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Expressive Writing Will Change Your Life
Gratitude, Fear, Goals, Aspirations, Open Ended Thoughts
Robert Weigel
March 24, 2025
I’m going to start this newsletter by sharing a quick journal structure which you can implement at any point in the day that can take you as little as 5 minutes to complete. An explanation will proceed the structure:
Prompt | Example |
|---|---|
5 things you are grateful for | The air in my lungs |
Your plans for the day | Write newsletter (first word must always be an action verb) |
Potential obstacles | Watch out for thoughts of imposter syndrome. They are signals of growth and not pieces of truth |
Any fears or resentments you hold | I fear being misunderstood |
Things to strive for | Strive to be the hero you imagined yourself as when you were a child |
If you want to take it a step further, do this exercise alongside complete, unfiltered writing. You can set this up in your journal journal by dedicating the left side of the page for the prompts and the right side for expressive writing.
Within all of us is a deep intuition. a guide that, when followed, leads us toward our most meaningful life. The unfortunate thing is that, as we age, we lose touch with this guide. We get told not to act a certain way because it’s not civil or that the expression of emotions is bad and that things like anger and playfulness should be suppressed.
An internal voice gradually replaces that guide. My friend Alan calls it The Governor. It’ voice in your head that casts judgement and whose first words of self-limitation may have been: Grow up!
Poor handwriting aside- this is how easy it is to setup.
The purpose of this journal structure is two-fold:
To plan your day with intention, so that you are in alignment with your vision. (Prompts).
To reconnect with your intuition by noticing The Governor's voice and loosening its grip (Expressive Writing).
The more you write, the more you understand yourself. The more you understand yourself, the more you understand others and learn to exist in harmony. You confront the things you fear within yourself and start to understand that the demons you once shied away from only shrink once you step towards them.
This gives you the confidence to approach similar hard discussions with others.
A breakup
A hidden resentment
Boundaries you’ve never fully enforced.
I’ll leave you with a reflection that came to mind one day when writing:
Everyday I make my way to heaven and back
and I get there through pen and paper.
Enjoy your week Don’s and Donnettes,
The Don Rob
Image taken when I went with my friend Harry Jaggard to film life inside a Filipino Prison back in December of last year
Most recent Youtube video- the title indicates that it’s for men approaching women, but this has a broader set of messages for both sexes in simply improving how you communicate with others:
Also- my ebook is finished. Please message me if you are interested in reading it. I’ll send it to you directly.