Are you sick of feeling like you're not the best version of yourself? Sick of feeling like there's more to life? More to YOU? Prescribe yourself a dose of Mindset Medicine.
The news, the media, the texts, and the constant bombardment of electronic sludge can tear you down and rip you away from being your true self. You can choose to give in to the fear and be manipulated into submission. Or you can join the journaling power revolution and reconnect with your higher self.
In Mindset Medicine: A Journaling Power Self-Love Book, award-winning author Mari L. McCarthy reveals a journaling power path to an awareness of how vibrant your life will be when you...
- Understand why you have to love yourself first
- Tap into your hidden gifts and talents
- Declare why others must respect you
- Establish rock-solid boundaries
- Become YOUR own hero!
Through mind-expanding writing and thoughtful journaling prompts, Mindset Medicine will teach you to gain the self-esteem, respect, and compassion you need to get all the things you want in life. If you're ready to tune out the hate and fear that's fed to you by modern life, tune in to Mindset Medicine--and tune in to the real YOU.
Are you sick of feeling like you're not the best version of yourself? Sick of feeling like there's more to life? More to YOU? Prescribe yourself a dose of Mindset Medicine.
The news, the media, the texts, and the constant bombardment of electronic sludge can tear you down and rip you away from being your true self. You can choose to give in to the fear and be manipulated into submission. Or you can join the journaling power revolution and reconnect with your higher self.
In Mindset Medicine: A Journaling Power Self-Love Book, award-winning author Mari L. McCarthy reveals a journaling power path to an awareness of how vibrant your life will be when you...
- Understand why you have to love yourself first
- Tap into your hidden gifts and talents
- Declare why others must respect you
- Establish rock-solid boundaries
- Become YOUR own hero!
Through mind-expanding writing and thoughtful journaling prompts, Mindset Medicine will teach you to gain the self-esteem, respect, and compassion you need to get all the things you want in life. If you're ready to tune out the hate and fear that's fed to you by modern life, tune in to Mindset Medicine--and tune in to the real YOU.
Chapter 1
The View from 10,000 Feet
What you and I have in common is that our minds are under continual assault by mental trash that is flying at us from every direction imaginable. If you watch TV, you’re receiving repetitive advertising messages about what you should wear, what you should eat, and what you should value. You’ve got a lot of establishment “shoulds” flying at you.
If you watch cable news at night, you’re being told what to believe, what not to believe, who you should love, and who you should hate. You’re also being pushed and pulled by people who want you to join their team and despise anyone who sees the world differently. So if you watch cable “news” at night, you’ve got a lot of hate flying at you.
As these messages are competing for control of your mind, you’re also being bombarded by texts, emails, and other intrusive alerts from your phone, tablet, or some other gadget society has decided you must own.
If you get online and look at a website for a few minutes, you can be assured the next time you log into Facebook an ad for that website will be staring you in the face. If this makes you feel as if you’re being digitally stalked and hunted, it’s because you are. If this makes you feel as if powerful forces are competing to gain control of your mind, it’s because they are.
Should you be frightened by all of this? I am not going to say you should. Maybe it scares you or maybe it just makes
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you feel fed up and angry. That’s up to you. However, you should be aware that you’re not alone in the feeling that you’re being hounded by a never-ending stream of digital madness.
The maximum impact of all this is that it can lessen the love you feel for yourself. At a minimum, it adds up to a bunch of mental noise that you’d prefer to tune out or at least minimize.
I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve written Mindset Medicine with the intention of giving you a simple but powerful tool that will help you turn off the noise so you can better control your mental environment and tune into YOU! This tool is unconditional self-love.
Mindset Medicine is also an invitation to join a revolution. If you’ve ever wanted to put on a bandanna, put a knife between your teeth, and be part of a revolution, this is your chance to join one that’s unstoppable. If you don’t like guns, don’t worry. You won’t have to carry one. Instead, your revolutionary weapon of choice is pen-to-paper therapeutic journaling.
So, what is our band of global revolutionaries revolting against? We’re revolting against the “should do” mental trash being shoved on us that is dulling our sense of self.
We’re revolting against the notion that we’re supposed to be brain-dead zombies who follow the herd and do as we’re told. We’re revolting against the crazy idea that only the top 10% of any demographic have 90% of the wealth, power, and influence of that demographic.
In a nutshell, we’re revolting against anything or anyone that would have us believe we should be denied the freedom, opportunity, and power to create the life of our dreams and manifest everything we desire.
Again, our weapon of choice is pad-to-paper journaling. Our intention is to use this weapon to set ourselves free from establishment expectations and get in touch with our inner core, our purpose, and our sense of self-love.
So if you’re ready to deal with issues in your tissues and take total command over your destiny—I urge you to take a big bold step right now and join this revolution.
Are you with me?
Good. Welcome aboard. Let’s do this!
Your Mindset Medicine Is Right at Your Fingertips
You’re well aware that your fingertips give you the ability to pick up prescription pills and pop them in your mouth. But what if you knew they could be used for something more healthy, healing, and liberating? Well they can. In fact, your fingertips can be used to tap into a powerful form of medicine for your mind that is proven to help you:
Reduce stress and physical pain.
Overcome illness and other life challenges.
Heal emotional wounds from past traumas.
Resolve inner conflicts and improve relationships.
Gain a deeper understanding of your true
authentic self.
Conquer limiting beliefs and fears that have
held you back.
This powerful form of mindset medicine is pen-to-paper therapeutic journaling. The beauty of journaling is that it brings you back to your core, your center, and your soul.
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The road to self-love, ongoing peace, and inner serenity really can be paved with a pen. Scientific evidence supports the belief that therapeutic journaling is a transformative tool that empowers you to:
Discard mental baggage and erroneous thoughts that hold you back.
Elevate your mood and reduce depression.
Enjoy the present moment and forgive yourself
for past mistakes.
Unlock powers, talents, and abilities you’ve
previously blocked.
Set realistic goals and take inspired actions to
make them happen.
Studies also indicate that personal traumas, such as bereavement, divorce, or losing your job, can be eased and mitigated through journaling.
The releasing of emotions and pent-up feelings that come through expressive writing is therapeutic for the soul and has a magnificent healing effect on the mind and body.
Journaling brings you back to center and grounds you. It assures that you make time each day to disconnect from the noise that bombards you everywhere you go, so you can be reflective and connect with your inner wisdom.
Now here’s the really good news.
You Can Tap into This Healing Power Right Now Because Anyone Can Journal
If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a million times: “Mari, I’d love to tap into the healing power of journaling, but I can’t write very well.” To this I say one thing, “Nonsense!” If you can write a shopping list then you have all the talent you need to transform your mind, body, and soul through the healing power of journaling.
Always remember that the only right way to journal is YOUR way. Just put pen to paper and let your natural voice pour forth as if you’re having a conversation with your best friend. It really is that simple.
Worried about using proper grammar? Don’t be. I mean, who cares about proper grammar when you’re writing in your journal. It’s not like you have to turn in what you write to be graded by your English teacher from high school.
Sloppy handwriting? Join the club. As long as you can read your journal, you’re fine. So relax. Have fun with this, and don’t hold back. Just be yourself. Just write! And just write knowing no one except you is going to read your journal. Again, if you have the skills to write a shopping or to-do list, you have all the skills you need to be a journaling revolutionary!
Trust me. There’s no need to make healing the issues in your tissues more complicated than it needs to be. Just grab a pad and a pen and do it!
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Got Proof
Numerous studies around the world provide evidence to support what I’ve been shouting from the rooftops for years now: “Journaling power has undeniable life-changing health benefits and can absolutely heal the issues in your tissues!”
Here are a few snippets of published studies in peer-review medical journals that support the premise that putting pen to paper unleashes a healing agent that invigorates every cell in your body.
A 2012 review published in the British Journal of General Practice notes...
“Writing therapy can potentially help 30% of patients who visit primary care settings.”
A published journal review in Advances in Psychiatric Treatment concludes...
“For some people expressive writing is extremely helpful and has quickly resolved issues that have been mulled over—sometimes for years—with no resolution.”
Many U.S. studies echo these conclusions, as do the words of the renowned Dr. James Pennebaker who says, “As the number of studies increase, it’s become clear that writing is far more powerful than anyone has ever dreamed.”
More Proof—My Story
I could tell you more about the benefits of therapeutic journal- ing, and I could share more “professional evidence” from studies that substantiates what I know to be true.
However, the most convincing proof I have is the reports from thousands of people around the world in my Journaling Power tribe who’ve been gracious enough to share their stories with me. Several of these stories are documented in my second book, Heal Yourself with Journaling Power.
For the sake of brevity, I am going to share one story that illustrates clearly the role journaling power plays in mindset medicine. The story I’m going to tell you is mine.
If you’re not familiar with my story, it’s a doozy. So here it is. In my past professional life, I was a high-energy Fortune 100 business consultant. It’s true. I was a competitive corporate animal. In and out of airports, hopscotching through time zones, making deals, and doing what I needed to fuel, expand, and power my consulting firm’s bottom line. I was damn good at what I did. I was upwardly mobile, and I was enjoying the trappings of success.
But then real life happened.
In 1998, I lost the feeling and function in the right side of my body. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) took them from me. Naturally, I turned to establishment doctors who robotically steered me toward drug-based protocols for treating MS symptoms. I blindly followed along because I’d been conditioned by “medical experts” to take the drugs I was told to take and not to question my doctors.
However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the doctors I was seeing and all of the prescription drugs they were giving me weren’t really helping. In fact, they were making me feel worse. I felt like I was just being jerked along through the big pharma machine. I popped pills and felt like
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crap, while pharma executives popped champagne corks and got rich. Really rich. That’s the system.
Finally, I hit rock bottom and decided I had had enough. At my low point, I got up off the deck and began a long journey on which I made the decision to take total control of my health. It wasn’t easy to get started. But I took a first step, and then another, and then another ... and I just kept going knowing I wouldn’t stop until I found a solution that made Mari feel like MARI AGAIN!
I kept at it and dedicated myself to daily ACTION. I began a journaling practice known as Morning Pages. I never could have anticipated how powerful and effective this process would become. It wasn’t easy for me, because I was right handed and I had lost the use of the right side of my body. However, I wasn’t going to let that stop me, so I slowly taught myself how to write with my left hand.
As I continued my writing practice, my MS symptoms improved. It was amazing. I knew intuitively that my mind was more powerful than I realized. I understood that some- where within me was a hidden ability to heal myself. In fact, as I continued to journal about my inner feelings and my determination to heal myself, an amazing thing happened:
I was able to ditch my prescription drugs and mitigate most of my MS symptoms through journaling!
Even more important, I discovered, uncovered, and recov- ered my True Self and even tapped into talents I never knew I had. Best of all, I developed a compassionate relationship with myself and a serenity that provided me with an inner fulfillment I had been forever seeking.
I knew I had stumbled upon something incredible, and my inner voice told me it was my mission to share this discovery with as many people as possible.
So I started Create Write Now to share my methods, expertise, and passion for Journaling For The Health Of ItTM with people across the globe who want to master life’s challenges and thrive.
It started as a whisper, then it became a movement, and now it’s a full-blown worldwide revolution. And you’re part of it! The transformation it’s going to bring to your life will amaze you. All I can do to back up this claim is to point out what it’s done for me.
I’ve become an international bestselling author who’s written two books, Journaling Power: How to Create the Happy, Healthy Life You Want to Live, and Heal Yourself with Journaling Power.
I’ve created multiple eBooks and Journaling Challenge programs that have had a life-changing impact on countless people around the world.
Through journaling, I was able to dump my prescription drugs, kick aside “conventional establishment” medical wisdom, and mitigate most of my MS symptoms on my own. Now I teach people throughout the world how to heal, grow, and transform their lives through the holistic power of expressive writing.
I also have the pleasure of living in a gorgeous beachfront home in Boston where I have the freedom, flexibility, and physical ability to indulge in all of my passions.
In fact, if you’re in my neighborhood you’ll usually find me writing, singing, reading, walking the beach, meditating,
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practicing photography, cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and raising roses and consciousness!
Before uncovering my true self through journaling power, I never dreamed I could become a singer. Well goodbye to limits! In 2015, I released my third album, Lady With a Song, and I am currently working on my fourth album, Well- Written Songs.
I literally created ALL of this through journaling power. I now live life on MY terms, and I am passionately dedicated to helping you do the exact same thing.
If you’re not living life on your terms it’s because someone or something is holding you back. It could be as simple as society telling you to be something you don’t really want to be. It could be the culture in which you live hammering you with messages about what you should do and who you should be.
If you’re not living the life you really want, chances are there are societal forces manipulating you in subtle or not so subtle ways that you may have come to accept. If this makes you angry inside, you’re going to love your journaling prompt for this chapter.
Your Journaling Prompt
This chapter has examined mindset medicine from a 10,000 foot view, so I want you to take a high-level approach to your first journaling prompt. You’re going to like this prompt because it gives you an opportunity to vent and say what’s really on your mind. So grab your pad and pen and get ready to write!
If you’re new to this revolution, let me repeat my number one journaling power rule: The only right way to journal is YOUR way. Don’t worry about good grammar, spelling, and all the other stuff that was pounded into you as a kid.
Just write from your heart! You’ve probably heard the expression, “Dance like nobody else is watching.” This is similar in that I urge you to “Write like no one else will ever read your journal.” Just grab your pen and pad, be authenti- cally YOU, and let your thoughts and feelings flow with reckless abandon!
Let’s do it!
For your first journaling prompt: I want you to consider an area of your life where you feel you’re being manipulated or jerked around by a societal force you’re sick and tired of. For me, it was the constant drumbeat coming from the medical establishment that told me the only effective way to deal with my MS symptoms was to follow the herd and consume large quantities of prescription drugs like “normal” Americans do.
This was the issue I chose to revolt against. What’s yours?
Do you feel like you’re being scared into submission by the self-righteous hate messages streaming your way each night on trashy political TV shows?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the never-ending chant from big media to keep buying and spending so you don’t become a “loser” who is out of step with the latest trends?
Do you feel pressured by society to live in a bigger place and pack it with more stuff when in your heart you’d prefer to live a peaceful, scaled-down simple existence?
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Whatever the issue in your tissues is, write it down now. Don’t hold back. Just pick an issue that’s been on your mind and go for it. Write at least a couple pages. The more the better. But just write! Let your honest thoughts and feelings flow forth. Let your feelings start down in your toes and then flow out with power through your pen!
For now, don’t worry what action you’re going to take to correct the issue that’s bugging you. We’ll deal with that together in upcoming journaling prompts. Just use this journaling prompt to become completely self-aware about a cultural “you should do this” message that you’re ready to fight back against.
Again, don’t hold anything back. Just grab your pen and paper and let it rip. Go for it!
"I may not know you personally, but if you've picked up this book and you're reading it, something tells me you have no interest in following the herd or being a cog in a machine."- Mari L. McCarthy, Mindset Medicine
The above quote convinced me I'd picked up the right book. I've journaled for many years, and I know first-hand how powerful journaling can be so I was excited to pick up this book and learn more. I was instantly intrigued by the introduction, in which the author discusses how our heart and soul are under siege by the goings on in our society, and how it's important to have a plan in order to not lose touch of who you are. Luckily, we do have a tool that we can use to help with that: journaling. Mari McCarthy's book is essentially a sort of program we can take in order to journey inward and encounter our true selves.
I enjoyed the positive tone of the book. And I was fascinated by the author's experience with multiple sclerosis and how her experiences through her illness, and her own journaling helped her realize some important truths and insights, many of which were shared with the reader in this book, including the importance of having unconditional love for yourself. Self-love was a big theme, and I decided to make a renewed effort to love and nurture myself.
Every chapter I read invigorated me and made me think differently about life and journaling as a tool. I think my best and clearest thoughts on paper and what I realized while reading this book was how crucial the right journaling prompt is. Meditating on the right questions can definitely change your life. The great prompts in this book definitely caused me to reflect and think carefully and deeply about things, all leading to a definite mindset change.