Show Transcript

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What if there was just one simple activity you could do each day and yet have

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a profound impact on your mental health, on your ability to enjoy the day,

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to make the most of every moment, and ultimately to move the needle forward

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on your own personal growth and development goals?

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Now, I'm talking super easy, low stress, and definitely nothing that involves

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anything related to physical activity. That is not my style.

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Do I got your attention yet? Well, good, because today I am welcoming you to

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my version of a summer journaling challenge.

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Now, before you start thinking, oh no, just great.

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Another thing to add to my already packed to-do list. Now Kevin wants me to start journaling?

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Just hold your horses, I promise. The way I do things are not like normal people

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do things. I like to flip the script on life.

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Remember, this is going to be fun, creative, personalized just for you.

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This journaling challenge, if it's what you're into, maybe you like writing.

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Maybe you instead prefer taking pictures, doodling, or posting unique posts on social media.

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It's fit to match your style, your personality.

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Basically, I want this challenge to fit into your life, to become part of your

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summer, to make this summer one that you will remember forever.

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So pour yourself your favorite summer drink, turn up the volume,

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maybe get a little comfortable, and let's dive in.

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This is episode 295.

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Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days,

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they're just doors to better days.

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And that's exactly what we do here at Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

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Your host, Kevin Lowe. He's been flipping the script on his own life,

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turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight-up inspiration,

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motivation, and encouragement just for you.

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So, kick back, relax, and let me introduce you to your host, Kevin Lowe.

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What's up, my friend? Welcome back to the podcast. Man, am I glad to have you here with me today.

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Hopefully you like the new intro to the podcast, keeping it fresh.

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As always, I'm a guy who loves me some variety, so I cannot stick with the same thing for very long.

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So hopefully you are into the new style and direction that we took that little

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intro, making it a little bit fresh, a little bit funky, a little fun.

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Now, here's the exciting part. Not only am I announcing this summer journaling

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challenge, but I also have something really big.

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It's an announcement also related specifically to this summer.

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And you are honestly the first person to hear about it.

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Yes, you heard that. You are the first person to hear this announcement.

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So turn up the volume, lean a little closer, because I want you to hear what I'm about to tell you.

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Starting today, I am offering free summer breakthrough coaching sessions to you, my listener.

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Yeah, I have opened up my calendar for this entire summer.

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All of June, July, and August, I have times set aside just for you.

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These are 30-minute deep dive breakthrough coaching sessions between just me and you.

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It's my way of helping you to be sure that this summer is not only fun,

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but it's also a launch pad to be sure that the second half of this year is totally epic.

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So remember, it's totally free. I promise you this is not a sales pitch.

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It is not a sales call. You are not going to get some pitch at the end.

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No, it's literally me just wanting to help you.

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And I've made it ridiculously easy for you to sign up.

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You have two different options. Whichever is your style, that is fine.

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You can either text SUMMER2024 to the phone number 33777.

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Remember, that is SUMMER2024. Now, please be sure that is one word, no spaces, SUMMER2024.

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Text that to the phone number 33777 and you'll get an automatic response with

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a link for you to book your free coaching session.

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Now, maybe you're not into texting and you would rather just have a link in

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the show notes or a web address to go to.

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Well, I got you covered also because

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you can also simply go to gritgraceinspiration.com slash summer 2024.

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Again, that is gritgraceinspiration.com slash summer 2024.

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All of those details, links, and information are all in today's show notes,

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but just remember, summer, it's only for three months.

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Spaces are limited, and so get your space face blocked off today.

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All right, let's get back to the Summer Journaling Challenge.

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What exactly is it and why do you even care about journaling over the summer?

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So basically, this Summer Journaling Challenge is me trying to get you to journal

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every single day this summer, or at least as many days as you can.

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I don't want this to cause any stress or anxiety.

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That is definitely not the point.

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And I want you to remember, it's a journaling challenge with no rules.

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You can write, you can type, you can draw, you can take pictures.

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It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you are capturing your thoughts

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each and every day this summer.

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So the question remains, but why? Why should you join the challenge?

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And why does any of this even matter? And here's the thing is that we can view

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summer is just summer or we can view it as a time for change.

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This pivotal moment that sets us up for success in the second half of the year.

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Yeah, these summer months, they're right here in the middle of the year.

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And we can either use them to waste away the days, or we can use them as a launch

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pad to be sure that the second half of the year is totally epic.

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And so by you taking part in this journaling challenge, not only are you using

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this summer as a launch pad, but it's going to have you enjoying this summer

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possibly more than you ever have before.

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Because how many times do you do things and then you forget all about them?

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You don't remember it, but now you're going to be journaling each day, capturing memories.

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And by the end of the summer, you're going to have something to look back on

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that is going to be a beautiful representation of exactly what your summer vacation was.

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And so my hope is that you'll take me up on this challenge by giving me no more

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than five minutes each day.

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You can do it whenever you want. First thing when you wake up,

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right before you go to bed or smack dab in the middle of the day, it doesn't matter.

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I want you to take just a few minutes to participate in the summer journaling challenge.

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All right. All right, so now for the person who maybe you have never journaled

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before, and quite honestly, it sounds a little weird, a little stupid,

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and you're not too into it.

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Well, I want you to think of journaling as basically just a cool way of capturing

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your thoughts, of capturing the moment right then and now, so that you can go

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back and look at it later.

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Or sometimes it just helps when we got stuff weighing heavy on our minds.

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It just sometimes helps to let it out, to doodle on a piece of paper,

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to write it out, to talk it out amongst yourself.

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That's exactly the power in journaling. Now, as a few little helpful guidelines

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to help you be sure that you get the most out of this summer journaling challenge,

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I want to encourage you to first and foremost,

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set your intention for exactly what you want this to be.

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Obviously, I'm not following up with you. You are the only one who knows if

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you are indeed taking this idea and running with it.

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So be sure that you're doing it for the right reasons.

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Do you want to be sure that you're doing it to be more mindful of each day this summer?

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Are you just wanting to have a creative outlet? Or are you just looking for

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a fun way to document your summer?

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Kevin inspired you to do a journaling exercise, so why not do it, you say? Perfect.

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Now, next step is choose the method. As I said, you can bust out a journal.

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You can type on your computer.

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You can bust out the new journaling app on your iPhone, or you can turn to social media.

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Maybe you would rather capture each day with a photograph that you post on Instagram,

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or maybe it's a well thought out post that you do on Facebook or LinkedIn, whatever your jam is.

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What I want you to do, though, is to be sure that it's something that means something to you.

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Something that you can be sure that you can look back on at the end of summer

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and that you have this full library to reflect upon and to see all the cool

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things that you did over the summer.

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The experiences you had, the memories you made.

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So choose your medium or listen. It's up to you. You can switch it up.

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Maybe a couple of days you write in a journal.

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Another day, you take a picture, maybe even go an extra step and find a way

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to print out that picture and stick it in the journal, almost making it like

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a scrapbook. How cool would that be?

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There's literally no wrong way to do this challenge.

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You just got to make a decision to do it and choose whichever method you want to do.

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Now, my next little tip is to try to make this part of your routine because

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chances Chances are, after the first few days, you're probably going to forget all about it.

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Even if you were super into it on day one, by day four, you're like, I just don't have time.

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Remember, this is easy, simple, not time consuming.

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Maybe plan out each morning that when you wake up, you're going to reflect on

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the previous day and you're going to write about it.

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Or maybe it's each evening and you scroll back through your phone and you find

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a picture that really captured a moment that day that you want to remember.

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And you figure out how in the world you print out a picture from your phone.

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I'll let you figure that one out on your own.

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Whatever it is, I want you to carve out the time to really be sure that you

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make the most of this challenge.

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My last little tip is I want you to relax, to reflect, and to realize this is

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supposed to be meant for you and no one else.

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I want you to get rid of the stress that you're already thinking that this is

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causing because you're like, but Kevin, I'm not a creative type.

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I don't like to write. I don't like to take pictures or draw little doodles in my notebook.

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Remember, no one has to see this. This is literally just for you.

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And you know what? Matter of fact, you don't even have to go back and reread

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any of the things that you write or look back and see any of the little things that you drew.

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What matters is the moment here and now, the moment that you're doing the thing.

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That is what's going to move the needle forward in your life.

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And to be honest, that's exactly what this whole challenge is about. out.

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So at this point, I want to give you some ideas, some prompts for journaling,

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some ideas for photographs, for just different ways to maybe do this.

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Because doing it every day, it might seem a little daunting.

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But with a few little extra tips and ideas, hopefully you will get started on the right foot.

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And remember this, maybe you got more questions. You want more ideas.

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Well, do you know the best way to be sure that you're in touch with me?

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It's to be sure that you're on the newsletter list for this podcast.

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I send out a weekly midweek pick me up every Wednesday and you're able to respond

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to that and talk back to me.

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That is the cool thing about the newsletter list.

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If you're into that, be sure to check out today's show notes where there is

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a link for you to sign up for the newsletter list and to get that midweek pick

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me up and so that you can write me back and say, Kev, I need some help.

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What else can I write about? All right.

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Journaling prompt number one. When you sit down, just think about it and write

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about it. What are you excited about for this summer?

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Sit down and draw out what is your perfect day going to look like this summer? Is it out on a boat?

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Is it at home just playing with your kids?

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Is it on the beach relaxing and sunbathing?

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Why not bust out the colored pencils and draw exactly what that perfect day is going to look like?

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Another journaling prompt. What's the most important thing to you right now in your life?

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Life as the summer goes along where did

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you go yesterday what did you do last

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week jot it down write about it capture that memory in words so that you can

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go back to it again write down what you loved about it what made you smile what

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made you laugh jot it down this is your spot to remember those happy, amazing memories.

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What are three things you're grateful for right now, today?

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Just jot them down. You don't have to make it a big, long paragraph.

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Just literally write one, two, three, and fill in the blanks with three things

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that you are grateful for right now.

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Remember, you probably have a phone handy at all times, just like most people.

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Snap a picture while you're at the beach.

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Snap a picture while you are out at lunch with friends.

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And post it on social media if that's your jam.

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If you're doing the social media type route with this challenge,

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don't hesitate to capture a moment with a photograph.

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Now, I don't think that we need to live our lives behind the screen of our phones.

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Absolutely not. But for this sake, if you just want to capture the moment so

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that you can remember it, remember every little detail, either record a video or snap a photo.

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Another journaling prompt for you to think about here at the start of summer

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is what is something new you want to try?

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Have you ever tried to go wakeboarding before?

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Or what about even just riding on an inner tube pulled behind a boat in the middle of a lake?

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What are you wanting to do outside of your comfort zone?

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Write it down. Remember, it's not like you're committing to it.

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You don't have to tell anybody about it. This is just for you.

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In the middle of summer, it's, of course, Independence Day here in America, the 4th of July.

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How are you going to celebrate? What are you going to cook? What are you going to do?

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Write it down in your journal.

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What are some of your favorite summertime memories as a child?

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Were they from vacations? Were they when you were just at home sleeping till

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12 o'clock in the afternoon?

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Because you had nothing to do. School was over and you were free to just rest,

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relax, and sleep in as long as you wanted.

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What were those favorite memories? Jot them down. Capture them.

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Now, my last little journaling prompt idea is maybe you're actually somebody

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who you're over the heat already.

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Summer's barely even begun, but you're like, you know what? I'm ready for the

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fall. I'm ready for some cooler days, some pumpkin spice back at Starbucks.

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We'll write it down. Maybe your summer journal is going to look different than

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anybody else's because every day is literally going to be you talking about

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how much you can't wait for this hot, sticky, summer weather to be over.

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Whatever your style, whatever your jam, this is your journal to capture it in.

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So the question is, are you going to do it?

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Are you thinking about it? Maybe at least even just a little bit to embark on

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this summer journaling challenge?

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Remember, you can do it every day if you want. That's the hope. That's the goal.

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But you don't have to. I don't want this to to be stressful on you whatsoever.

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I want this to be fun. I want this to be just a part of your summer,

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something that you look forward to each day, getting to jot something down,

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getting to take a photograph or posting something on social media,

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some way that you're capturing the memories made over this amazing time of year called summer.

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And remember, if you want to take things to another level by grabbing hold of

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that limited space, limited time, limited opportunity.

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Free 30-minute breakthrough coaching call? Well, book yours today.

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Remember, you can text the word SUMMER2024, all one word, no spaces,

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SUMMER2024, text to the phone number 33-777,

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or you can check out the link inside of today's show notes that will take you

00:18:45.171 --> 00:18:52.611

to the URL of gritgraceinspiration.com slash summer 2024.

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I am here to help you be sure that this summer is absolutely epic and ultimately

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a launchpad To be sure, the second half of 2024 is going to blow away all expectations.

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Until next week, get out there and start journaling. And more than anything

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else, just be sure that you are enjoying the summer.

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Music.