's next? (Outcome)

Conclude what you can learn from the event and how you can apply it next time.

  • What have I learned?
  • How can it be applied in the future?

Reflective Journal Prompts

Side view of young woman is writing in notebook.

Here are the 10 writing prompts to guide you in self-reflection and self-discovery.

  • What makes you unique?
  • Name someone that means a lot to you and why?
  • Write a letter to your younger self.
  • What is something you can do to focus more on your health and well-being?
  • What makes you feel at peace?
  • List 10 things that make you smile.
  • What does it mean to live authentically?
  • What is your favourite animal, and why?
  • How do you maintain your physical/mental health? What can you do to improve the methods of recovery?
  • List the things that you want to achieve this week.

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Journal Basics

Understand what a journal is, and it's functions

Understand the essence of journal entries.

Your guide to understanding how you can benefit from journaling

Explore the various journal types to serve your needs

Your guide to starting your very own journal today

Journaling prompts to guide you along your reflection

Diary Basics

Your guide to understanding and starting a diary of your own

Record your life with a series of diary entries

Tips and tricks to start your very own diary today

Your guide to the many diary types you can explore

Discover the benefits of diary and journal software

Get started with your very own digital diary

Simple and effective templates to help you start writing and reflecting

Ideas for Journals

Focus on the positive things in your live.

Write one line a day for the next five years.

A bible journal is one that holds your thoughts and reflections after a religion class and feelings that concerns life.

Record your dreams on a regular basis and keep track of the dream's themes and patterns.

Document your adventures, road trips, places that you have visited, and discoveries that you made along the way.

A self-reflective journal helps you to create your life with intention.

Cultivating inner strength and resilience using stoic journal.

Write a personalized experience of your pregnancy journey.

Equip yourself with on a journey towards improving your sleep

Ideas for Diaries

A guide to starting your very own school diary

Keep a log of all your daily meals to ensure a balanced nature diet.

Get motivated, organized and productive by journaling

Private journal secured with a lock for confidentiality.

A guide to starting your health and fitness journey

Streams of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning.

Digital Planners

A way to organize your time and your life

Create your own faithful digital planning companion

Find the planner for you

Make every week your best week

Master time management with a productivity planner

A faithful guide on your fitness journey

IMAGES

  1. FREE 6+ Reflective Writing Samples & Templates in PDF

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VIDEO

  1. Purpose of Journal

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  3. On Journalling and the Meditative Aspect of Writing

  4. "Journaling for Reflection and Growth: My Routine"

  5. Reflective journal assignment video

  6. Hindu Trinity ( Paragraph Writing)

COMMENTS

  1. How Does the Trinity Practically Apply to Your Life Today?

    ( John 16:23) Jesus brings the Father's words to us, so we respond to his role within the Trinity by using the Scriptures as the standard for our faith and life. Our Triune God Philip Graham Ryken, Michael LeFebvre Relating to God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can have a deep impact on one's faith.

  2. A Reflection on the Holy Trinity

    An excerpt from the Catholic Catechism for Adults says: The Doctrine of the Trinity includes three truths of faith: FIRST: The Trinity is One. SECOND: The Divine Persons are distinct from each other. THIRD: The Divine Persons are in relationship to one another. We see this ONENESS in the circle of the Icon.

  3. PDF Guidelines for Reflective Writing

    • the taking into account of others views ... There are 6 steps to Moon [s model on how to being writing a reflective piece. Steps to Reflection - simplified model adapted from Moon (1999a) The first three steps are the basic steps required for later reflection: 1. PURPOSE - an understanding of the purpose of the reflective activity

  4. PDF Reflective Journal Writing for Social Worker Well-Being

    Emotional Well-Being (2002) where they show evidence that expressive journal writing can offer relief from stress and heal the damage that can be done from highly stressful experiences. For example, there is compelling evidence that stressful life events undermine cognitive processes and that expressive writing can restore these processes.

  5. Benefits of Reflective Journaling

    While reflective journaling may sound complex, it's easily captured in five journal steps, each full of opportunity to observe, question, speculate, integrate, and critique. Step 1: Record the event or situation: the people, place, context, and actions transpired. Step 2: Reflect on personal reactions, feelings, interpretations, and insights.

  6. Read God's Words. Then Write Your Own.

    1. Reflective Writing on Scripture. Believers can begin their journey into reflective writing with a deeper dive into Bible journaling. The trick is to move beyond a simple focus on a particular ...

  7. PDF Journals and Reflective Writing

    KEY POINTS 1. Reflective writing is an opportunity to sort through learning and expe rience. 2. Journals provide space for examining your readings and thoughts in great detail, following through on your observations in whichever way strikes you as appropriate. When used as part of a course, journals help teachers respond to your ideas. 3.

  8. Reflective Journal: How to Write One and Prompts

    Self-development Keeping a reflective journal is one of the most common ways of keeping a diary. Many people use it to write about their experiences, impressions, feelings, or doubts, and that's exactly what reflecting is all about: gaining an insight into your inner life. What is a Reflective Journal?

  9. How to Journal for Mental Clarity: Master the Power of Reflection

    Morning journaling: Begin your day with journaling. Set aside a few minutes to reflect on your thoughts, intentions, and goals for the day ahead. Write about your dreams, aspirations, or any concerns you may have. Simply writing into your morning pages helps you gain clarity and set a positive tone for the day.

  10. Structure of academic reflections

    However, often you can be less concerned with form when producing reflective journals/diaries. When producing reflective journals, it is often okay to include your original reflection as long as you are comfortable with sharing the content with others, and that the information included is not too personal for an assessor to read. Developed from ...

  11. LibGuides: Writing in the sciences...: Reflective Journals

    Keep a journal of experiences over the year. Write up the journal entry/incident. Below the entry write up your reflections / analysis notes of the situation. Write up experiences the same day if possible. Use actual dialogue wherever possible to capture the situation. Make a habit of writing up at least one experience per work day/shift.

  12. Writing a Critical Reflective Journal

    In writing reflectively, students may develop their critical thinking further. This means that journal writing in service-learning is essentially a process of learning, and as discussed in the previous chapter, journals also become assessment as learning. The journal is also an assessment of learning, which means that it is a product by which ...

  13. How to Write a Reflective Journal with Tips and Examples

    Journals How To Create a Reflective Journal One of the most commonly used and therapeutic ways to utilize your journal is to reflect upon experiences you deem profound or that had an impact on your life. Getting it all down on paper can really give you a completely different perspective on things.

  14. PDF Writing Theological Reflection Well

    WHAT IS THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION? (I) To define theological reflection, we must first define "theology." Theology is "God-talk" (theos logos): thinking, speaking, or writing about God. Theology is a language used by a specific group of people to make sense of their world (or of their experience).

  15. Reflective Journals

    A reflective journal, also known as a reflective narrative, is a collection of thoughts, feelings, observations, notes, and other related resources created over a period of time.It typically supplements the study cycle, fieldwork, or a placement experience. The purpose of a reflective journal is to enrich individuals' learning through the actual process of writing and thinking about their ...

  16. Journaling About Relationships: 70 Prompts for Deeper Connections

    70 Journal Prompts for Relationships. Using journal prompts is a great way to spark introspection, dive deeper into personal thoughts and feelings, and cultivate a consistent writing habit. These journal prompts for relationships can act as starting points for deeper reflection and understanding of one's relationships and personal feelings towards each component.

  17. 11 Things to Know about the Doctrine of the Trinity

    To contemplate the Trinity is to lift up your heart and to "set your mind on the things above" (Col. 3:2). It's easy to turn doctrinal discussions into strictly intellectual affairs, but as Dr. Fred Sanders teaches in The Triune God course, we need to do so "in a way that enlists the reader's strict and holy attention for what is essentially a spiritual exercise."

  18. Daily Journal Thoughts & Prompts

    These ideas can be used as reflections or journal prompts for students in need of home learning activities: Printed worksheet: O Lord, You Have Searched Me and Known Me (Psalm 39) Journal questions: Journaling on Discipleship Journal Questions: Where Am I Called?

  19. Teaching Theological Reflection Well, Reflecting on Writing as a

    Abstract. In order to teach theological reflection well, it is necessary to teach students how to write it well. This paper probes the writing of theological reflection as a rhetorical process and a theological practice by (1) situating theological reflection broadly within a "correlation" model, adapted for theological writers; (2) identifying two "generic" styles of theological ...

  20. PDF REFLECTIVE WRITING

    Gibb's Reflective model can also be a guide to how you could structure your reflective writing. There are various ways you could implement this. - If you are new to reflective writing, you could follow it step by step. - It could be that each step is a paragraph or half a paragraph. - it could be that you move through the steps per sentence.

  21. Reflective writing: Examples & exercises

    There are many ways to produce reflection in writing. Try using these examples to kick-start your reflective writing. Open each drop-down to see a different reflective writing example and exercise. Open all. Starting Out: Free Writing. Free Writing: The 6 Minute Write Exercise. In Conversation: A Dialogic Example. In Conversation: Exercise.

  22. 365 Journal Prompts to Help You Reflect, Grow, and ...

    Keeping a Daily Reflective Journal Is a Healthy Discipline. It can help you connect with your feelings, problem-solve, and make decisions. It also helps you focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or the future. Writing allows you to express your feelings and understand yourself better.

  23. Reflective Journal

    A reflective journal can help you to identify important learning events that had happened in your life. The events include your relationships, careers and personal life. By writing a reflective diary, you can find the source of your inspiration that defines you today. A reflective journal also provides a better understanding of your thought ...