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#295: Radically BOOST Your Mental Health, Mindfulness, & Personal Development with the Summer Journaling Challenge!
6th June 2024 • Inspirational & Motivational Stories of Grit, Grace, & Inspiration • Kevin Lowe, Inspirational Speaker & Transformational Coach
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What if one simple activity could profoundly impact your mental health, help you enjoy every day to the fullest, and propel you towards your personal growth goals?

Welcome to the Summer Journaling Challenge – a fun, personalized journey to capture and cherish every summer moment.

Do you often feel overwhelmed by the fast pace of life, missing out on the joy of everyday moments? This episode introduces a creative, stress-free journaling challenge tailored to fit your unique style, helping you savor and remember each day this summer while boosting your mental well-being.

What's This ALL About?

In this exciting episode of Grit, Grace, & Inspiration, host Kevin Lowe introduces the Summer Journaling Challenge. Whether you love writing, doodling, taking pictures, or posting on social media, this challenge is designed to fit your personality and become a meaningful part of your summer. Kevin shares practical tips and prompts to help you capture the beauty and memories of each day, making this summer one you'll remember forever. Plus, discover the bonus offer of free breakthrough coaching sessions to ensure your second half of the year is truly epic.

Some Key Takeaways:

  1. Enhanced Mental Well-being: Learn how daily journaling can significantly improve your mental health and mindfulness, helping you enjoy each moment to the fullest.
  2. Creative Self-expression: Discover various journaling methods that match your personal style, from writing and drawing to photography and social media posts.
  3. Lasting Summer Memories: Capture the essence of your summer experiences, creating a lasting record of memories to cherish and reflect upon.

Don't miss out – PRESS PLAY on this episode to start your journey with the Summer Journaling Challenge and make this summer one to remember!


GRAB YOUR FREE SUMMER COACHING SESSION

Kevin is offering FREE coaching sessions ALL Summer long! Book yours today by either:


ALL THE WAYS WE CAN CONNECT

GET IN TOUCH

PODCAST HOST: KEVIN LOWE




Guided by Faith. Inspired by life itself.


© 2024 Grit, Grace, & Inspiration

Transcripts

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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

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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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