4. Before writing anything else, start with two questions at beginning of this article. Don't just treat them as a mental exercise. Actually write them.

5. Finally, write out answers to two questions. Again, this is not a mental exercise. The actual process of writing is important.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE.

This morning I felt fine until I woke up. Immediately I noticed I was uptight. No particular reason. But I knew by way I was feeling, I could look forward to a day of tension and irritation.

I immediately went into my home office, grabbed my current Journaling Book and wrote this question. "Exactly how do I feel right now?"

I wrote out a top to toe analysis. I didn't bother asking why I felt way I did. I doubt if I even knew. I just wrote what I felt.

Next, I wrote, "How would I like to feel?" I really gave my answer a workout. I wrote about feeling enthused, relaxed, full of vitality. I painted a verbal picture of marvelous health and well-being. I filled several pages of scribble about how tremendous I felt.

Notice, I didn't use future tense. I wrote as though my condition of well-being was NOW.

How did I feel when I was done? Better. Not great but definitely rambling along on a more positive track. And, as morning progressed, good feelings kept getting stronger.

THIS IS ONLY A START ON EMPOWERED MATURITY JOURNALING...BUT A GOOD ONE.

If you do nothing but write answers to 'how do I feel' and 'how would I like to feel' questions, they can substitute for a lot of pills and potions. Use them whenever you experience mood slippage. Instant action can reverse a negative slide and add a lot of 'up' to what might otherwise become a miserably 'down' day.

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Get more facts, techniques and information about living healthier, happier and being more productive. Subscribe Free to Doug C. Grant's bi-monthly e-zine, THE EMPOWERED MATURITY PAGE. It's directed toward over 50 Crowd but good reading for anyone wanting to boost their life up a notch or two. Subscribe at: mailto:empoweredpage@smartautoresponder.com

Children laugh a lot. Adults laugh much less frequently. Something happens to lessen laughter. Part of what decreases laughter is putting our rascals in corner.

Arthur Schopenhauer said, “There is no absurdity so palpable but that it may be firmly planted in human head if you only begin it before age of five, by constantly repeating it with an air of great solemnity.” It is silly to diminish laughter but it is firmly planted in heads of many of us by time we are adults that it is not appropriate to laugh frequently.

The one in corner still laughs a lot.

Please Come Out to Play

So many benefits to letting one in corner out to play. If you do not, you must expend lots of energy to keep it in corner. It is irrepressible and looks for ways everyday to come out. Watch for it.

And if you do let it out, it probably will not do anything that naughty. And if it does, so what? It will give you energy and originality and creativity and memorable moments, and lots of laughter. Promise.

And Today . . .

At 9AM, noon, 3PM, 6PM, and 9PM, check in with yourself and locate your rascal. Is he or he in corner watching Appropriate Person? Out having a good time? Where else? Record your rascal’s whereabouts.

Be sure to let him or her out at least once today -- maybe to play with someone else’s rascal. Let’s hold an enormous gathering of rascals. What a time that will be. You are officially invited. ---------------------------------------------------- Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article as long as resource box is included. Please let me know of its publication by sending either a website link or a courtesy copy of your publication to Stephanie@allen-nichols.com Thank you very much.