Blogs by Ella Fisher

Alright, I won’t sugarcoat it. I’m a huge shopper. Sometimes I buy too much and things I don’t actually need, and that’s a shame. But this time I decided to take a different approach. What do I love? Writing and affirmations.

First, I was looking for an outfit for a small concert I’m going to, and I decided to check Temu. Everyone has their opinion about that website, and about Shein as well, and that’s fine. I’m not going to debate it any further because a) it’s a waste of my time and b) that’s not what this blog is about.

After scoring a super cute outfit with a matching bag and earrings, I thought: I’ll add something else to my order, but it has to be something I actually need. I love writing and affirmations, so I started searching on Temu to see if they had anything like that. And yes, plenty of affirmation cards.

I started using affirmation cards when I discovered the Dutch author and coach Willemijn Welten. Her cards have always had a very positive effect on me. But I’m not someone who likes using the same materials over and over, so I decided to order different cards. That’s when I also came across a Mood Diary, perfect for daily self reflection. I immediately thought: yes, I can definitely work with this.

At the time I bought these products, I was dealing with a feeling of restlessness. And what helps best with that? Self reflection. I’m someone who acts immediately when I decide something, so there was no hesitation when I placed the order in my cart. I’ve never been someone who feels embarrassed admitting these things. Accepting things as they are, accepting yourself, makes life so much lighter.

I already keep a daily positivity journal, but the Mood Diary seemed like a fun and positive way to try something different. That said, I won’t be ordering the Mood Diary again. I will keep using the format to start my day that way. If you’re a bit creative with Word like I am, you can easily create something yourself and avoid having to buy a new booklet every time you fill one up.

My order arrived within ten days, so no complaints there. I did think when I first saw the booklet: this is quite thin to work in. All the text is in English, which isn’t a problem for me, but if you prefer something in Dutch, this isn’t the place to order. Sometimes there are strange language errors, although I haven’t noticed any yet.

For a writer like me, there’s too little writing space, which is a shame. But that’s something I’ll solve myself by working with Word. It’s a black and white workbook. From what I remember, it costs somewhere between two and three dollars, so you can’t really expect much more for that price.

The affirmation cards are made of sturdy material, but I haven’t worked with them long enough yet to say whether these are truly my cards or whether they’re really effective for me. The phrases, as I like to call them, on the cards include:

• Listen to your inner voice. Your spirit guide is there.
• Dance with your shadows. Discover hidden aspects of yourself in darkness.
• Weave the threads of your dreams. Your thoughts shape your reality.
• Light a candle for clarity. Illuminate the path to your desires.
• Transformation is brewing. Embrace change and harness its magic.

The deck is called Wise Witch Oracle Cards.

Of course, these aren’t all the phrases, but I wanted to give you a small preview of what you can expect if you’re interested in ordering the cards.

I really resonate with these phrases, and this is how I work with them. I shuffle the cards, usually in the morning, several times. When a specific card jumps out, that becomes my affirmation or guideline for the day. And it works really well. Is it spiritual or woo woo? I don’t think so. But maybe you do, and that’s perfectly fine.

To me, these are deeper messages rather than surface level quotes, and I can do more with that than with a random sentence. Sometimes I don’t get around to it, because mornings are often busy with other things before heading to work, and when I skip it, I actually miss it. Funny, right? It’s become a kind of ritual.

Do they influence my mindset for the day? Absolutely. I put the card in my bag and look at it a few times throughout the day. When I find myself in a certain situation and read the card, it either helps me make a different choice, puts me in a more positive mindset, or gives me a sense of calm.

The questions in the Mood Journal are:

• What am I looking forward to today?
• What are three things I’m grateful for right now?
• How can I start my day in a positive way?
• What would make my day truly great?
• What can I do to positively impact someone else’s life?

These are the questions you start your day with. I usually do this in the morning after waking up, with a cup of coffee.

The questions you answer at the end of the day are:

• What are two good things that happened today?
• What am I proud of today?
• How was my mood today?
• What could have made my day better?
• Rate this day.

These are literally all the questions for one day. In my opinion, this is exactly enough. I’ve asked ChatGPT before to create a longer daily list, and I noticed that I either don’t do it or think, I’ll get to it later. This takes very little time, and through this routine you create a daily moment for self reflection. It contributes to a more positive version of yourself, someone who stands strong and is hardly affected by negativity.

It’s also a moment of relaxation for me. Looking at what truly matters in life, without all the noise. What I don’t really do yet is reread everything. I do plan to once I’ve filled my first booklet. I think it would be fun to write a blog about that in the future, for a broader reflection. It’s interesting to see what patterns repeat or what you might want to change.

The question “What would make my day truly great?” affects me the most. Because sometimes you think, at least I do: should I even write this down? It’s not going to happen anyway. But that’s exactly what you should write down, because there will come a day when miracles happen.

I definitely notice changes in myself because of this new routine. It gets me out of my head so much more and helps me focus even more on what really matters, pushing all the noise into the background. And of course, everyone has off days sometimes, but this ensures that I always start my day in a positive way. And that’s so important if you want to hold on to that good feeling throughout the day.

It’s good to engage with your emotions daily, because that’s how you really get to know yourself. For me, it mainly brings a sense of calm. When I’m very tired, I don’t always feel like doing it, but those are exactly the moments I see as breakthroughs. Moments where you shouldn’t give in to tiredness or whatever state you’re in. Those are the moments you learn the most from.

When emotions come up, I can deal with them in two ways. Either I give in to them and let them ruin my day, or I look at them from a distance and tell myself: it’s okay to feel this way, you’re allowed five minutes, but after that, it’s done. And that works really well for me. Not always, but nine out of ten times it does.

It has definitely increased my self love and self awareness. I’m sure there are more expensive and better products on the market, but the question you should ask yourself is this: is it worth it when you could just as easily ask an AI program to create a similar exercise list for you?

I hear many opinions about AI, but I personally find it fascinating, especially in my field: writing. If you’re just starting with journaling, I’d recommend ordering something like what I did from Temu. You can already achieve a lot with it. After that, you can always decide how you want to continue.

It would have made me even happier if the journaling booklet had been in color or included some affirmations throughout. I’m sure Temu has those too, but I haven’t looked into that enough yet.

What pleasantly surprised me is that journaling doesn’t take nearly as much time as what I used to do before, and I achieve exactly the same results as with my regular diary. This is also something I keep and later let my daughters read. So for me, this is a sustainable product. But if you ask climate activists, the answer would probably be a hard no.

What I’ve learned about myself by using the cards and the journal is this:

• No day is the same. You can’t be completely happy every day, but striving for it is possible.
• Turning off all notifications on my phone gives me peace in my mind and heart.
• I am, no matter what others may sometimes claim, a very positive person.
• I have perseverance.
• I find happiness in small things.

All of this has definitely changed my daily routine. I can’t go without it anymore. After all, what are five educational minutes of my time?

To my old self, before making this purchase, I would say this: you should have done this much earlier, because it brings so much good into your life. It makes life so much more enjoyable and positive.

Self care, to me, means being there for yourself. You have to live with yourself every single day. Look yourself in the mirror honestly. Keep your heart healthy, your body healthy, your mind healthy. You have to be able to rely on yourself your entire life, so be kind to yourself.

For me, the affirmations on the cards are a lasting tool. I actually use them more and more because I truly see the positive effects. For myself, but also in how I show up for others. And that’s beautiful. Making yourself happy, but especially making others happy. I believe those should be two goals for everyone walking around on this planet.