What is your Authentic Refreshment?
Nature is where I retreat when I have something to contemplate or when I'm in need of a re-connection with self. There's nothing better than a good walk by the ocean or a long hike in the woods to move trapped energy or cluttered thoughts out of my body. This process clears my mind, allowing me to go into my journal to ask deep, thought-provoking questions that lead me to the clarity I'm seeking.
How and when did you discover it? Does it hail back to your childhood or is it a more recent activity?
I've always had a love affair with nature and journal writing. I discovered at an early age how to escape the stresses of life and into a place of retreat and going inward.
How often do you engage in it? Is it part of your routine or is it more of a spur-of-the-moment, spontaneous kind of activity?
I walk in nature almost daily-and journal at least 2-3 times per week.
Do you go solo or do you share it with a friend or group?
It depends. If I need to talk something through, rather than write it out or think it out, I invite a friend or my husband to join me for a walk.
Do you use a journal to record your authentic refreshment time? If so, do you just record what you did or do you also reflect on its benefit to you each time?
I don't journal every day, only when I'm in need of processing something or contemplating a decision.
When you first engaged in your authentic refreshment, were you surprised by how much you enjoyed it or did it feel as natural as breathing, like you've come home?
I don't think I consciously noticed it until I began to work in the self-discovery and personal development field. Now I'm always paying attention! ~And yes, it feels naturally invigorating!
Did you find it from another source and then change it up to suit your preferences?
I think I naturally fell into nature walking and journal writing - and over the years, discovered new and different ways of approaching both.
How does it enable you to validate your emotions and feelings?
I'm very aware of how I feel - all the time. And I do think that nature walking and journal writing help me step outside of myself and look inward, giving me a different perspective. This helps me make sense of my feelings and what's at the root of them.
How does it help you appreciate yourself for who you really are at your core?
What has really helped most is going back and reading my journal entries days, weeks, months, even years later. I can see my own patterns and notice my own triggers - and see what's bubbling underneath the surface. This all leads me into a depth of self - really delving into my own internal waters.
How does it nourish your soul?
It's a form of self-care. When I take time to walk or hike in nature or [for] journal writing, I'm making time for me. I'm giving myself permission to make ME a priority.
What would you say has been its greatest benefit?
It's be healing, both internally and externally. I feel more whole.
Do you anticipate it? How does it benefit you in the moment? How do you feel afterwards?
I feel very present with myself in the moment - and very much aware of my surroundings. I feel awake.
What is your favorite part of it?
Being mindful of synchronicity - and the power of it. Whether it's a thought I'm having or something I see or smell or hear - or a person I meet in the moment - it's all synchronistic. And I'm a lover of synchronicity!
Was there an a-ha moment that changed your perspective in a way you didn't expect as a result of it?
My book, "Journaling by the Moonlight: A Mother's Path to Self-Discovery" was created from a series of journal writings during a two-year depression. Reading these writings years after I had written them gave me a strong perspective of how powerful it can be to engage with one's own darkness and really dance with it, connect with it, and understand it.
Has it ever surprised you with the new discoveries you have uncovered?
No, not at all. I'm always living wide open, fully aware, and noticing snychronicities.
How does it clarify your purpose in life?
I think it gives me a place to connect with my purpose, both inner and outer - and to play with possibilities.
How had it personally empowered you?
It's given me the grounds on which to teach others about self-discovery. I know the power of personal reflection, healing and renewal. It creates a ripple effect of choices that are incredibly empowering.
As someone who has benefited from authentic refreshment, what would you say to someone who is looking for theirs but they haven't found it yet?
I think one has to understand their own way of processing, their own way of learning, and how they naturally feel things. And allow this to lead the way. We are all very unique creatures - and life is never a one size fits all.
Tina Games Bio:
Tina M. Games is the author of Journaling by the Moonlight: A Mother's path to Self Discovery (an interactive book with an accompanying deck of 54 journaling prompt cards). As a certified creativity and life purpose coach, and a gifted intuitive, she is the "Moonlight Muse" for women who want to tap into the "full moon within" and claim their authentic self, both personally and professionally. Through her signature coaching programs, based on the phases of the moon, Tina gently guides women from darkness to light as they create an authentic vision filled with purpose, passion and creative expression. She lives in Harwich, Massachusetts with her husband and their two children.
