Challenge Yourself With Journal Prompts- Face Your Past

I recently finished reading a book, by Anne Lamott, entitled Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott. She teaches a writing class and this book is a sort of breviary of her teachings. One of the chapters is about setting time to write. Anne pens about writing with such passion that I have been inspired to take the time to write more often. Anne recommends sitting down and writing for an hour a day. An hour alone with your thoughts and a pen, writing whatever comes to mind.

I tried her suggestion, because as I mentioned, I was inspired. Ready and revved-up to create something interesting or funny or emotional…..any thoughts that I could form really–but I had nothing. The hour would be over and I would have just random notes about nothing in general. Topics would come to mind but I wasn’t able elaborate on my ideas.

This left me feeling defeated.

I was almost ready to give up. Then I read Anne’s inspirational chapter one more time. My fire sparked again and began a search for topics to journal. I found an array of prompts to write about. I have several prompts saved but one set stood out more than the others. The title for the set is 30 Journal Prompts- Helping You Face Your Past. I started writing as a way to deal with my past. This prompt seemed like the perfect place for me to start.

The first question brought out thoughts and emotions that I didn’t realize have been dwelling within me. Some questions are hard to answer, while others are easy. Some questions may provoke several thoughts to arise, while others may influence few words to come to mind. Either way, I start over with the next prompt the following day. I am glad I have challenged myself to write more often. I am glad pushed myself and didn’t give up. I am glad Anne Lamott’s book was suggested to me, otherwise, her passionate words would have never stirred inspiration within me.

In this blog, am including the questions from 30 Journal Prompts- Helping You Face Your Past. I encourage you to challenge yourself. If an hour of writing is too much of a commitment, don’t give yourself a time frame. Simply write in order to answer the prompt question with the best of your ability. What you write may surprise you. I know I have surprised myself. My childhood was traumatic and I feel this challenge is one more step toward healing from that trauma. Maybe this could be your one step toward healing as well?

30 Journal Prompts – Helping You Face Your Past

  1. Why haven’t you dealt with your past before?
  2. Why do you want to deal with your past now?
  3. What don’t you like about your life right now?
  4. For each thing you listed that you don’t like about your life, ask yourself why.
  5. What currently triggers you?
  6. Why do these things trigger you? Think deeper than the issue at hand.
  7. When you write about these triggers, what emotions come up?
  8. When you write about these triggers, who comes to mind?
  9. List 3 things you want to change about yourself. Why haven’t you changed these things?
  10. What are your favorite moments from the past?
  11. What’s your biggest learning lesson from the past?
  12. List all the people you need to work on forgiving.
  13. Write one of those people a letter of forgiveness.
  14. Write about your day-take notes if the past comes up.
  15. Why do you hang out/associate with the people you’re around?
  16. Write about one of your exes.
  17. Write about the emotions from the “ex-entry”.
  18. What did you learn about yourself from being with your ex?
  19. If you could do something all over again, what would it be? And nothing doesn’t count.
  20. What did you learn about yourself from that do over entry?
  21. Write all the things you have learned from doing it “the hard way”
  22. Write a letter to your parents.
  23. Write about your emotions and triggers from the letter to your parents.
  24. What did you learn you still hold onto – regarding your parents?
  25. What childhood fear do you hold onto still, that is irrelevant today?
  26. Write about the saddest moment in your life.
  27. What triggers and emotions come from writing about that sad moment?
  28. Write about your proudest moment and how it makes you feel writing about it now.
  29. What are the things you need to work on forgiving yourself for?
  30. Write yourself a letter of forgiveness.

I intend to blog about my experience after completing this 30 day challenge. So if you are interested, check back in a few weeks. And…If you become inspired to try these journal prompts… Yay! Good for you! You can do it!

You may also like...