5-Day Journaling Exercise: The Boy in the Raft

Theme: Explore your childhood innocence, the impact of life-changing events, trauma, self-awareness, and healing.

Day 1 – Innocence & Joy

Recall a time in your childhood when you felt completely carefree and joyful.
What sights, sounds, or feelings come to mind?
What did “innocent, childlike fun” look like for you?

Day 2 – The Before & After

Is there a moment or event in your life that created a clear “before” and “after” in your story?
How do you see yourself differently when you think about those two times?

Day 3 – The Emotional Labels You Carry

If your emotions and experiences had “labels” like food packaging, what would they say?
What are you trying to ignore or avoid reading about yourself?

Day 4 – The Vultures & The Butterflies

What are the “vultures” — persistent worries, traumas, or thoughts — that pick away at your well-being?
What would your “butterflies” look like if you could transform those?

Day 5 – Taking Responsibility & Rewriting Your Story

What is one step you can take to begin rewriting or clearing a difficult pattern or trauma?
How might your present and future shift if you chose to take that step?