Lesson 1 Enrich Your Life
The Magic of Morning Pages
____ to my channel Good Habits!
This is ____, your podcast host.
Today, I’m going to talk ____ a way of starting the day that many people, including me, find enormously useful.
It’s a kind of journaling ____ “the morning pages.”
There is no age at which it is ____ late to form this habit.
I started eight years ago as a ____ school student, and that’s why today’s episode is especially for my teenage subscribers.
The morning pages are three pages of “free writing,” ideally done first ____ in the morning.
The concept is simple.
Get up ____ morning, pick up a pen and a notebook, and write whatever crosses your mind until you have filled three pages.
The technique was ____ developed to help writers and artists overcome a loss of creativity, but anybody can use it to create a better life.
There is no right or wrong way to write your morning pages, but there are ____ rules.
First, ____ judge your writing as good or bad.
These ____ are meant to be a “brain cleansing,” so don’t worry about writing correctly.
Second, ____ your writing completely private.
It is ____ for you to write freely and honestly.
You’re even advised not to read your writing ____ for weeks.
____, let me share the experiences of some people I interviewed.
David
David, a chef and kitchen manager, who has been writing morning pages for two years, ____:
My job tends to be ____ stressful.
When I started writing morning pages, I just ____ a lot of complaints about my hard life.
Later, I began to ask questions, like “____ would make my life easier today?”
“How can I ____ my recipes?”
Sometimes, I keep asking questions until I reach a sort of “____ moment.”
It feels like a door ____ to great ideas.
Nowadays, I feel less stressed, enjoy my ____ more, and am more productive.
Now, let’s listen to Yuna, a high school junior:
When I ____ this exercise last year, I simply wrote random thoughts like this:
I’m sleepy. A slight headache’s ____.
I need to finish the math assignment ____ …
I don’t ____ what more to write now.
But soon I ____ I had deeper and deeper thoughts.
Now, I ____ start by writing about today’s tasks or worries.
After that, I write about my ____ and how to move towards them.
I ____ come up with great plans and a clear sense of purpose to start the day.
Most ____, I’m much happier than before.
I can totally relate to these two people ____ their experiences are similar to mine.
Like Yuna, I ____ this journaling during my first year of high school.
At that time, I felt lost, stressed, and unsure about the future, and it ____ easy for me to concentrate.
When I first tried writing three daily pages, I didn’t ____ to stick to it.
But I ____, and it changed my life!
Releasing my feelings
Releasing my ____ onto paper every morning helped relieve my emotional tension.
I gained more inner peace, which improved my ____ performance.
Like David, I asked many ____, for instance, “Why was I so angry yesterday?”
“____ are things less fun these days?”
Then, I started raising ____ challenging ones: “What could make me happier right now?”
“What is my ideal future? Can I reach it? ____?”
Answering these questions showed me what kind of person I was and what my needs, ____, passions, and talents were.
More ____, I came to know what I truly wanted!
I remembered my childhood dreams of being a writer, songwriter, and ____ host.
Gradually, vague ideas became clear plans. Years later, here I am, a successful podcaster and ____!
____ also published a book and a music album.
My morning pages, which I still write every ____, have given me the drive and ideas to achieve these aims.
Dear subscribers, ____ you try writing your morning pages, too?
You never ____ what creative energy or ideas you have until you start exploring.
Don’t be a perfectionist, though. If you miss a few days, simply ____ your notebook and start again!
The ultimate ____ is to improve your mental health and help you lead a happier, more creative life.