by Mari L. McCarthy
I get a lot of what I call universal messages in my journal.
In fact, I uncovered, discovered and recovered my inner writer thanks to my journaling practice.
Journaling Helped Me Find My Inner Writer
As a little girl I dreamed of being a famous author. That’s why I changed the spelling of my name to Mari L. McCarthy because there was already a famous Mary McCarthy (author of The Group).
But I was too busy taking care of my three younger siblings and studying, studying, studying to ever have time to write.
Through my journaling, I recalled the fun I had had doing feature articles when I was a newspaper editor (my first job right out of college) and that inspired me to start writing my Journaling Challenge Workbooks.
I trust the universal messages that show up in my daily journaling practice. One day, the words “write the book that must be written” appeared, and I knew it was time to write my first “real” book.
I Will Write a Bestselling Self-Help Memoir
Soon after that, the phrase “self-help memoir” showed up.
Since I knew I wanted to share my therapeutic writing experiences with the world and help others participate in this revolutionary self-healing process, that phrase made sense and felt right.
I just trusted myself that resources would appear to help me write the book and that my journaling practice would point me to where I needed to go next.
I made it a goal: I will write a best-selling self-help memoir.
I started on writing the book that my inner coach told me, “must be written.”
Writing a Book Resonated with Me
I’m a businesswoman.
CreateWriteNow is the second business I’ve owned. And I learned the way to make it online, be seen as an expert and get the word out about “Writing For The Health of It” was to write a book.
That made sense to me and my gut told me that writing a book resonated with me. Again, I trust “My Journal” and always ask her/him lots of questions and she/he kept verifying and reassuring me that writing a best-seller was the right way for me to proceed.
The Book-Writing Process Helped Me Become More Trusting
The process [of writing the book] was exciting, freeing, challenging, therapeutic and so much fun that I’ve found I have much more to say and I’m embarking on my second best-seller with the working title of Heal My Self: How Journaling Power Gets and Keeps You Healthy.
During the writing of Journaling Power (interestingly enough the title came last) I found that I was doing way more journal writing and working through issues and having more breakthroughs in my book writing.
I told people that I was working on my best-selling self-help memoir and those that know me knew I was going to achieve my goal. I learned so much more about myself from the book writing process, I became more trusting and compassionate of the real, true, authentic Mari.
In Control of My Inner Critic
Since I had been journal writing for about 15 years and had written a lot of journal-writing eWorkbooks, I knew I was in control of my inner critic and his band of wary men (grin) and I embarked on this adventure with curiosity and beginner’s mind.
I had some uncomfortableness about doing it, so I knew it was time to master the challenge of writing a “real” book. When I knew I was ready to publish, the publisher and book writing and book promotion resources showed up.
Or as one of my favorite authors Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
It Feels Great to Achieve Your Writing Goals
I’m always over-the-moon when I achieve my goals and am savoring and will enjoy these feelings forever.
I’m much more confident in my writing talents and abilities.
It has surprised me because the book has reached and touched teenagers, a market I’ve wanted to connect with for a long time.
Advice to a Young Writer: Set a Daily Journaling Practice
Set up a daily pen-to-page journal writing practice.
This routine is vital to your book writing success. It’s your guide, friend, therapist, mentor, whatever you need it to be to help you show up at your book writing page every day or meet whatever book writing schedule you set for yourself.
By starting and sticking to a daily pen-to-page journal writing practice, you’ll realize you have all the power, creativity, and talent you need to change yourself and your world—your way.
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Mari L. McCarthy is the Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of CreateWriteNow.com.
She is the author/creator of multiple Journaling Power eWorkbooks and Journal Writing Challenge programs that teach people throughout the world how to heal, grow, and transform themselves through the power of writing.
A Personal Transformation Guide, she is the best-selling author of Journaling Power: How To Create The Happy, Healthy Life You Want To Live. Thanks to her journaling, Mari is now a singer/songwriter currently working on her fourth album.
Passionate about goals and successful in accomplishing them, like getting the beachfront home she lives in south of Boston, she enjoys raising roses and her consciousness there. Prescription drug free for over 13 years, she improves her health by keeping a gluten-free, dairy-free, processed foods-free nutrition routine and a daily ambidextrous journaling practice.
For more information on Mari and her work, please see her website, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and GooglePlus.
Journaling Power—How To Create The Happy, Healthy Life You Want To Live: Journaling Power teaches you how to put the ultimate self-healing tool right at your fingertips–journaling.
You’ll discover and experience through the book’s exercises how daily pen-to-paper journaling leads to self-growth and personal transformation.
You’ll also learn that numerous medical studies prove journaling literally unleashes a healing agent that empowers your life in ways you’ve never imagined.
Available at Amazon.
Book trailer below.
Colleen, thank you so much for having me. #WriteON! 😉
Thank you, Mari. Good to be reminded of the benefits of journaling!