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Goldie Hawn: 'What We Think Is What We Create'

Take her challenge to become more mindful through journaling

By Goldie Hawn

(Editor’s note: Goldie Hawn’s book, 10 Mindful Minutes, encouraged meditation. This excerpt is from her latest workbook, 10 Mindful Minutes: A Journal. It is reprinted with the permission of Perigee/Penguin, a division of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2015.)

It was an unusually rainy day in Los Angeles. I welcomed the indoor time, when I could cozy up under a blanket and read whatever I liked. At one point, my eyes drifted off the page to watch the rain against the window. It was then I noticed my volumes of diaries, lined up on the bookshelf. It was the perfect day to indulge my curiosity and so I started to read from the first book, dated 1970. I wanted to see what the younger Goldie wrote about and what I was doing, thinking and feeling at that time.

Without really realizing it, I found myself looking for insights to who I was — or at least who I thought I was — back then. Sometimes funny, mostly somber, but always illuminating, these pages reminded me of my struggles and disappointments. (Why is it that in our youth we write so often about bad, sad times and not so much about the happy ones?)

Some of the pages were literally tearstained. It was almost like reading about some other young person’s laments on love, loss, self-worth and fear. It was evident that I was trying to make sense of these emotions and to understand more about myself. It certainly appeared that I’d been on an emotional roller coaster, with the ups and downs of my personal and professional lives raw on the page.

I skipped forward a few decades to find that my more recent reflections were quite different. A little more mature, perhaps, but clearly reflecting the effort I made to determine my true objectives — to be happy and well — through self-discovery and deepening my spiritual life.

In these later diaries I seldom wrote about my sorry state, but had come to recognize my connection to a greater consciousness. I was tuning into the wonder and the preciousness of life, with gratitude. I was clearly feeling more connected, more present and much happier.

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The Route to Mindfulness

This change of spirit didn’t happen on its own. Reading these journals just confirmed what I already know — but sometimes forget — that it took intention on my part to learn to deal with my fears, realize my potential, become attuned to others and understand the liberation of forgiveness.

I believe that what we think is what we create. With committed intention you can replace negative self-talk with positive affirmation. As you commit to your own journal, you will come to understand that awareness of your destructive thoughts or tendencies is the first step toward change. Your own words can become a means to discover and open up the channels to your greatest potential.

I also think that this 10 Mindful Minutes Journal can be an important step to becoming more mindful. As you reflect on the lessons and respond to the questions here, your mind will be opened to new perspectives and, just as it did for me, journaling fearlessly will give you a deeper understanding of yourself. I guarantee that you will relish the experience.

Goldie Hawn is an actress, film director and producer. She is an author of several books, including her recent workbook, 10 Mindful Minutes: A Journal. Read More
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