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Differently: Stop living by default. Start living by design.
Differently is for when you need to get out of your head and back into your life.
Created and hosted by Carla Reeves, creator of The Differently Journal, her work is built on over 20 years of helping people use writing to navigate real life. Not as a habit to keep up with, but as a way to calm your mind, get clear, and move forward.
You are always writing your life, whether it’s in your mind or on paper.
It's time to take the pen back.
Turn overthinking and self doubt into clarity, confidence, creativity and momentum.
Stop surviving your life. Start creating it.
Differently: Stop living by default. Start living by design.
When Life Gets Crazy, Journal
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
When everything feels overwhelming, our instinct tells us to abandon healthy habits until things settle down. But this is precisely when we need grounding practices most desperately.
Journaling—though often misunderstood as merely pretty notebooks and gratitude lists—can be a transformative practice that helps you walk through the crazy of life.
Your journal isn't just a diary—it's a personal laboratory where you empty the mental noise, challenge assumptions, and figure out how you want to show up to what's happening around you.
Through regular practice, you'll find yourself managing thoughts more effectively, moving beyond outdated thinking, and aligning actions with intentions. The beauty lies in its simplicity: there's no "right way" to journal, only your way.
Enjoy!
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Website: https://www.differentlyco.com
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Thank you for listening!
Pura Vida: Return from Costa Rica
Speaker 1A deep change in the way that we live requires a deep change in the way that we think . I'm Karla Reeves and this is Differently . Hola buenos dias . We are back from Costa Rica and it's still just running through my veins . We had a trip of a lifetime . Pura Vida is a saying in their culture . Everybody we ran into says it , and it's just this beautiful expression and way of living that is so full of gratitude . So my heart is full today .
Speaker 1The last couple of episodes we talked about slowing down and not being afraid of your emotions , and I recommend going back and listening to those both of those if you haven't already Because what I want to talk about today actually ties to both of those things we're going to talk about when life gets crazy journal and about writing and how it's a tool for navigating everyday life . The hardest part of leadership is leading yourself At least , that's been my experience and when life gets crazy , we need tools . We need tools that help us to stay connected , centered , calm and intentional , and journaling is a tool and a habit that you can cultivate in your life that will honestly give you access to most everything you need and the way that I talk about journaling , if you've been around a while is a little bit different , and today I want to talk about three things that it can be for you when
Journaling: Not Just Pretty Notebooks
Speaker 1life gets crazy . So here's a little secret about journaling that nobody talks about . It's not all about pretty notebooks and daily gratitude lists which , by the way , those are great but it's really about creating a personal laboratory space where you can experiment with your thoughts , challenge your assumptions and really become the CEO of your own mind , because if you can do that , you have way more power and influence and agency over the quality and experience of your life . So most people think journaling is just writing down your feelings . But what if I told you that it truly could be the most powerful business tool that you have , one that helps you make clearer decisions , one that helps you spot patterns in your things that are working and things that aren't working , one that helps you build really unshakable confidence in the way that you're moving in your business and in your life . And here's the here's the deal .
Speaker 1Most leaders don't just write in their journals . They really use them as a kind of like a control center , a dashboard for your life and your business , so you can figure out how you want to move , how you want to respond to what's happening . So much of we can't control , but there's so much that you can , and journaling is a way to tap into all those places where you do have control . A lot of people get stuck in this place is that they don't maybe know how to journal or not ? That there's a right way ? Because there isn't . But sometimes people get stuck in just journaling about the negativity and there's so much more to this writing than just dealing with negative thoughts and emotions or sometimes they just get stuck spinning in their own thoughts instead of really using their writing practice as a way to move forward and move beyond that . So what if you could turn your journal into this powerful navigation for your business and your life , one that really helps you cut through the mental noise and access the wisdom that's within you ? That's what this is about and this is where , honestly , the Differently journey started for me , and if you've been listening a while , you've probably
My Personal Journey with Writing
Speaker 1heard this .
Speaker 1I think I shared it in a very early episode . But when I was a new mom a lot of years ago , doing what I dreamed of doing , I dreamed of being a mom and but my first son became eight months old and I started to feel a little stir crazy and like I was losing my own sanity . And when I looked around I kind of saw their moms losing their sanity and that would ripple to the way that they parented . And I knew I didn't want that , but I didn't know . I didn't know how to do anything different . But it sort of became a mission to figure that out and at the same time I felt at that time God tell me to write , to start writing . And I actually listened and I've never stopped . And that was 23 years ago and after I started writing . I don't know how long it was after , I think it was a few months , maybe six months . But I was sitting on the edge of my bed and I heard God say again as I went through the pages of my journal and realized , like holy cow , what actually transpired on the pages of my journal Not only had I figured out how to be a happier mom , but that I figured out . I just peeled layers of accepting myself , I tapped into creativity , I had conversations with God that I hadn't had before . There was just so much and I felt God impress on me at that time that I was here to teach people how to use writing as a tool to navigate life . So , which brings us back to our topic today .
Speaker 1When life gets crazy , journal and yes , it's kind of funny , but I really mean it like life is crazy in all the ways , right . Crazy good , crazy sad , crazy hard , crazy blow your socks off some days . And when life gets crazy hard or crazy full or crazy busy , the tendency that I see with my clients all the time is to set aside the healthy habits , right , put them on hold while we survive and get through this . But what I want to tell you is that this is actually the time to double down on your healthy habits and your self-discipline , because this is when you need it the most , even if it means that you do it for less time or you have to fit it into small little nooks and crannies . You just get relentless in making that happen for yourself , because that will ripple to everything else and it's kind of crazy .
Speaker 1But over the last 15 years I've honestly tried to ditch this journaling thing . It's kind of funny when I think back , because when I started this that many years ago , journaling
Three Things Journaling Can Be
Speaker 1was still kind of out there . It was kind of a weird . It was a little weird , if you can believe that , because it's so mainstream now and over the last year , I feel like God has just really shown me that this is a core piece to what I do . I've had people remind me of that . I've had people I run into people and they have told me just hearing me talk about writing or journaling got them back into a journaling practice , and so I've had to just wrap my arms around this weird and wonderful tool and just embrace it , because it's made such a huge impact in my life and in people around me .
Speaker 1So , do you write ? I wonder these things . I would love it if you would . There's a button on your podcast player and I can't think of the name of it , but it might just be send Carla a message . If you would click on that and just send me a note , that would make me so happy . I would love to know , like do you write ? Do you have questions about writing ? Do you want to start a writing practice ? What would help you ? What would support you in doing that ? What questions do you have ? Because I would love to make special episodes to just answer your questions . So please , please , please , go do that today .
Speaker 1And if you've made it this far in the episode , you probably have some level of interest in this journaling thing , or maybe you're just interested in the benefits and the rewards that could come from it . Either way is perfect . Not because I love writing . I started writing because I wanted to feel better and it made sense to me that a journal would help . What is it that you want , and what if writing could move you closer ? So , wherever you find yourself , totally good . I invite you to set aside preconceived ideas of what it is and let me show you how journaling can really be a tool when life gets crazy and why it's my favorite and how it's invaluable to me as a coach . I wrote and recorded an episode on why I coach with a journal and that you'll have to look for that . It's kind of a ways back , but that's a whole nother episode . It's invaluable to me as a coach . Um , so three things journaling can be for you when life gets crazy .
Speaker 1Number one it's a vehicle . Like I was saying , it's a vehicle to get to where you want to go , to get to a better feeling place . It's a container to shed , dump , empty all the stuff that goes on in your head , the invisible stuff , the thoughts , the feelings , your gratitudes , your hopes , your dreams . You know this Costa Rica trip that I mentioned . We just got back from . A lot of that started in my journal , dreaming about that , writing about that , envisioning that , all your tears , all your fears , all of it . Then it gives you an opportunity to stand back , sort through process , get some distance from your own thoughts and emotions , grapple with them and search for a new way through . Whatever you're navigating , journaling is a vehicle . Number two it's a tool . It's a tool for turning your mind into your greatest catalyst for growth and well-being .
Speaker 1I talk about how mindset has been around for a long time and we have so many resources and so much research and so many shelves of books in the bookstore . But are we getting mentally healthier ? And I believe the gap is the knowing and the walking it , the doing it , the doing the work . And journaling is a way to do the work of managing your mind . It's a daily job , it's a daily work . I work to manage my mind and be aware of it on the daily . It's a big job , yes , but it's totally worth it because it gives me my life and it will give you yours . It's a tool for connecting to yourself your mind , your body , your spirit and your soul . And many days , many , many days . For me , it's a conversation with God .
Speaker 1Number three it's a practice , and I think that this is so important . There's no right way to do this . Follow your own instincts and find your own rhythm , because there's no right way . But again , it's when life is busy , when life is full , when life is crazy , when life is hard . This is the time to do it , not waiting till someday when you have time . That will never come , that will never happen . It's a lie that keeps us from this healthy tool that is so
Call to Action and August Class
Speaker 1vital and important . So , when life gets crazy , this is when you amplify the priority . It's not something you have to do , it's something you get to do , and this will come over time , I promise you . And when used in all sorts of different ways , you will feel better , you will feel more centered , you will feel more clear , your conversations will be more clear . Just like a good workout gives you energy and aliveness , the same can be true for writing . It's a practice . That was number three .
Speaker 1So those are three things today that I'm consistently using my journal for , and there's three things kind of inside my journal and inside my life . That I'm always doing , which is managing your mind , managing my mind , taking care of my thoughts , expanding my perspective so I don't get stuck in old , negative , outdated thinking , and then aligning my actions to what it is I want to be creating in my life . So I want to go back for a second to God telling me to write when I was losing my sanity and actually listening and never stopped . And it makes me wonder , if you're still here , listening what this might mean for you . Get started and give it some time . Reach out , tell me what questions you have , what support you need . It's less about the writing and more about listening as you get quiet and what's going to happen over time as you show up to the page over and over . God's ready to meet you on the pages of your journal , just like he meets me .
Speaker 1Listen closely and if you need help getting started , book a strategy , call with me and let's talk about how writing could impact your life . That would be so fun for me . Or you can come to the August free class where you're going to experience writing for yourself . Our topic on August 15th , if you're listening , live is flow down to speed up and we're going to explore the counterintuitive idea of how getting quiet , slowing your pace , will actually speed up your momentum and intentionality all over your life . So that's all I have for you today . I hope you're having a beautiful day . Get out that pen and paper , get out your notebook and just begin . You won't regret it . Thank you for making it all the way to the end and thank you for listening to differently . If you enjoyed this episode , will you please go leave a five star review and share it with someone you love . Goodbye for now . I'll see you next week .