“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

~Original author unknown

Before beginning your journaling adventure, take a few moments to remember a moment that completely took your breath away. Once you have that moment firmly captured in your mind, take a few minutes to write about that breath taking moment in your journal. What was it about the moment that took your breath away?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Do you agree with the quote for today? Since most of us have no idea how many breaths we have taken in our lives, I would think this is true. How would you like to change your daily life to take your breath away more often, instead of counting the number of your breaths.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. Duplication without written consent is not permitted.

“To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.”

~Pearl S. Buck

I can’t think of anything more beautiful than joyful service. In your journal, take a few moments to consider what service you could give or do give joyfully. This can be paid or unpaid – just think of the things that you do, and consider where your heart is when you are doing it. Are there things you do that you truly enjoy? Write about one or two of them in your journal.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: I think that one of the best things we can do for ourselves and others is serve in a capacity where we are gifted, enjoying ourselves, and thereby giving those that we are serving an enjoyable experience. Take a few moments in your journal to consider those things that you really enjoy. Are you doing them as often as you could? Are you doing them as often as you should? If not, why not? And, how can you change that?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without written permission is not permitted.

“Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them.”

~Aristotle

In your journal, consider this quote from Aristotle. What do you think he means when he says “possessing honors”? Sometimes, what we possess becomes (almost) more important than whether we deserve it or not. This can be dangerous to our spirit, and, frankly, our self esteem – because possessions can be a temporary thing. With that in mind, what advice would you give in helping yourself (or others) change mindsets – from receiving dignity from possessions to dignity through entitlement?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Philip Massinger once said “True dignity is never gained by place, and never lost when honors are withdrawn.” How does this quote fit in to the above quote from Aristotle? Think of an example, in your life, when you maintained your dignity, despite what was going on around you, and detail that in your journal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals.

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without written permission is not permitted.

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”

~Martin Luther

In your journal, write about your hopes. As Luther says, everything that is done is done by hope. What will your hopes inspire you to do?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Are there hopes that you have given up because you don’t have time, energy, etc? Write about those “lost” hopes in your journal, and then take some time to write about how you can resurrect those lost hopes.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals.

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.

~Richard Bach

In your journal, write about what you are wishing for. Don’t limit yourself to wishes you *think* may come true – simply write about whatever your most ardent wish is at this moment.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Now, write about how you can make that wish come true. As Mr. Bach’s quote says, you may have to work for it, but, you have the power to make your wish come true. Start this work by beginning your wish granting plan string work in your journal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”

~John Henry Newman

Sometimes, change can be difficult – more for some people than others. Consider John Henry Newman’s quote in your journal – living is changing, and perfection comes from changing often. What was the most recent change that you have underwent? How has it affected your life so far?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Consider change in your life. Is it difficult? If so, why do you think that is? Do you feel yourself resisting change or embracing it? Take a few moments to write your answers in your journal, and save them to go back and consider later.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

Graciously brought to you by Legacy Journals, your source for hand tooled leather journals custom made to order for you to record your very precious thoughts and journal writing.

This daily journal writing promt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without written permission is not permitted.

“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”

~Ray Bradbury

Are you thinking too much? In your journal, take a few minutes to consider today’s quote. Do you feel like your creativity is completely drained? If so, think (uh oh, think – but, don’t think too much!) about why that may be. Are you spending too much time thinking about the problem or situation that you need your creativity to find the answer or solution?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: If you find that you are thinking too much about something – and, therefore, blocking your creativity….simply write down the scenario in your journal. As you write it down, give yourself permission to quit thinking about it. Often times, this is the best way to find the perfect solution, and release your creativity.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“What if a demon were to creep after you one night, in your loneliest loneliness, and say, ‘This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence. The eternal hourglass will again and again be turned and you with it, dust of the dust!’ Would you throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse that demon? Or would you answer, ‘Never have I heard anything more divine’?”

~Friedrich Nietzsche

In your journal consider the question Nietzsche poses above. What would your answer be? Why?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: If you answer was cursing the demon….what can you do, right now, and in every moment afterward, to change your life so that your answer would be “Never have I heard anything more divine?”

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“Where you find success, you find sacrifice.”

~Unknown

In your journal, take a few minutes to write about the sacrifices that must be made to be successful. Don’t limit yourself to monetary sacrifice – consider the sacrifices made in a variety areas of life to become a success.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Write about what you are willing to sacrifice to be successful? Are you willing to sacrifice the time (and sometimes comforts) that are necessary to become successful? How do you define success?

Happy Journaling

Dee

This daily journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.”

~ Harvey S. Firestone

In your journal, seriously consider this: Who is defining your life? Are you allowing someone else to tell you what you are worth – what your life is? Are you living quietly or, are you living out loud, confident in the knowledge that you are a survivor, not a victim?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Take some time to ponder What the difference is between a survivor and a victim? Both have had something life-changing happen to them. So, what’s the difference? How do you see yourself…are you a survivor, or a victim?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals and copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without written permission is not permitted.

“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

In your journal, make a list of 10 things that bring you joy. Do not limit yourself to material possessions, but, come up with your very own top 10 list of joy bringers in your life.

Journal Writing Prompt bonus: In your journal, consider what Mother Teresa meant in the above quote. How is joy a net of love? How does that net catch souls?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

~Anonymous

In your journal, write about one or two truly great friends that you have had in your life. What were they like? Are you still friends now, or has life and circumstance changed the friendship?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Do you have people that look on you as a truly great friend? Do you know? If you do (and you know about it), then, take a few minutes to talk about those people and how you feel you’ve made a difference in their life.

Happy Journaling!

Dee
This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.”

~Lao Tzu

Are you flexible? Do you find yourself adamantly set in your ways, refusing to bend, refusing to make the slightest adjustment in your course, or are you like the water, flexible and overcoming all obstacles through your flexibility? In your journal, write about your own flexibility.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: If you are sitting there, thinking that flexibility leads to people walking all over you, consider this:

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”
~ Tom Robbins

Flexibility isn’t about being wishy-washy. Just the opposite. Using the first quote as an example – the water doesn’t change direction – it goes exactly where it intends to go. The *route* (the approach) may change, but the original decision, the goal destination is still the same.

How can you, in your life, use the principles of the water’s flexibility to help you grow, reach, and succeed?

Happy journaling!

Dee

This Daily journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“One should count each day a separate life.”

~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

In your journal, think about your day today. Did you do something fantastic? Something notable? Or, was it just another “ordinary” day among many in your life?

What would happen if today was the only day of your life? What if every day was your entirety of your life?

Seperate from every other.

One life….one day only.

How would you live your day tomorrow if it was the only day of your life?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Why wait for the impossible to happen? For your life to suddenly only become a day long? Why not take action right now, that will make your life tomorrow different – notable? It doesn’t have to be a big thing, a daring thing – it can be something as small as giving a smile to a tired service industry person, or paying the toll for the person behind you at the toll booth. Little things can make a huge difference.

What little thing can you do to make a huge difference tomorrow – living as if it was the only day of your life? Take a moment to write a goal of what you would like to do, and then follow up tomorrow evening with whether you accomplished your task.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”

~Alex Haley

The good, the crazy, and the hard to be around (at times) – no matter what you call them, they are family, and they link us to our past and connect us with our future.

In your journal, write about your family. Think about the good things about your family, and even the silly quirks that make your family members who they are. What does family mean to you? Where does it take your place in your priority list?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: In your journal, think about how your family connects you to your past. How did your family give you the roots you needed to grow? Then, consider how they are your bridge to the future.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Phipps & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings;

but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

~Theodore Roosevelt

Think about your recent victories in life, were those victories a result of previous errors, shortcomings, or challenges that you were forced to overcome? Write about one of these victories in your journal. Express your feelings on your journey to victory – through the errors & challenges, as well as the feeling once you were victorious. If you could take one or two things away from that victory, and pass it on to future generations, what would it be?

Journal writing prompt bonus: In your journal, consider the first part of today’s quote. If you could say anything to the critics and fault finders that were present on your journey to your recent victories, other than “I told you so!”, what would it be? What advice would you give to future generations about the critics and fault finders, in general?

Happy journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“Natural ability without education has more often attained to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.”

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Did you happen to watch the last season of The Apprentice? Book Smarts vs. Street Smarts. This seems to be a common theme in the world. Which is better? who is “smarter”?
Frankly, I think that both have their benefits.

In your journal, write about your natural ability (the “street smarts”). What natural ability do you have that seems to beat anything you could have ever learned in school? What is that natural ability that you have that leads to your glory and virtue?

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Now, let’s look at flip side – the “book smarts”, your education. No matter what your education level, what things have you learned in school that have proven invaluable in your life today? Was it an actual subject or simply something that stimulated a natural ability or forced you to develop a skill that you otherwise would not have developed?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.”

~Nikki Giovanni

In your journal, write about that one thing that you couldn’t forgive yourself if you didn’t try.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: Now that you have that one thing – the most important thing that you must try-to-do – firmly in your head, write out a plan for action in your journal on how you will ensure that you are going to try it.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt, brought to you by Legacy Journals, is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”

~ G. K. Chesterton

In your journal, make a list of 20 things you are grateful for today. Once your list is finished, go back and put a check mark beside those things that you are most greatful for that are not monetary or material.

Journal Writing Prompt Bonus: What do you think about today’s quote? Do you think that the critical thing in life is the attitude you approach it with? Whether you take things for gratned or take them with gratitude? Reflect on this in your journal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals – fine hand tooled leather journals, planners, and more, and is copyright (c) 2005 Saving Grace Enterprises & Dee Kreidel, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few”

~Ann Morrow Lindbergh

What do you collect? Do you have many collections of many things or only a few collections? In your journal, write about a collection that you have. Why do you collect them? What was the first piece of the collection? Is there a story behind any or all of the collection?

Journal Writing prompt bonus: When does a collection move from beautiful (because there are only a few) to clutter (because there are too many)? In other words, what is the perfect size for a collection, in your opinion, when it is still beautiful (like the small collection of beautiful shells in today’s quote) and when does it become so large it feels like it’s more clutter than beauty? Do you have a collection that has moved from beautiful to too full – and now feels more like “clutter” than a collection? If so, write about it in your journal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals and is copyright Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises (c) 2005, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“The value of life is not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them; a man may live long yet very little.”

~ Michel de Montaigne

In your journal, consider how you have used the days of your life. Have you used them to the fullest? Are you striving to live alot – even though your days may be few?

Journal writing prompt bonus: If you feel like you are not making the most of your days – living your life to the fullest – how can you change that right now? What can you do every day to make sure that you are living a full life?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This journal writing prompt is brought to you by Legacy Journals and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

“The value of life is not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them; a man may live long yet very little.”

~ Michel de Montaigne

In your journal, consider how you have used the days of your life. Have you used them to the fullest? Are you striving to live alot – even though your days may be few?

Journal writing prompt bonus: If you feel like you are not making the most of your days – living your life to the fullest – how can you change that right now? What can you do every day to make sure that you are living a full life?

Happy Journaling!

Dee