Sentence Stubs - a Journaling Tool

The mind often needs a starting point to trigger responses.

What do you believe… about yourself? About life? Your beliefs, many of which are unconscious, greatly affect how your life unfolds. Get the facts on your thinking.

“We are what we believe we are.” – Benjamin N. Cardozo

Facts are a product of the linear, logical left brain. Unfortunately, some of the ‘facts’ in our belief systems are not accurate. They need to be changed if we are to break free of self-sabotaging patterns. Sentence stubs can help us become aware of our unconscious belief systems.

You can work with sentence stubs in two ways:

• Complete the same sentence stub over and over again until you no longer have any answers.
• Use the sentence stub to start your thinking process and then allow your thoughts to take you where they will.

EXERCISES

Here are some sentence stubs for you to finish. Try both approaches noted above to experience the difference.

Getting started:

• I am not willing to …
• When I grow up I want to …
• My favourite …
• I am responsible for …

Go deeper:

• I get angry when …
• I hold myself back …
• I am most afraid of …
• I don’t trust …

Reach higher:

• If I didn’t have to work for a living, …
• If I were honest with myself, …
• I am most grateful for …
• I love …

“There are no limitations to the self except those you believe in.” – Seth

Note: Quotations, songs, affirmations, poems, Holy book verses, sayings, oracles, tarot cards, angel cards, etc. also offer potent starting points to spark your own ideas and journaling.

Statements and questions bring different results in journaling.

Statements are a product of the rational left brain and are usually perceived as complete in themselves. Questions, on the other hand, stimulate the right brain and get us searching for answers. They tend to draw out more creativity and intuition.

Go back and check out our other 50 Journaling Tools.