Not Being Honest with Ourselves

Author Mindy Caliguire talks about her new book, "Ignite Your Soul."

Not Being Honest with Ourselves

My early journaling efforts began in the form of prayers. I would simply write whatever it was that I wanted to say to God—a lot of requests, a lot of intercession for others, a lot of gratitude, and a lot of seeking. Nearly any kind of reflection or observation can be valuable! It’s almost impossible to fail at journaling. But in hindsight I’ve noticed what can be the biggest mistake in journaling: not being honest.

—Mindy Caliguire, Ignite Your Soul¹

One of the Biggest Mistakes in Journaling

Journaling requires honesty—with God and with yourself—and honesty requires paying attention. Eventually, I learned to push myself into more honest self-reflection. These days, journaling is still a practice I return to nearly daily (but without any judgment about frequency). Usually, when I write, I’m sitting on my couch at home or in a chair in my hotel room or out in the Dream Shed at Whisper Ranch, praying and writing about what happened the day before, what concerns I have for the day or days ahead, and the requests I have for people and issues I’m holding before God. Multiple cups of coffee are usually involved. The practice grounds me even when my surroundings are changing and helps me truly pay attention to my life and to where God is at work in and around me.

According to Mindy Caliguire, author of Ignite Your Soul, not being honest is one of the biggest mistakes in journaling.

Being honest with ourselves takes courage—even between the blank pages of a journal.

I have to ask, “What are we afraid of?”

1. Maybe we are afraid someone will find our journals and read about the “real us.”

2. Maybe it is easier to cover up the “real us” with “Band-Aid Bible Verses.” This is known as “spiritual bypassing,” the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid dealing with our painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs. It is much more common than we might think and is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed, except in more apparent extremes.”²

3. Maybe we would rather bury our fears, resist facing shaming behaviors, or, worse, pretend everything is okay. In truth, we aren’t “aware” of this. Often, it is happening in our subconscious. Read more about “memory reconsolidation” and healing such behaviors in our subconscious in “Stronger Every Day,” Tool 7.³

4. Maybe it is just too hard to make room for journaling.

A Little Q&A

Mindy offers a few simple questions on journaling:

1. What keeps you from sort of daily (or nearly daily) written reflection? Can you commit to journaling today? This week? Perhaps for thirty days? If you don’t already have a journal, choose one and write your first entry.

Maybe 2025 is your year to add the practice of journaling into your practice of self-care. Read more about the neuro benefits of journaling: click here.

For more information about Whisper Ranch, click here.

Check out the following episodes on the podcast:

Episode 219: Jennifer Dukes Lee, Part 1

Episode 220: Jennifer Dukes Lee, Part 2

1

Caliguire, M., & Smucker, S. (2024). Ignite your soul: When exhaustion, isolation, and burnout light a path to flourishing. NavPress.

2

Caliguire, M., & Smucker, S. (2024). Ignite your soul: When exhaustion, isolation, and burnout light a path to flourishing. NavPress.

3. https://janellrardon.com/about/#writing