• Home
  • About
  • Creative Life Coaching
    • Retreats: Collaborative, Creative, Exactly as You (and Your Organization) Needs
    • One-on-One Complimentary Transformational Conversations: Get to the Heart of Life Coaching Now
  • Blog
    • Writing Tips
    • Writing Challenges & Play
  • Contact

Creative Life Midwife

Inspiring Artistic Rebirth

Day 5: 31 Days of (Self) Belonging

October 5, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I find belonging in my notebooks. Whatever notebook I happen to be writing in at that time.

I used to write morning pages a la Julia Cameron: 3 pages of longhand writing as close to first thing in the morning as possible.

I loved it for a long time until I didn’t. I did love free writing, always have – and I do like the container of 3 pages AND I needed to have structure with freedom.

After a long dry spell and serious resistance to doing them again, I started doing some modifications to the model that all included a free flow writing element. I created something I call the Roll Over and Write Journal: Where your words are always right.

I write for however long and however much I feel compelled to write close to when I go to sleep and close to when I wake up. Sometimes I write a lot, sometimes I write a little, sometimes I write my dreams so I can do some early- in- the-day analysis. 

At night I may ask my highest self, I call her Julianne, questions. It allows me to dump problematic thoughts on the page and ask for wisdom and experience a bit of letting go as a result.

I give myself space to kvetch and complain as necessary and I do my best to keep things truthful more than toxically positive. 

Maybe that is why I have often said my notebooks are one of my best friends. I don’t fake it in my notebooks. I don’t have to pretend to be a persona or be worried my notebooks will betray me. My notebooks know my shortcomings and don’t ask for favors or try to make weird quid pro quo arrangements with me.

My notebooks always listen, consistently inspire, and enjoy me even when I am annoying.

They offer me exactly what I look for in friends, except since they aren’t human or sentient I can’t take thim to events and expect a fun conversation later.

Notebooks have taught me a lot about myself and have helped me gain clarity when I found myself in dark spaces when I wondered if I would ever arrive safely to the other side.

In case you are wondering: Sometimes people prefer to call the type of writing I do in my notebooks to journaling and the books themselves as journals. I use the word “writing notebooks” more often than any other title. I don’t know why I choose that except ever since I started using notebooks to write my morning pages, that has fit me better than fancy journals – although I do use the fancy journals people gift me much better than I once did!

Do you keep a notebook? I would enjoy hearing about it in the comments.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she has recently finished her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch exclusive reels, videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Creative Process, Healing, Intention/Connection, Mixed Media Art, Poetry, Rewriting the Narrative, Self Care Tagged With: Belonging to Self, Julie JordanScott, Self-Belonging, This is what belonging looks like

Day 3: 31 Days of (Self) Belonging

October 3, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Sometimes when we decide to take action, exactly what you need seems to magically fall into place.

It is as Paulo Coelho wrote, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Does Magic Begin with Habits, Rituals and Our Natural Tendencies?

I have a ritual on Sunday afternoon to go for a drive, a hike and listen to podcasts in a leisurely way as I do. Usually I have two podcasts I listen to, but this Sunday, I listened to a podcast I listen to semi-regularly and it served up exactly what I needed to hear in order for me to feel a strong sense of belonging and recognition.

I saw myself in the description spoken by the host of “Being Well,” Forrest Hanson and his father Dr. Rick Hanson, who shared a brief synopsis of the work of Carl Rogers. The three word description “unconditional positive regard” reminded me of both how I operate and who I am.

My thought was, “There is a name for how I naturally operate?” which turned into “It is a valid, valuable way of being.”

How Unconditional Positive Regard Intersects with Self-Belonging

I first heard myself speak this “Unconditional Positive Regard” aloud in a classroom recently when I said, “I am here because I see the good in you.”

It followed when I advocated for a student I have nothing to do with except we are both humans and on my quest for self-belonging I am also continuing to focus on belonging for others.

When I heard Dr. Hanson talk about unconditional positive regard I thought to myself, “How often do I say things to myself like I said to that random student?”

“I am here because I see the good in you, Julie.”
I don’t know if I have ever said that to myself.

I see you, I am listening to you, I am honoring you

One of the reasons for this exploration was to find areas where I could strengthen my awareness – and this is a definite gift because seeing the good in others and expressing that good that we see is like rolling out the “belonging red carpet.”

I see you; I am listening to you; I am honoring you.

Today when I advocated for the student whose path I just-so-happened to cross, I encountered a whole new group of people, I spoke in a language I sort of know, but I’m stretching my use of it on purpose in order to connect with her. “I am making this honest effort to help you because I see you, I hear your heart and I value you.”

Reaching out to those who are at risk of being lonely and roll out the “belonging red carpet” as best as I can is something I have done since I was a very young child. This is unique about me, something that has been true about me for my entire life. 

The student has now been invited into a social event that will help her with language and hopefully make new friends, I have collaborated with her language teacher to help her fit in through conversing in both of our native languages and I had that deeply satisfying feeling that comes from helping someone simply because we are two humans on this planet.

Vulnerability: an Indication Belonging is Near or Here

Vulnerability alert: I have tears in my eyes as I even think about morphing the words of belonging I thought towards a student I don’t even know:

 “I am making this honest effort to help you, Julie,  because I see you, I hear your heart and I value you.”

This isn’t about parroting phrases of self-love.

These are true statements I am learning and yearning to fully embrace.

I will check in at the end of the week about my overall progress and this study of and usage of unconditional positive regard to myself will be an excellent measuring stick of how I am honoring myself and inviting myself to higher levels of self-belonging.

Do you recognize yourself in anything I have shared here? I would love to hear how you are connecting with my words. Hearing how you are connecting (or suggestions as well) will help me grow to hear how these concepts are landing with you and if you have any questions for me as I continue to develop this series.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she has recently finished her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch exclusive reels, videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Goals, Healing, Self Care, Storytelling

Day 2: 31 Days of (Self) Belonging

October 2, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Doorways have been a meaningful visual metaphor for me for as long as I remember.

An image of a door caused an a-ha moment during my writing practice yesterday.

I realized  if I shut the door on other people, I am also shutting the door on myself. As Walt Whitman reminded us, “Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”

Shutting doors is disconnecting from possibilities.

I remembered times when doors shut, unexpectedly or when I didn’t want them to shut so quickly.

This could be subway doors or elevator doors sliding shut right before you step through them which causes you to miss the opportunity to get where you are going.

How do you respond?

Sometimes I respond with anger, frustration when it would have been more self-soothing to let go with a sigh of realization, I now have a few more moments to contemplate what patience feels like.

Someone closing the door before you have finished speaking is a form of dehumanizing. It is saying  “I don’t recognize you or your desires. I won’t listen to you anymore.”

Hanging up a phone connection works similarly. 

Fourteen years ago I told a friend, “If you ever hang up on me again, our friendship will be over.”
They never hung up on me again.

When the subway or elevator door closes there is no human element, yet I have heard people take the doors shutting personally, when that meaning isn’t there – unless you are blaming yourself for not paying attention or responding quickly enough.

When it is a human who willfully shuts the door and disconnects from you, this may be a valid cause for pain, sadness and grief.

Consider for today if you would rather live your life with both open doors or shut doors or only with one or the other.

What does this have to do with belonging?

Let’s return to Walt Whitman for our answer: the current loneliness epidemic is caused by people shutting doors to open another. When we shut the door to ourselves, we are shutting out others as well. When we close the connection to ourselves, we are closing the connection we may create with others.

Today, even in the smallest ways, practice opening doors to yourself so that tomorrow, it will be easier to open the doors to others.

Doors from the early 20th Century at a Railroad depot in Middletown New York with the affirmation, "Today I will open doors to myself & others."

What does opening the door to yourself look like?

  • Taking extra time in the morning getting ready rather than rushing. Even five extra minutes makes a positive difference.
  • Asking yourself a mindful question throughout the day such as “How am I feeling right now? What would I most enjoy doing next?
  • Stand in front of a mirror and smile at and with yourself. Put your hand over your heart and take three deep breaths. Continue with your day (at a minimum repeat before breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Woman (Julie Jordan Scott Julie JordanScott) seeming to burst through a broken wall on an abandoned home.

Julie Jordan Scott is a multi-passionate creative who has served people worldwide as a creative life coach, an inspiring voice in the darkness and a presence in her writing, creativity and teaching in workshops, webinars, group facilitation and more. 

Watch this space for more as the month unfolds.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Healing, Self Care

Day 1: Beyond the Ordinary 31 Days of (Self) Belonging

September 30, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Last week I said to one of the teachers at the school where I work, “This year my goal is to focus on creating a sense of belonging: both for the students and for me.”

I didn’t plan this conversation before the words sprang from my mouth.

As I heard myself give voice to what was asking to be explored it immediately started taking form.

I realized it was one of those soul things where the intention rises up from the mysterious depths within. I was reminded of almost twenty years ago when I set a goal on a website called 43things.com when I created a goal to “Honor My Son’s Uniqueness.”

Maybe it was time to honor my own uniqueness through using my experiences with belonging on a personal level. I knew this quarterly blogging challenge was coming up.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity and chose to honor this focus by taking steps to develop my personal concept of Self-Belonging and bring it to life.

Why is Self-Belonging Significant?

I remember in my junior year of high school my history teacher mentioned students in “The B Tier” – who don’t get validated for the wonderful people they are. He didn’t seem to realize how many of us were floundering in the C, D, E, K, L, V, Y and beyond.

In my adventures in Self-Belonging, I would say my level of self-acceptance has vacillated over my life history. Researcher Brene Brown tells us belonging begins with self-acceptance.

At some point between when my history teacher talked about “The B Tier” and I thought “I must be on the T or V Tier” and today, my self-acceptance may have fallen way off the radar. To use a metaphor, my self-acceptance may be what Pluto is to our solar system.

Pluto is no longer a planet. At my age and with my experiences, perhaps I inadvertently rendered self-acceptance irrelevant. No longer something to even consider.

Is Self-Acceptance Difficult for Other People?

Another surprising thing was listening to women at a California Women’s leadership conference – hearing the insecurities of the upper echelon of our society – admired by many – who also spoke in clips and phrases that said they also don’t feel a sense of high self-worth or a sense of belonging, either.

I had recently experienced the death of my mother and a very messy (for me) aftermath which I won’t go into right now. I can only do so much vulnerable sharing at once. (If I was speaking, this is where I would attempt to stifle an uncomfortable laugh.)

Amidst all of this thought and quite a bit of journaling and reflection, I heard we had 100 Days left of 2023.

Here and Now: 91 More Days of 2023

During the 31 Days of October, we will focus on self-belonging as a means to leading a more satisfying life. My intention is you will glean a new understanding of yourself and others from a mindful consideration of what I offer here.

The posts will not be lengthy, they will be meaningful, vulnerable and transparent. They may challenge your thought – which I believe is good. That means we’re growing.

Finally, I am grateful you are reading. I look forward to seeing how this month unfolds for each and all of us.

Julie Jordan Scott is a multi-passionate creative who has served people worldwide as a creative life coach, an inspiring voice in the darkness and a presence in her writing, creativity and teaching in workshops, webinars, group facilitation and more. 

Watch this space for more as the month unfolds.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Goals, Healing, Rewriting the Narrative Tagged With: Self-Acceptance, Self-Belonging

From Nightmare to a Small and Mighty Action that Made a Big Difference

September 28, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

As the day wore on yesterday, I got more fussy and cranky. I was planning to go to a poetry event in Newton and instead of not going because I was fussy and cranky, I showed up anyway. I was not my sometimes ebullient self AND I showed up. WIN!

I have been having challenges staying asleep, so I did the entirely wrong thing by procrastinating even going upstairs until way after my preferred time. I went to sleep late and my sleep was interrupted because I thought a war had broken out in Sussex Borough and tanks were rolling down Unionville Avenue shooting recklessly at the homes and churches and were headed to the (tiny) downtown. WHERE WAS MY PROTECTION! Then I remembered: this is what the thunder and lightning of my childhood felt like. 

No wonder I ran away crying from “lightning bugs” aka fireflies.

When I woke up later than I like, I decided I needed something different. I had planned to go for my morning walk – which I did very briefly and then…. I decided to experiment with my morning roll over and write and instead, make it roll over and walk, write outside after the walk. This was nothing short of miraculous. Sitting in the rocking chair with my journal and writing for only about five minutes made me feel completely refreshed – and this was even before coffee!

I wrote longer than I might have made it AND it warms my spirit  to share these moments in time with you.

I went from being grouchy to having a nightmare and being grouchy to taking a simple action that shifted everything.

Is there an action you might take, no matter how small, that has the power to make a big difference in your attitude right now?

A five minute walk might become your miracle (or a five minute brain dump session or a quick phone call to a dear friend or a 15 minute cup of tea gazing out the window.)

Let me know in the comments (or send me a direct message) to let me know what tiny and meaningful action you are willing to take in the next 24 hours to may make a big difference in your life now.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she has recently finished her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch exclusive reels, videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Affirmations for Writers, Creative Adventures, Healing, Storytelling Tagged With: creative process, Julie JordanScott, Manselife, This Writer's Life

That Didn’t Work Out Like I Planned

September 17, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Otherwise known as THE JOY OF MAKING MISTAKES IN PUBLIC

Is there some sort of an award for mistake prone folks?

I attempted to schedule a blog post today and failed. The blog post posted, but the content had “September 17” on it and talked about the break I was taking which started the end of last week and will end two weeks from now.

Why is making mistakes so easy?

Here’s the thing: I could have pranced around angrily but instead I decided to allow it to stay there. The mistake. Public facing, big mess up and this, my friends, is an attempt to actually schedule the blog post (which will now be this one) on September 17.

Wish me well.

PS – If this turns into a mistake, I will delete it. 🙂

Woman (Julie Jordan Scott Julie JordanScott) seeming to burst through a broken wall on an abandoned home.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she has recently finished her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch exclusive reels, videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Process, Healing Tagged With: Julie JordanScott, Writing

Good Morning, Love: September 17, 2023

September 4, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

I have been away, on purpose, for more than two weeks. It has been profound and strange. Profoundly strange, sort of like me. More than sort of like me.

A year ago my musings sounded like this:

Today’s sunrise was glorious here in Bakersfield. As I drove from the house-sitting gig to my home office I was stunned repeatedly by the extraordinary-ordinary beauty.

My favorite moment was (don’t judge) I was at a red light, and I wanted to take a short video of the ordinary beauty unfolding before me. There was a billboard blocking part of the view and I decided to just be patient – holding my phone low to video when I spotted a Bakersfield Police Department officer pull up two lanes over from me.

I laughed because I was thinking about creative blocks and fear and boom. I could have been in deep, expensive trouble and instead, I slowly lowered my camera and my creative endeavors and laughed from deep in my belly that I was actually paying close attention albeit in a different way.

This morning, a year later, I walked on the front porch of the manse in my stocking feet to take a photo of the cloudy horizon when the sun had not yet made her way up quite yet.

I was busy at work, even then, and preparing for the school year to begin tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will be back on Social Media, posting again – and grateful to have had this time to be fully with myself again.

Turns out I really needed the quiet.

Good morning, Love.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she has recently finished her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch exclusive reels, videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Life Coaching, Healing, Mindfulness Tagged With: Good Morning

Beyond Emotional Groundhog Day: Surrender to Empowered Yes

January 6, 2023 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Last year was supposed to be a year of living my dream life, focusing on fulfilling many dreams I had set aside for decades, moving to a manse in Northwest New Jersey and instead – very little of that came to fruition.

Almost but Not Quite: Again and Again and Again

In April and the first week of May, I felt closer to my dream life than I had in decades and then circumstances imploded which resulted in me surrendering to what was right in front of me and staying on the West Coast from May through mid-September.  

I remember in Mid-May, spinning my wheels and desperately reaching for different results everywhere I went. The single worst moment was telling my son he ought not come home on the days between his Spring Semester and Summer School. The silence on his end of the phone line followed by “ok, if you don’t want me to come home….” and then to explain to him the chaotic circumstances would not be a restful or enjoyable time for him. 

I came up with an alternative plan so I could visit him for dinner in Las Vegas and race back home. This was literally an 18 hour turn around because of that heartbreaking phone call. The ping-pong ball effect was in full force during May and June and into early July.

In June of 2022 I wrote: “I am notoriously slow at processing tough information. I usually go mute at first, perhaps out of a sense (a wish?) of denial.”

Surrender is NOT giving up, it is Being Real.

It was on an exhausted day in early July I chose to wave the metaphorical white flag and said, “I am all in. I am all in to do whatever needs to get done here in Bakersfield in order to ensure things here with my family in California will flourish when I return to the East Coast.”

I created parameters and avenues for mini-adventures like going to San Francisco and going to the Grand Canyon and Phoenix on the way to Las Vegas after the moments when my son did visit. This quick tour combined creating sweet memories and inviting better futures to be made into form.

These challenges have morphed in ways that shifted my ideas about what it means to say an empowered YES as well as the power of surrender, which is a different sort of yes.

Stepping into an Empowered Yes

Stepping into the empowered YES with love, joy, fear, regret (both accepting what has happened, even the unpleasant and prevention of future regret), sorrow and the hint of possibility. 

Life is lived in staying whole whether in bliss or sorrow. We keep our eyes on the horizon, looking for the openings, standing in and for grace. This allows us to look back and say “Thank goodness I went all in for that horrible scenario because… the celebration of overcoming and healing and transformation would not be here otherwise.”

I no longer cry when I recount last Summer. The tears did their healing work. Tears teach us “my body recognizes the magnitude of this sharing and honors it by releasing salt water, like depths of the oceans.”

I’ll take it. I’ll take a more restful form of discovery for the next time. 

Now I will continue writing from the heart, hugging trees and having meaningful conversations as I create this manse-life back in Northwest New Jersey. 

What will you continue to do this month? What will you continue doing this season and this year?

Woman hugging a cartoon tree - white with black polka dots

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Creative Adventures, Creative Life Coaching, Healing

Grief: The Inevitable Meeting

October 13, 2022 by jjscreativelifemidwife

Meeting Grief, face-to-face, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul is not something we go into with excitement or joyful anticipation. It is a door we enter grudgingly. For those of us who have experienced more than what feels fair, we may be more open to greet others in the early moments of grief. 

When CS Lewis described his early experiences of grief it is almost like he was walking around both in my head and in my body: 

“There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.”

I know The invisible blanket intimately. There are times when there is an ongoing desire to have other people around but not wanting them to engage with me.  Presence. 

I used to ask people if they could please “breathe with me” at moments where this need became so great. Lewis said grief was like fear: in the other studies I have done – and in my personal experience – grief also feels like anxiety and depression.

In these 30+ years since I first experienced severe grief, I’ve never heard words describing experiences so closely to the sensations I had during these such painful times in mylife.

In preparing for today’s Instagram live broadcast, I literally crawled back into the time immediately after my brother John’s death. 

Ironically, today, when I was lead to the CS Lewis quote on the anniversary of the night I came close to death myself. It was on that night my soul left my body in the intensive care unit and found myself in the all too familiar tunnel which to me felt like an umbilical cord to the sky.

There are no accidents.

I am grateful for your presence as we explore grief together.

If you have questions or comments, please be brave and write them or send me a private message or text. I would love to hear from you.

Woman hugging a cartoon tree - white with black polka dots

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

To watch the Instagram Live Video that inspired this blog post, please visit the link below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julie JordanScott 📝🎭🎨 Creative Life Midwife (@juliejordanscott)

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Grief, Healing, Video and Livestreaming Tagged With: Greif, Grief Process, Grief Support, Healing Journey

Hello, this One and Only Today! Hello!

October 6, 2022 by jjscreativelifemidwife

The words floated into my head, something like a soft breeze or a far off trumpet. If I was paying attention, I would notice. If I was rushing to my next thing or ticking off my to-do list, it would be imperceivable.

“I trust all my experiences add up to good.”

I stopped walking to be sure I heard what I thought I heard. It wasn’t an exterior voice or an interior voice yet it was a voice. It was my voice it seemed – and I recognize this presence-voice as my highest self who I call Julianne.

“I trust all my experiences add up to good?”

Within seconds the presence-voice caused a smile to cross my seriously intent “listening” face and my feet moved again, enjoying the rhythm and cadence of the thought.

“Yes, I trust all my experiences add up to good!”

Shift thankfully happens –

This is quite different than my cranky, frustrated voice on Tuesday that was consistently grumbling about the experiences in the past year, the past decade, the past, period. Even some of the now I was feeling grouchy about.

Sometimes I remember a children’s book I enjoyed reading to my daughter that featured a character called “A good for nothing swamp haunt.”

The Parking Lot Trees Agree

I looked up at the trees surrounding the parking lot next to the manse where I live. The leaves are slowly changing color a little bit at a time and for the first morning since last week, sunlight was hitting them in the early morning.

“I trust all my experiences add up to good,” my mind intoned. I figured these trees knew this. The ones that were still mostly green didn’t seem to be rushing or trying to be more quickly yellow than their neighboring tree. They were all standing together, facing East, maybe pleased to be getting some attention from the sunlight and me.

“I trust all my experiences add up to good.”

This is our song: speak, sing, dance & live

This could be my anthem, now that I think about it – with a slight twist. “I trust all our experiences add up to good.” I believe in the greatest good for all, the power of community, the joy of collaboration.

“I trust all our experiences add up to good.”

Now our job, our honor, our blessing is to continue creating experiences in the moment, and seeing how we might embody our own unique purpose as we begin and continue each day.

Betty Smith’s Tree Grows in Brooklyn Adds:

Betty Smith wrote “Look at everything as though you were either seeing it for the first time or the last time. Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”

When we trust our experiences today and everyday add up to good – add up to significance – add up to being a gift for ourselves and others, everything changes. See this concept now, hear it fully, and consider how you will make it your own.

Today this is my affirmation. I invite you to enjoy me in bringing the good – and the trust – into your life in a tangible way.

Join the affirmation. Watch it grow.

“I trust all our experiences add up to good.” 

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

Follow on Instagram to Watch IGTV exclusive videos, stories and posts about writing and the creative process.

Let our Words Flow Writing Community: the only one missing is you! Join us in the Private Writing Group by clicking here.

Facebooktwitterpinterest

Filed Under: Affirmations for Writers, Healing, Self Care

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 9
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.
  • Your Beliefs: Foundations of Your Creative Path to Peace
  • Introduction to “The Creative Path to Peace”
  • Now Begin Again: The Poem That Started this Adventure of an Unconventional Life

Recent Comments

  • Jasmine Quiles on Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • jjscreativelifemidwife on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong
  • Mystee Ryann on Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong

Archives

  • January 2025
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • July 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • July 2023
  • January 2023
  • October 2022
  • July 2022
  • April 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2015

Categories

  • #377Haiku
  • 2018
  • A to Z Literary Grannies
  • Affirmations for Writers
  • Art Journaling
  • Bridge to the New Year
  • Business Artistry
  • Content Creation Strategies
  • Creative Adventures
  • Creative Life Coaching
  • Creative Process
  • Creativity While Quarantined
  • Daily Consistency
  • End Writer's Block
  • Goals
  • Grief
  • Healing
  • Intention/Connection
  • Intention/Connection
  • Journaling Tips and More
  • Literary Grannies
  • Meditation and Mindfulness
  • Mindfulness
  • Mixed Media Art
  • Poetry
  • Rewriting the Narrative
  • Self Care
  • Storytelling
  • Ultimate Blog Challenge
  • Uncategorized
  • Video and Livestreaming
  • Virtual Coffee Date
  • Writing Challenges & Play
  • Writing Prompt
  • Writing Tips

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

How to Use Your Text & Other “Throwaway Writing” to Make All Your Writing Easier.

Trust in Creativity: Start with What’s Wrong

Self-Forgiveness: Often Forgotten, Always Worthwhile.

Beliefs: Review and Revise is it time? A clock face that needs revision with a bridge in the background.

Your Beliefs: Foundations of Your Creative Path to Peace

Introduction to “The Creative Path to Peace”

  • One-On-One Coaching
  • Retreats: Collaborative, Creative, Exactly as You (and Your Organization) Needs

Creative Life Midwidfe · Julie Jordan Scott © 2025
Website Design by Freeborboleta