Journaling prompt: Always think with your stick forward
Prompt: Always think with your stick forward The phrase Amelia Earheart painted on the side of her plane ahead of flying across the Atlantic were, “Always think with your stick forward.” I think it’s easy to misconstrue the wisdom here and assume the phrase means, just keep heading in a given direction, no matter what,…
Journaling prompt: How do we forgive ourselves for the things we did not become?
Prompt: How do we forgive ourselves for the things we did not become? This is a line from the Doc Luben poem, ‘14 lines from love letters or suicide notes’ It speaks to me on a deep level. We all have things we wanted to be or wanted to achieve or do. Goals we set…
Journaling prompt: Put your arse where your heart wants to be
Prompt: Put your arse where your heart wants to be Put your arse where your heart wants to be. I think about this quote a lot. It’s so simple and so effective. If you truly want something, you need to be present and putting in the work every day. The quote is from American author,…
Journaling prompt: Why should I fear death?
Prompt: Why should I fear death? “Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?” Epicurus A beautiful philosophical exercise in logic and mortality. Why should we fear the things we don’t…
Journaling prompt: A drier form of drowning
Prompt: A drier form of drowning I stepped out of my comfort zone in 2022 by joining a reading group. Not only was it an uncharacteristically social move on my part, but I also found I was challenged to read outside of my comfort zone. There was barely a mention of dragons or wizards in…
Journaling Prompt: We are all opsimaths
Prompt: We are all opsimaths In the last installment, I spoke about a manager at a previous job. I’ve been lucky to have some really good bosses in my career. Going back to my first manager though, and one thing I’ll always remember. An early task I was set was to send him three interesting…
Journaling prompt: The homebrewers mentality
Prompt: The homebrewers mentality My first proper job out of University. I worked in marketing for a homebrew alcohol company. Normally, when I tell people that (and when I elaborate that the job involved traveling to beer festivals around the world) they say something along the lines of, “Dave? Why would you ever leave that…
Journaling prompt: Other people’s expectations
Prompt: Other people’s expectations I can’t stress enough the influence this interview with David Bowie has had on me (and just Bowie in general!); Bowie on creativity I’m ashamed to admit, I didn’t get in to Bowie until after he died. He had always been ‘old people’ music – and a little bit novelty in…
Journaling prompt: Throwing away the alarm clock
Prompt: Throwing away the alarm clock and have met some strange, wonderful people one of whom was myself—someone my father never knew.’ “Throwing Away the Alarm Clock” by Charles Bukowski, from The Flash of Lighting Behind the Mountain. © Harper Collins, 2004. Read the full poem. I love this poem. Today’s prompt is fairly simple, but…
Journaling Prompt: The Monkey Trap
Prompt: The monkey trap I first learned of ‘the monkey trap’ through the wonderful podcast, a beautiful anarchy by David duChemin. (If your goal for journaling is increased creativity, I implore you to check out this podcast!) The basic premise is fiendishly simple: A coconut has a small hole cut in it. Rice is placed…
