Reflective Prompts

• Short questions or statements that help you begin writing.

• They are open-ended and exploratory, designed to invite awareness rather than arrive at answers. Reflective prompts offer a starting point when it’s hard to know where to begin

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Examples:

• What might I be assuming here?

• Where do I feel resistance right now?

 

Purpose: To open inquiry without directing the outcome

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Reflection Starters

• Reflection starters introduce an idea, perspective, or observation that gently opens inner dialogue. They help shift attention inward and set the tone for journaling.

• Short passages meant to be read slowly and then responded to.

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Examples:

• Short contemplative essays

• One-page reflections

 

Purpose: To shift perspective before journaling

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Notes to Self

• Personal reminders written in a supportive, compassionate voice.

• Notes to self encourage honesty and self-kindness. They often spark journaling responses because readers naturally reflect on how the message relates to their own experience.

• They invite response through resonance rather than instruction.

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Examples:

• Gentle truths

• Compassionate reminders

• Reframing statements

 

Purpose: To create an inner tone that supports honest writing​

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Truth Keys/Insight Statements

• Single ideas or truths meant to be held, considered, or explored.

• Rather than explaining or teaching, insight statements focus attention on one thought at a time, allowing deeper reflection without overwhelm.

• Single insights meant to be held, not explained.

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Examples

• Short insight statements

• Postcard-style reflections

• One-line truths

 

Purpose: To anchor journaling in clarity​

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Metaphor Tools

• Stories, images, or metaphors that mirror inner experiences.

• Metaphors make it easier to recognize patterns, emotions, or decisions by viewing them indirectly.

• They help patterns become visible without direct analysis.

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Examples:

• Situational reflections

• Road, lane, or journey metaphors

 

Purpose: To reveal insight through recognition rather than examination

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Language Tools (Definitions & Word Work)

• Reframed or expanded meanings of words connected to inner life.

• These tools help people articulate experiences they feel but haven’t yet named. Clarifying language often brings clarity to journaling.

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Examples:

• Reflective definitions

• Word-based explorations

 

Purpose: To give words to awareness

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Thematic Guides

• A single theme held over time to give journaling direction.

• Themes provide focus without limiting what can be written. They help create continuity across entries while allowing flexibility in expression.

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Examples:

• Self-focused themes

• Ongoing monthly or seasonal topics

 

Purpose: To create coherence across multiple journaling entries

 

Visual Reflection Tools​

• Visual tools support intuitive or image-based journaling. They invite responses that may not begin with words, making space for creativity and feeling-based insight.

• They support intuitive, image-based journaling responses.

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Examples:

• Reflective postcards

• Quiet symbolic visuals

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Purpose: To access awareness beyond words

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Guided Formats

• Simple structures that shape how journaling unfolds.

• Guided formats provide gentle containment — helping writers move from awareness to reflection to integration — without prescribing specific content.

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Examples:

• Beginning → middle → noticing

• Check-in → reflection → integration

 

Purpose: To support depth without rigidity