Guided Journal Entry #1

Welcome back to Shrink Wrapped—the podcast that unwraps your psyche with the enthusiasm of a raccoon tearing into a bag of Hot Cheetos. Today we’re cracking open our very first guided journal episode with a prompt that sounds cute on the surface but might just drag your subconscious out by the ankles.

Today’s journal gem is: “What affirmation, quote, or song lyric inspires me today, and how can it guide my actions and mindset?”

Yes, I know—this sounds like something scrawled on a throw pillow in your great aunt’s guest room. But don’t underestimate the power of a well-timed lyric or a Pinterest quote that hits like a freight train when your life is in shambles. This isn’t about pretending everything is fine while chanting “I am calm” through gritted teeth. This is about finding one little nugget—a line, a vibe, a banger lyric—that actually makes you feel something. Maybe even do something.

So grab your journal, your coffee, or your emotional support beverage of choice, and let’s dive into the surprisingly chaotic magic of letting words shape our day without turning into a walking vision board. Let’s get into it.

Sometimes your brain just needs a little external hype—because left to its own devices, it’ll spiral into chaos faster than you can say “overthinking at 2am.” That’s where affirmations, quotes, and song lyrics come in. These tiny but mighty nuggets of language have the power to shift your mindset, slap self-doubt across the face, and steer you toward the version of yourself who drinks water and responds to emails. Whether it's an affirmation that reprograms your mental operating system, a quote that smacks you with borrowed brilliance, or a lyric that makes you feel like you're in your own motivational montage, these tools help you feel something—confidence, clarity, hope—and then act from that place. They’re not just inspiring; they’re directional. Little verbal GPS signals guiding you back to center when life feels like a flaming circus tent. So if your inner narrator is a little unhinged, give the mic to something wiser, louder, and preferably set to a beat.

Affirmations aren’t just little cute phrases you whisper before yoga—they’re full-blown brain reboots with glitter and vengeance. You’re not just saying words; you’re installing new software in that overthinking meat computer of yours. And look, your brain is kind of lazy. It’s not out here fact-checking whether “I’m a radiant, unstoppable queen of light” is true—it’s just nodding like, “Okay cool, noted,” and then building a whole new personality around it. That’s the magic. You’re gaslighting yourself…but like, for good.

The trick is to say these things like you mean it, even if your inner voice still sounds like a sleep-deprived raccoon in a trench coat. Because when you speak power out loud—especially when you’re in a hoodie and your hair looks like a rejected Looney Tunes character—you’re proving to yourself that you don’t have to be perfect to believe in your own damn potential. You’re throwing middle fingers at self-doubt and handing the aux cord to your higher self. And yes, at first it’ll feel like cringe. You’ll hear yourself say “I am worthy of love and success” and immediately want to evaporate into a shame mist. But push through the cringe. That’s just the sound of your old insecurities packing their bags.

And let’s be clear: you don’t need crystals or sage or an influencer-grade sunrise to do affirmations right. You can chant “I am enough” in your car while flipping off traffic. You can whisper “I choose peace” while holding back tears in the Costco parking lot. You can yell “I am unstoppable” while aggressively blending a smoothie like it owes you money. There are no rules—only vibes and repetition. The more ridiculous you feel doing it, the more likely it’s working. Because that discomfort? That’s just your brain stretching into a version of yourself that doesn’t default to self-loathing as a hobby.

So go ahead—get unhinged with your affirmations. Say them with your whole chest, your messy bun, and your half-charged phone in one hand. You’re not delusional—you’re disciplined. You’re creating a new mental reality, one unapologetic mantra at a time. This is not toxic positivity. This is tactical optimism with a side of chaotic good. Now go out there and tell yourself something absurdly empowering until it feels like truth. Because it is.

Quotes are basically pre-packaged life wisdom for when your own thoughts feel like they were assembled by a committee of anxious squirrels. They are the literary equivalent of borrowing a phone charger when yours is frayed and sparking. You don’t have to come up with a brilliant mindset shift on your own when someone out there already dropped a mic centuries ago. Why suffer through an identity crisis raw when Maya Angelou or Oscar Wilde or some anonymous Tumblr user in 2011 already said it better?

Here’s the thing: your inner voice—bless its chaotic little heart—isn't always the most reliable narrator. Half the time it's spiraling over a typo in a text from three days ago. Enter quotes, like tiny life coaches in sentence form. They're not just cute little sayings you needlepoint onto a throw pillow—they're emergency soul CPR. They say what you’re too overwhelmed, self-doubting, or snack-deprived to say yourself. One line from Toni Morrison can slap you back into emotional alignment faster than any wellness app ever could. They’re like emotional espresso shots—short, powerful, and absolutely necessary before dealing with the public.

And don’t be shy—milk those quotes for all they’re worth. Tattoo them (mentally… or physically if you're spicy), scream them in your car like it’s karaoke therapy, or slap them on your mirror so you have no choice but to receive unsolicited wisdom while brushing your teeth like an adult-in-training. When you're about to spiral, just pull out your mental quote arsenal like a badass cowboy in a showdown with self-sabotage. Your brain: “I’m a disaster.” You: “Nevertheless, she persisted.” Your brain: “Let’s make a terrible decision.” You: “Would this align with the teachings of Brené Brown?” BOOM. Enlightenment, bitch.

Because quotes are not just aesthetic. They are ancient verbal tools of survival. They are there for when you need a pep talk but your therapist’s on vacation and your group chat is ghosting you. They are the shoulder-shaking reminders that you are not the first person to feel unhinged in a capitalist hellscape, and you sure as hell won’t be the last. So why not lean on the poetic panic notes of those who came before you?

Slap a quote on your soul like a nicotine patch for your self-esteem. Repeat it until it becomes your mental background music. Let it drag your inner chaos into a power pose and whisper, “We’ve got this, babe.” Because sometimes, the only thing standing between you and a total meltdown is a beautifully timed string of words from someone more eloquent—and slightly more emotionally stable—than you.

Let’s pump even more glitter-infused fuel into this lyric-powered rocketship of self-actualization. Because if you're not already using song lyrics as spiritual armor and personality scaffolding, then sweetie, what are we even doing? Music is not just entertainment. It’s emotional alchemy, and lyrics are the incantations. You are not merely vibing—you are rewiring your psyche to a beat that slaps. Forget journaling. Sometimes all you need is three minutes of Beyoncé yelling about being flawless to remember that you are, in fact, that bitch.

Here’s the secret sauce: your brain is lazy as hell, but it loves a catchy hook. It will forget your social security number in a crisis but somehow remember every word to "Truth Hurts" even if you haven’t heard it in a year. That’s neuroplasticity, baby—but make it feral. So if you’re gonna have something stuck in your head for 48 hours, make it something that builds your confidence, not triggers your eighth-grade trauma. Don’t just sing along—absorb it. Make it your battle cry. Make it your elevator pitch. Make it your personality for the week.

And yes, blasting your power playlist is a spiritual practice. It’s not just vibing—it’s auditory manifestation with a bass drop. You think monks chant for fun? No, they’re tuning their energy. You, my friend, are doing the same thing—except instead of Gregorian hymns, it’s Megan Thee Stallion reminding you you’re too real to be put in anyone’s discount bin. Your vibe shifts. Your posture changes. Your face goes from “please don’t talk to me” to “I could run a country or steal your man.” That’s not coincidence. That’s lyric-based psychological warfare, and you’re winning.

So yeah, maybe your actual morning routine is just dry shampoo and a half-eaten granola bar, but the vibe? The vibe is "Run the World (Girls)" levels of dominance. You don’t need to be having a good day to soundtrack a good one. That’s the magic. Lyrics let you borrow a mindset until it becomes your own. Confidence on consignment, until it’s tailored to fit your chaos.

Crank that playlist. Shout those lyrics like you’re casting spells. Lip sync in the mirror like you’re accepting a Grammy in a bathrobe. This is not silly. This is survival. You’re not just listening to music—you’re hijacking your own narrative with a power chorus and a sassy strut. And if Brenda from accounting doesn’t get it, that’s fine. She’s probably still manifesting her goals with passive-aggressive Pinterest quotes. Let her. You’ve got beats, baby. And a personal anthem for every damn mood swing.

Let’s go full soul spelunking here, shall we? Because sometimes the thing you need isn’t another checklist or mindfulness app that’s just lowkey shaming you into productivity—it’s a single sentence that crawls into your brain, throws a blanket over your anxiety, and says “We’re doing better now, babe.”

So let me ask again, but deeper and with slightly more chaotic sincerity:

What’s speaking to your soul today? Like for real. Not what you think you should be resonating with, but the thing that’s actually buzzing in your ribcage like a spiritual caffeine shot. Is there an affirmation that hits like a holy clapback every time you whisper it? Something like “I am not available for nonsense today,” or “I am not the emotional support raccoon for other people’s mess”? Maybe it’s a quote that slipped into your psyche like a rogue glitter bomb—subtle at first, but now it’s in everything. Or maybe it’s that one lyric—yes, that one—that’s looping in your head like divine intervention set to a beat, and somehow it feels like it was written specifically for you and your weird little season of transformation.

And here’s the real question: What are you gonna do with it?

Because this is not just a “feel something cute and forget it” situation. No. This is about weaponizing that wisdom. Taking that soul-nudging phrase and using it like a compass, a call to action, or a mood-altering spell you can whip out mid-existential-crisis. Maybe it means saying “no” more often, walking taller, or just choosing not to engage in the group chat drama that’s been draining your serotonin reserves. Maybe it means dressing like the version of you that already believes that quote, or dancing like you’re the lead character in the music video you’ve created in your head (don’t lie—we all do it).

Whatever that mantra/quote/lyric is, don’t just admire it—live it. Tattoo it on your brain. Use it as your reply-all energy. Let it be the lens through which you make decisions, approach chaos, and reclaim your damn narrative. Because that’s the real glow-up: when words you didn’t even write become the scaffolding for who you’re becoming.

So… what’s your soul’s soundbite today? And what version of you is it helping unleash?

I think for my part, there are a few things that stick with me.

When it comes to affirmations, there are 2 that I find myself repeating the most- "Progress not perfection" and "Even a baby step is a step." That second one is actually hanging in my studio on a coffin shaped letter board.

Progress not perfection is such a powerful affirmation to keep reminding yourself of. It's the messy, glorious battle cry of every human who’s ever tried to do better without fully unraveling in the process. It’s the anti-Instagram-mantra. The quiet rebellion against hustle culture. The gentle-but-firm reminder that you're allowed to be a work in progress without having your life look like a color-coded bullet journal curated by a productivity cult.

Let’s be real: perfection is a damn scam. A moving target with zero chill that convinces you you’re never enough, no matter how many spreadsheets you make, green juices you drink, or emotionally intelligent texts you send. Perfection is that judgy voice in your head that says, “Yeah, cool that you took a baby step forward—but did you do it flawlessly in a linen jumpsuit while glowing from within?” NO, BRENDA, I DID IT IN SWEATPANTS WITH A CRACKED PHONE SCREEN AND AN ANXIETY SWEAT MUSTACHE, BUT I STILL DID IT.

And that is where “progress, not perfection” swoops in like a scrappy little life coach in combat boots. It doesn’t ask you to be perfect. It asks you to keep showing up. To take the next messy step. To write the crappy first draft, send the awkward email, have the vulnerable convo, and not quit just because you’re not instantly a glowing, spiritually-aligned Pinterest deity.

It’s permission to be a beautiful disaster with momentum. It’s choosing movement over meltdown. Forward motion over shame paralysis. It’s the truth that one baby step forward in the right direction still counts, even if you're crying, swearing, or holding it all together with dry shampoo and iced coffee.

So write it on your mirror. Tattoo it on your brain. Whisper it to yourself every time you want to throw the whole self-improvement thing in the trash because you didn’t meditate, journal, and save the planet before 9am. Progress, not perfection. You're not a machine. You're a living, breathing chaos goblin on a healing journey. And that’s more than enough.

And "Even a baby step is a step?" It's the kind of affirmation that deserves a crown, a confetti cannon, and a slow clap from your higher self. It’s the verbal equivalent of someone grabbing your face, looking into your overwhelmed, over-caffeinated eyes and saying, “You’re not behind, you’re building.” Because here’s the truth that hustle culture doesn't want you to internalize: small progress is still progress. Even if it’s microscopic. Even if it’s ugly. Even if it’s just not crying in public today. That’s forward motion, baby.

We’ve been conditioned to think change has to be dramatic. That it only “counts” if you reinvent your whole life overnight while glowing and hydrated and somehow fluent in French. But let me tell you right now—real transformation looks more like dragging yourself forward in emotional Crocs, tripping every few feet, and occasionally lying on the floor dramatically before deciding to try again tomorrow. And every tiny, wobbly, barely-trying step you take in the direction of better? That’s you telling the universe, “Hey. I haven’t given up yet.” That is defiance. That is hope in motion.

So yeah—texting your therapist back? That’s a step. Getting out of bed and brushing your damn teeth even when your brain feels like a pile of laundry and broken dreams? That’s a step. Saying “no” when you normally would’ve people-pleased yourself into burnout? STEP. You don’t have to run a marathon of healing every day. Sometimes, progress is just scooting an emotional inch forward while whispering “this is fine” into your cold brew.

Even a baby step is a step reminds us that this whole "becoming your best self" thing isn’t a sprint—it’s a chaotic, often ridiculous shuffle. But it’s yours. So take your tiny step. Celebrate it like you just climbed Everest in Crocs. You’re moving, you’re trying, and that’s what matters. Keep going, step-goblin. You’re doing amazing.

When it comes to quotes, I find that I struggle a bit more, so you won't find me doing much for that idea, but I can give you some ideas for famous quotes if you can't think of anything:

1. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

   – Theodore Roosevelt

   → For when you're waiting for the perfect moment that doesn’t exist.

2. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”

   – Henry Ford

   → Basically your mindset’s shady little mirror.

3. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

   – Eleanor Roosevelt

   → Pop this one in your back pocket for every time Brenda from accounting gives you side-eye.

4. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

   – Wayne Gretzky / Michael Scott

   → For when your fear of embarrassment is louder than your ambition.

5. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

   – Oscar Wilde

   → A reminder to stop shape-shifting for people who wouldn’t notice if you burst into flames.

6. “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

   – Albert Einstein

   → Aka: That dumpster fire might actually be a launchpad.

7. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

   – Marianne Williamson

   → For when you’re lowkey scared of your own potential. (We see you.)

8. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

   – Nelson Mandela

   → Read this when even doing laundry feels like climbing Everest with a migraine.

9. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

   – Susan Jeffers

   → The unofficial slogan of emotionally brave goblins everywhere.

10. “She believed she could, so she did.”

    – R.S. Grey (often misattributed)

    → Short. Sweet. Tattooable. Will make you cry in a good way.

11. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

    – Louisa May Alcott

    → For your “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing but I’m doing it anyway” days.

12. “Not all those who wander are lost.”

    – J.R.R. Tolkien

    → For the chaotic souls still figuring it out (with good vibes and snack breaks).

13. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

    – Winston Churchill

    → Read this every time you mess something up and your inner critic starts tap dancing.

14. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

    – Also Churchill, who really had some bangers

    → Don't stop in the suck zone. You’re not redecorating there.

15. “You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.”

    – Pema Chödrön

    → Elegant way of saying “your meltdown is temporary, babe.”

Now song lyrics. Song lyrics is where my little pile of electricity powered brain goo really goes brrrrrr.  There are literally millions of lyrics I could choose from, you could choose from, but there's one in particular that has always stuck. It's from the song Time, and the lyric is, "The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, shorter of breath, and one day closer to death." Leave it to Pink Floyd to drop a line that sounds like casual poetry until it sucker punches your soul at 2 a.m. This lyric doesn’t ask how you feel about time slipping through your fingers—it just quietly informs you that it’s happening, regardless of whether you’re thriving, flailing, or doomscrolling in bed with crumbs on your shirt. It’s existential truth wrapped in haunting guitar and British melancholy, and it hits so hard because it’s undeniably real. The sun keeps rising and setting like clockwork, indifferent to your procrastination, your self-doubt, or your 57-item to-do list that you’ve been “meaning to get to.” This lyric is powerful because it bypasses the fluff and slaps you with the fact that you are, literally, running out of time—and not in a “panic and hustle harder” way, but in a “maybe stop wasting your precious life energy on bullshit” kind of way. It calls you to live with urgency and intention. Not perfection. Not pressure. Just presence. Use it as a gut-check when you’re about to shrink yourself, stay stuck out of habit, or let another day slide by in autopilot mode. Ask yourself: if I’m one day closer to death (because guess what, you are), is this really how I want to spend it? Let that terrifying little line be the compass that points you toward what actually matters—making the weird art, taking the risk, saying the thing, being fully here. Because you may not be able to stop time, but you sure as hell can stop sleeping through it.

If your brain is vibing with multiple truths today, like mine apparently is—affirmations, quotes, song lyrics, existential rants whispered to your houseplants—WRITE. THEM. ALL. DOWN. This isn’t a standardized test. No one’s going to pop out of a bush with a red pen and scream “YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PICK JUST ONE!”

The prompt is a suggestion, not a legally binding contract with the Universe. You’re not going to lose points for being emotionally abundant. Honestly, if your soul’s on fire with multiple truths and you already said them out loud like a spiritual karaoke session, that absolutely counts. Saying it out loud is manifestation. Writing it down is reinforcement. You’re basically doing emotional squats at this point.

So if you want to write “I am unstoppable,” and “Not my circus, not my monkeys,” and “I crash my car into the bridge—I don’t care,” all on the same damn page? Do it. Scribble it in glitter pen. Type it in bold. Tattoo it on your brain. Today’s vibe is both/and, not either/or. You’re a multidimensional, overthinking, undercaffeinated miracle of a human—let your journal reflect that… But definitely double down with the glitter pen. Your journal needs more glitter.

Alright, bestie—that’s a wrap on today’s guided soul spelunking. Whether you clung to an affirmation like a life raft, borrowed wisdom from a quote that slapped you awake, or blasted lyrics that made you strut through your living room like a legend, you showed up. And that matters. What you chose today—whatever resonated in your bones—isn’t just cute words for your notebook. It’s a compass. It’s a subtle nudge from your higher self saying, “Hey… let’s move like we mean it.”

So take what stuck with you—say it out loud again if you need to. Write it on a sticky note. Whisper it mid-chaos. Let it shape how you respond, how you show up, how you treat yourself when you’re spiraling a little too hard over something dumb. Remember, you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be intentional.

Until next time, keep choosing the words that pull you back to yourself—and if all else fails, blast Beyoncé (or whoever makes your meat suit move) and fake it ‘til your nervous system believes you. You’ve got this.

If today's journal entry struck a chord with you, share it with someone you love; and also do all those fun things that the algorithms love- the liking, subscribing, reviewing, you all know the drill.

Next week, we're back with our very first DSM dive, and we're diving headfirst into the wild, wild world of ADHD; same time, same place.