Grateful for that One Special Someone

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It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude! 

Feel free to click here (or below) to learn more about our Gratitude Project. 
Okay – now for today’s post:
 
 We have all had days that we wish we didn’t have to go through. We have all had experiences that we wish we could fast forward and not have to feel the sadness or pain or anger or any other strong emotion that came along with it. We have all had hard times in our lives where we just weren’t sure how we were going to make it through.

And just when we were at the brink of complete despair, that special someone stepped up and offered support and love and encouragement and understanding. That’s when we knew that we would be okay. We knew that we could lean just a little bit on this person – we could let them take some of the weight for just a little while.

Each of us has this special someone in our lives. It could be a spouse, family member, or best friend. Someone that we know we can go to when life gets overwhelming and too much to take on alone.

And what’s great about these relationships is that they are always reciprocated. Today maybe you are the one who needs to lean, and tomorrow they will be able to lean on you. That’s how these beautiful relationships work, and for that I am grateful.


Thank you to Dan for being that special someone for me. 

Take a moment today and think about your special someone. Let them know how grateful you are for their love and support. Let them know how much you value and appreciate their presence in your life. 

And then lean into them. 
It’s okay. 
They won’t let you fall.


Our Biggest Giveaway EVER

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We’re excited to announce our biggest giveaway EVER!

We love living our best lives and inspiring others to do the same!
And we know firsthand that having tools and a support system in place make transitioning into your ideal life so much easier. When we have the structure set up beforehand, lasting change has a real chance at happening.
This is why Dan and I do what we do – we want to help create a foundation of support for you so that going within, finding the answers, and living the life you were meant to live is an exciting and joyful experience rather than a scary and intimidating one. 
 

We are thrilled to announce our new Manifesting Happiness E-Course, which is a 3-month course that sets up this essential structure so that lasting happiness and lasting change can occur.

Our course follows three of our Soulful Journals:
Gratitude Book
Being grateful for what you already have.

As If Book
Visualizing and dreaming about what you would like to have.

The Commitment Book
Committing to and taking action to make those dreams your reality.


Please click here to learn more about this exciting and helpful course!
We are offering a super low introductory price of just $90 for the entire course through the end of the month, too!

What We’re Giving Away
Because we are so excited about this e-course and the journals 
that go along with it – we are giving them all away!
Grand Prize
1 Manifesting Happiness E-Course 
(worth over $800 – normally sells for $299!) 
This is such a great prize – bigger than anything we’ve ever given away before!
We really want to help someone make lasting changes in their life, which is is why we are giving this ENTIRE program to one lucky person!
It’s a 3-month course that includes personalized consultations, journals, worksheets, and so much more!
Please click here to read all about the program!

This prize will be awarded to the person who enters our contest AND refers the most people to our contest!
You can tweet about it, post about it on your blog, put it on your Facebook page – get creative with it!
Please tell your friends to mention your name when they enter.  

Second Place Prize
3 Manifestation Journals
(The Gratitude Book OR I Am Grateful For, As If, & The Commitment Book)
 (worth $45!)
How to Enter
  1. Leave a comment telling us what you would like to manifest in your own life and why. It could be anything – more happiness, abundance, love, balance – whatever you desire! Please make sure to leave your email address, so we have a way to contact you if you win!
  2. Follow this blog
  3. Become fans of our Facebook pages: Soulful Journals & Jodi Chapman
  4. Follow us on Twitter: Soulful Journals & Jodi Chapman
  5. Subscribe to our newsletter
How the winners are chosen
The Grand Prize winner will be chosen by determining which person referred the most people to our contest. 
The Second Prize winner will be chosen based on their answer. We would like to give our journals to someone who truly wants to make a lasting change in their life. (They also have to be following our various pages mentioned above.)
Giveaway Ends July 26th at midnight (PST).
We’ll post the winners here and also contact them directly!

We can’t wait to read all of the ways you would like to manifest your ideal lives!

Have fun, and good luck!

Looking Within

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Dan and I were at a Psychic and Holistic Faire over the weekend where he gave his Manifesting Happiness Workshop. This was our second time at this particular fair, and once again we made some really great connections with vendors and customers.

There were many types of intuitives and psychics offering readings (tarot cards, angel readings, channeling, animal totem readings, etc.), and while I didn’t have my readings done this time, I do know how much fun it can be.

But while we were there enjoying being a part of the positive energy that surrounded us, I couldn’t help but look around and feel a bit of sadness for each of us (definitely myself included) who have spent so many hours and days and years looking outside of ourselves for the answers. And while there is definitely a need and a place for intuitives and self help books and inspirational blogs and personal growth magazines, my hope is that we simply use these for what they are: tools to help you uncover your own answers that reside within you rather than taking what these sources offer as the final, definitive answer.

Our souls really do have the answers. I know it may not always feel like they do. I know that life gets complicated and hard and busy and can actually feel like a mess. But if we slow down, center ourselves, and look within, we always find the answer is there.

I love reading inspirational books and blogs and articles that are written with the intent to help and motivate. I love taking it all in and then sifting it through my soul’s filter to see what feels right for me – what gets to stay – and what doesn’t.

This is a great way to get all of the information you are looking for while still giving a voice to your inner wisdom: your soul.

P.S. – I’m super excited to announce that our biggest giveaway EVER starts tomorrow! More details then! 🙂

Saturday Selection – Manifesting Happiness E-Course

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You all know that I am married to an awesome guy, right? 🙂
Well – now you can all see just how awesome, loving, and caring he truly is! He has done an amazing job of putting together an e-course for all of you! It’s a 3-Step Program for Manifesting Happiness, and we opened enrollment today for it!

Here are the awesome details:

Would you like to be happier?

If so, then our 3 Steps to Manifesting Happiness E-Course is for you!
We are so excited to offer this three-month program to help you achieve your dreams and find lasting happiness! We have found that lasting happiness is really a three-step process:
  • being grateful for what you already have
  • visualizing and dreaming about what you would like to have
  • committing to and taking action to make those dreams reality
We know firsthand that it can be challenging to stay positive and continue to reach for your dreams. Our lives are busy enough already and making big changes can be scary and hard.
That’s why we created this 3-month program: To offer support and guidance as you take action toward living your ideal life!

We have found that having a supportive community to cheer you on and also hold you accountable makes such a difference in achieving your dreams and goals. That’s what we’re here for!

Here’s what’s included in this program: 
  • 4 30-minute phone sessions with Dan
    (1 at the beginning of the program, and then 1 per month for the following three months)
    In the first session, you will be able to talk about your specific goals with Dan. He will offer his expertise and support to help you with a recommended plan of action. The following two calls will be to check in and see how you are doing on following through with your daily commitments. It will also be to see if you have any questions about the weekly assignments and worksheets. The final call will be to talk about your progress and set you up with action steps for the future to make sure you stay on track. – valued at $300
  • 13 weekly lessons – including worksheets, activities, and resources
    – valued at $200
  • 3 mid-month email check-ins – valued at $75
 
Plus we are also including 4 bonuses for you!

Bonus #1: Manifestation Ebooks: (The Gratitude Book, As If, and The Commitment Book) – valued at $18

Bonus #2: 50 Things You Can Do Right Now to Feel Instantly Happier worksheet – valued at $10

Bonus #3: Vision Board Worksheet –
It’s a great starting point to help you create your ideal life – starting with your vision for it. – valued at $10
Bonus #4: Artsy Affirmations Screensaver
12 affirmations that pop up on your computer screen to keep you happy all day long! – valued at $35

This program is worth over $800!

The program starts on September 1st and goes until November 30th.


If you sign up by July 31st, we’re offering an introductory price of just $99!
100% Money-Back Guarantee!
That’s right! If you complete this 3-month program and don’t feel that you got your money’s worth, we will refund 100% of your enrollment price. We’re THAT confident that this course will improve your life!
If you have any questions at all about the program, please email us at info@soulfuljournals.com.

We can’t wait to be a part of your happiness. We can’t wait to see you reach your dreams! We look forward to being a part of your journey!

P.S. – Please pass this along to your friends! We are looking forward to growing an entire community filled with positive people looking to be supported and also give support! We can’t wait to see how we can all create our best lives together!

The Magic in Staying Present

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I’m part of a writing program that is helping me stay focused and create a structure in which to write my book. We had a conference today where we could ask questions. It was really clear to me that everyone was so excited about the program, but they were also possibly even more excited about the end result: finishing their book and having it published.
This is completely understandable. There are times when I also wish I could fast forward to several months from now when my book is completed, published, and available to buy and be read. I could save myself the possible pain of having to look within and the struggle of actually writing the book.

But if I fast forwarded to where my book is complete, and everything is all tied up in a neat bow, I would also miss all of the good stuff that is bound to happen in my life between now and then – both internally and also externally.

I would miss learning how to write a book. All of these great lessons and assignments that are part of this process.

I would miss the process of writing – the discipline of sitting at my computer every day and holding myself accountable to write for at least one hour.

I would miss the part where I get to excavate my inner wisdom. I get to dig deep within and see what’s there. I get to uncover all of the layers of gunk that are covering up my soul, and I get to let my higher self lead the way.

I would miss being able to pat myself on the back after I had a breakthrough.

If I skipped ahead, I would miss all that is happening right now. 

I would miss the journey.
And isn’t that what it’s all about – growing and learning on this journey?

So let’s stay right here. Even if it seems hard or even if the future seems brighter and more fun. Let’s go through the steps to get to the future. They are laid out one in front of the other for us. Let’s start walking (or even running) toward our future. But let’s make sure to step on each stone on our way there and enjoy the journey.

P.S. – If you live in southern Oregon, please come to Dan’s workshop tomorrow at the Holistic Faire in Grants Pass! It’s called: 3 Steps to Manifesting Happiness. It’s at 1pm, and it’s completely free! We’ll also be there with our Soulful Journals. Hope to see you there!

Allowing the Flow

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As many of you know, I am in the process of writing a book. It’s a book that I feel called to write. It’s a book that came about in the most magical, beautiful way.
I always felt that I would write a book one day – an empowering book that inspired others. And I knew that I would write it when I felt that I had something to offer – something that would really help people take steps to live their best lives.

I know that this book is inside of me, and it has started to emerge. It was flowing out, actually – I could hardly keep up. I truly felt like I was taking dictation from the universe. And then it stopped flowing, and I stopped writing.

What I am beginning to realize was that it never stopped flowing. The flow is always there. The flow has always been there, and it will always be there. We are the ones who stop it. We are the ones who put blocks in front of it in the form of fear, doubt, and sabotage. We are the ones who would rather put barricades up and block this flow rather than feeling and experiencing and living.

And that’s exactly what I did.

I worried that what I was writing may not be mainstream enough. I worried that the reader would think it was too “new agey” or too far “out there.”

I was afraid of going to that vulnerable place – the place that I know I need to go within myself to pull this wisdom out of me. The place that is scary and dark and hard to look at.

I sabotaged myself by becoming “too busy” to spend time writing. I created all sorts of tasks and must-dos that would keep me from simply sitting down and writing.

And now that I see this, I can confront each block one by one.

I know that removing each of these barriers will get me that much closer to my book. And even though it can be painful to travel to these deep places in my soul, it’s a necessary part of healing and growing. And hopefully my journey inward will inspire others to do the same. To know that I did it – I’m okay – and I came out the other side stronger and filled with an inner knowing that I never experienced before.

So I will say goodbye for now. I know that it’s time for me to Go for It.
It’s time to write this book. It’s time to let the flow do what it does best: flow.

Grateful for Support

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It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to write a post about gratitude! 

Feel free to click here (or below) to learn more about our Gratitude Project. 
Okay – now for today’s post:
 
I was thinking today about how grateful I was to be surrounded by friends and family members who are so completely supportive of all that I do. People who are just waiting in the wings to lend a helping hand – waiting for me to simply ask so they can swoop in and help take some of the load off of me.
 
If you’re at all like me, you sometimes forget that your loved ones and support team are there to assist you. I know that I have a tendency to offer support, but I don’t always accept support as easily. 
 
Last week, I wrote about our Sacred Gifts – our unique gifts that we share with the world. Some people truly excel at chipping in and helping just when you need it most. And it really does hurt their feelings if we turn their offer to help down.

So spend some time today thinking about your support system.

Think about who might be able to help you in one area of your life. 
Who is great at a certain task that you may not excel at? 
Who has offered to help, but you turned them down 
because you felt guilty accepting their offer?

Today I am grateful that we don’t have to go it alone. 
 
We are all on this journey together, and we are a community.
We each have wonderful talents and skills that we can offer each other.
And we can also accept help from our loved ones.

We are worth it.
And for that I am grateful.

Your Crazy Busy Life

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Do you ever look at your life and wonder how everything can possibly get done? Do you ever wish for just one more hour in the day? Do you ever feel like just crawling back into bed when you look at your to-do list? Do you ever ask yourself how things got so busy? Do you ever wonder if you will be able to dig your way out of this seemingly endless pile of tasks?
I know firsthand how life has a way of sneaking up on us, and before we know it, we are underneath what feels like a mountain of must-dos. The emails keep coming in. No matter how much we wish it would, the house just doesn’t clean itself. There are phone calls that need to be made. Errands that have to be run. Projects that must be completed. And the lists really does go on and on.

When I start to feel overwhelmed, my first desire is always to escape. I crawl into my bed and just quiet myself. I take a few deep breaths and quiet my mind. (And I also have been known to grab a bite or two of chocolate – which is the magic cure for many ailments.)

And then in that quiet moment something happens.
I realize that I am okay. 

I realize that all of these tasks and emails and projects and assignments are indicators of a life that is being lived.

And I feel better for a moment. If I weren’t living – if I weren’t pushing out of my comfort zone – if I weren’t growing as a person and exposing myself to all of this external stimuli, my life would be comfortable and secure and painfully boring. Sure, I would probably have much more time, but when I look back at the end of my life I don’t want to say that I sure had a lot of time to twiddle my thumbs. I want to say that I lived! I experienced. I engaged. I learned. I grew. I evolved. I inspired. I was a part of it.

And realizing this puts it all into perspective.
Having a busy life means that you are living. You are a part of something.

And sure, you can work on getting more balanced and focused and clear.

But when you are in this exact moment feeling the chaos – recognizing that life is flowing through you is an amazing feeling. It will bring you to the present. It will bring you to a state of gratitude. It will show you that even your crazy busy life is a good life – a lived life.

Do You Like Me?

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We all want to be loved.
We all want to be liked.
We all want to fit in.
We all want to be understood.
We just do. 
We are social beings.
We thrive in groups.
We live in tribes.
We have leaders and followers and pecking orders
and those at the top and those at the bottom. 
And because of this innate dynamic, we tend to look to each other for support. We frequently look to each other for approval. This is completely normal and completely okay.

We’re not supposed to go it alone on our journey. It’s good to have your tribe surrounding you and supporting you.

It gets tricky though when you stop being yourself because you’re afraid you won’t be liked.

We have to be careful of changing our actions solely because we are seeking approval. 
So instead of living your life by asking:
Do you like me? 
How about asking: 
Do I like me?

If you can approve of yourself first before seeking approval from others, their love will just be icing on the cake. 

If you are constantly looking for others to build you up and like you, you’ll be forever looking outside of yourself for love. You will never be content. It will become an addiction, and you will always be looking for your next “approval fix.”

Frequently we don’t even realize that we are seeking approval – especially if we are living our lives on auto pilot – just going through the motions without really thinking about them at all.

When you get dressed in the morning – do you look in the mirror and strut your stuff knowing that you look great? Or do you wait for your loved ones to tell you how great you look before accepting it as truth?

When you write a post, create a product, lose some weight, dance in your recital, show your paintings at an exhibit, etc… do you approve of yourself before the external approval starts coming in?

External love and approval is wonderful. It feels great, and it boosts us up.
Internal approval and love is even more powerful.
It gives you grounding and a foundation.
It gives you life.

If you are wondering if you are an approval junkie, staying conscious of what your motivation is for doing things is a great place to start. Are you doing something because you truly want to and it makes you happy, or are you doing it because you want to be accepted and liked and approved of?

If we love and approve of ourselves, it will truly matter a whole lot less what others think.
And while I’m not saying that it won’t matter at all or shouldn’t matter at all, knowing that you are living your own life will feel so great that you will start to care less and less whether you are approved of.

And we all know that our true friends will accept us no matter what anyway.

So get out there and live your life!
If you want to write, write!
If you want to paint, paint!

If you want to wear spandex, go for it!
If you want to dye your hair, have at it!

Your love and approval is all that truly matters.