Journals? Are you out there?

Hello World!

Before another year goes by, I thought I would post a new message.
I'm still waiting to hear any news on the travelling journals that I've
sent out. Please post here if you have your hands on one of them!
Also, if you complete one of the journals, please send it back to
Claudia Jurt
2 Daly Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6E2

The journal journey continues. I have to admit that the journal I
started what feels like eons ago to Oprah is still on my bookshelf
waiting to be shipped off...perhaps I will send it this week.
Maybe if I stop procrastinating, so will the other journalers out
there!

Thanks for reading.

xo,
c :)

PS: The picture you see is my brother's girlfriend at the airport.
(not sure if I'm allowed to post it, but....)
It is one of the most moving photos I have seen in a long time.

Inspiration at 6:30am -- thank you!

I've been waking up supremely early for the past couple of weeks - fyi - and right before I sat down at the computer, I thought, 'hmmm...perhaps I should write in a journal'...and then I got a lovely message from my dear friend LC who lives across the country.

"Claudia I'm SOOOOO proud of you! I just read your blog and WOW! You GO girl! Amazing. I think you are truly amazing. SO creative! I think this is the neatest thing anyone's done in a very long time, congratulations my love! I'm going to sleep now (wonder what *I'll* dream about!)

Dear Journal, I wish I could have taken you to Thailand!

I have the perfect person to write in your journal. His name is Thor and he lives on Koh Chang in Thailand, I didn't talk with him much, but he is a very special person and I know where to find him. Just a thought!"

Now, I'm not just thinking about writing in a journal, I'm WRITING in a journal or two or three... :) Thanks to the lovely message above and the many other messages that I've received from wonderful people all over the place. I am grateful to all of you for reading this blog and for your constant encouragement.

So much love.

c :)

PS: I will gladly send a journal to anyone who asks, but please keep in mind that I have accumulated a long list...so patience...patience I ask of you. :)

This is how it works...

A lot of people have been asking for clarification and how they can get a journal - yay!

Here's da scoop:

1. I purchase a beautiful journal (am getting a journal sponsor, am getting a journal sponsor...)
2. I write an intro and first entry into said journal
3. I pass it on to another person (friend, co-worker, stranger, family member, anyone!), OR mail it to someone OR leave it in a public place for someone to find.

Each journal encourages the recipient to add their own personal entry and pass it on!

Usually I choose to whom or where the next journal will go, but lately a number of people have offered to take journals on their travels - this is cool! If you wish to have your own travelling journal, please email your name, email, mailing address and phone # to cjurt@rogers.com (I will do my best, though I cannot make any guarantees...)

Love,
c :)

www.sixtravellingjournals.com

PS: I am grateful for all of you and all the positive and inspiring messages that I've been receiving.

The Secret Seventh - no longer a secret...

Well, that's not entirely true. The truth is, I gave the 7th journal to dear Katie Lee who brought it from O-town to Barcelona. What makes this journal secret is that it is the only one in which I did not write my last name, phone number, email address or blog address. Only at the very end do I put a mailing address and Claudia J. No last name. So, it's top secret to those who receive it - aside from Katie of course...Anyhow, before passing it on, she wrote her own message and so did her adorable 18month old daughter Mary! Following is Katie's amazing journal story:

"So we thought and thought about who and how to pass it on...Then in Heathrow we saw a group of people wearing shirts that said Charity Challenge on them. We finally stopped one of the men and asked what it was. Basically, Charity Challenge is a company that puts together events to help people raise money for charities. This group of people are all heading to spend 10 days biking across Cuba to raise money for their charity of choice.
Since Ryan was heading here to run a race to raise money for Team D, we thought it would be fitting to send it with others who are raising money for their charities. They were all SUPER excited about it and numerous of them will probably put in an entry. So the book is on it;s way to Cuba (or by now probably there)."

That's awesome!!! Thanks so much Katie & Fam - I'm inspired!

Lots of love,
Claudia :)

Everyone needs a beautiful journal like this!

This is Journal #8 - I gave this to my brother, Peter just over a week ago. For some reason, this particular journal seemed to radiate a special energy, even now when I look at this picture, it's as if it is glowing. I'm in love with all of these beautfiul pictures so far and am looking forward to receiving more pictures of the journals on their journeys! Tomorrow, I will dedicate my day to journalling!
Talk soon,
c :)

PS: Thank you to Karl for offering to take journals to Europe & Katie for Heathrow Airport & Barcelona! So exciting.... :)

PPS: Thank you Kathy Logan for giving me a lovely box of four adorable journals - I will be keeping those! One has become my 'songwriting' journal another has become my 'idea' journal, another will be my 'reiki' journal and the fourth...well, we'll just have to see now won't we?

I'm still here!

Just wanted to let you guys know that - lots to tell - will be back tonight or tomorrow!

Love,

Claudia :)

PS: I gave Journal #8 to my brother over a week ago...still dawdling on the one for Oprah...sending one to Switzerland tomorrow! ooooh....aahhhh...

PPS: Someone, anyone, please post a comment, whether you have one of the journals or not! Tell us what's going on with you!

Words of Wisdom from Sri Chimnoy

Good morning!

I'm just transferring the following quotes from an old blog (found these lovely cards at my favourite vegetarian restaurant, 'Perfection, Satisfaction, Promise', located next to 'The Garden of Light', where I buy my journals)

Dream, dream, dream!
You will never
Have time to suffer
From despair.

To silence enthusiasm
At any moment
Is absolutely wrong.

Do not blame the world,
Better it. How?
By bettering yourself
At every moment.

Turn your Wishful thoughts into
A powerful
Will-power.

Do not be afraid of tasting
The bitterness of failure.
Be brave!
The sweetness of success
Will before long
Befriend you.

Break your bad habits
By dropping them.
Strengthen your good habits
By treasuring them.

How can one get
The greatest joy?
Not by possessing,
But by sacrificing.

True humility
MeansGiving joy to others.

Truth is in all
But love is all.

To serve
And never be tired
Is love.

By seeing the past
I gain nothing.
By knowing the future
I gain something.
By living in the present
I gain everything.

First be sure
That you know the truth,
Before you talk to others
About the truth.

Be happy.
You will get
What you like most.
You will be
What you like best.

If you do
The right thing,
Eventually
You will inspire others
To do the right thing.

The Sixth One: signed, sealed & delivered!

You can't see me...

This is the last journal of the original six...

...but the second last to be passed on

(still have to finish #4 for Oprah!)

The lovely journal that you see above was given

to my best friend, the raging bull or the bull

who doesn't rage...(just trying to make a 'clever'

connection to the beautiful bull that you see on the back!)

Best friends often get gipped 'cause they are 'the best friend'
(which means that they are unconditionally there for you),

so while she would obviously receive a journal, it didn't

become obvious to me until I experienced a little personal drama.

I have since heard that this journal will be travelling to Mexico!!!

A Photo of The Second Journal

This journal arrived in Vancouver, BC on February 5...
but before I let it go, I took this lovely photograph.


I wonder what's inside...

Journal-o-Rama

That's the title that just popped into my head...hmmm....have been avoiding this blog...have also been avoiding sending out 'The Second One' even though it's been finished for days. Today, however, is the day...Journal #2 will be off to Vancouver in no time...I swear! This morning, I figured out why I've been slowwwwwwly working on the journals...it's 'cause I've started missing them already! What will I do when all six are out of my hands....ahhhhhhh....so...here's the relief part: this project is no longer simply about 'Six Travelling Journals' - I'm going to send out ONE-HUNDRED TRAVELLING JOURNALS!!!! (and when I finish those, I will send out another 100). I realized that I have way too many people and places to send journals to. (a good dozen have already expressed interest in writing in one, which bothered me at first -- 'you can't just ask me for one of my journals, I have to feel it -- gimme a break Claudia' -- but now I realize that it is a compliment and another step closer to reaching an infinite goal. The goal is to touch the whole world. Six Travelling Journals. What was I thinking? Ha! I wasn't. I did dream that only one journal travelled the world - now I'm making that dream a reality that is even bigger than the dream itself. Wow.

So much love,
Claudia :)

PS: Each journal is a unique gift to each person that it's passed on to. My dear friend Kate and the girl who co-received the first journal said that when you give something to someone, it makes them feel like they're valuable. Too many people don't feel cherished. This journal gives you permisson to celebrate the greatness that's in you. You are important and your greatness needs to be shared.

PPS: The song 'Message in a Bottle' is a perfect example of what's going on here. One of my students told me that the guy sends out 1 Message in a Bottle and at the end of the song, he goes back to the shore and receives 1000 Messages in Bottles back! Now imagine, the entire world communicating via journals! I am going to keep fighting against our soul-sucking, electronic world by 'handwriting' my thoughts to the world. It is more touching to receive a letter in the mail that someone took the time to write, than a quick message via email. Isn't it?
Yesterday, I requested my Danish friend's mailing address and she replied with her email address! When she realized that I actually wanted to send her something in the mail she called me 'sooooo old-fashioned'! I say go old-fashioned, go!

PPPS: My ps's are long winded. I don't even know that they stand for or how to do a third PS - anyone care to enlighten me?

The Name of Each Journal

To keep things simple and to the point, the following names have been given to the 'Six Travelling Journals':

The First One
The Second One
The Third One
The Fourth One
The Fifth One
The Sixth One

If and when someone comes upon one of these six, please comment on this blog and refer to the name of the Journal in your hands.

Can't wait to hear from you!

Claudia :)