“When the pupil is ready, the master appears.”

We’ve all heard this, and many of us have experienced it. But are you READY? Are you taking the steps to show the Universe that you’re open to receiving?

When we are on a journey of self discovery, personal growth, spiritual fulfillment, we tend to collect bits and pieces of what we need to keep us moving forward. I take that literally, and given my obsession with notebooks and journals and really great pens, I am always at the ready.

I posted a random photo of one of my notebooks to Facebook, with the statement, “This is what a million dollar notebook looks like.” I accidentally left my bag in a restaurant, and in my panic I realized that the ONLY thing in there that matters, the only thing I absolutely HAVE to get back, is my notebook. Not my iPad, not my debit cards, not my driver’s license. My notebook.

Within each of my (many) notebooks and journals, I have been creating and playing and calling in the life I want to live. As someone with ADD, I learned long, long ago that I need to be organized and I need to write everything down — if I don’t, it flits away and a thousand new thoughts push it away forever. I have a system, then, that helps support this need for capturing the brilliant pieces that make their way to me each day.

I have a journal that I use for my deep soul writing, my conversations with God and my higher self. I have a notebook that I use to jot down my ideas for work and serving others. I have a notebook to track all of my work with my clients and notes on their projects or coaching.

And then there’s my own sacred text. A worn out, beat up journal that I use to catch the quotes and ideas and ahas that are given to me on this journey. It’s my own personal inspirational, and it’s practically glowing with holy love. From scribbled half-quotes to full passages, from doodles and sketches to deep musings, this journal contains my soul and all that I’ve poured into it.

When the student is ready, the master appears. I make a point of letting God, the Universe, the angels, know that I am ready. Give me the teachings, and I will capture them. I will read them, and save them, and reread them later.

Here are some tips on creating your own sacred text:

Make it easy.

I can’t stress this enough. No system will work for unless it works for you. For me, I love having a tangible, tactile experience — so a journal and pen are the way to go. I can always carry it with me, it’s small enough to slip into my bag, and it’s easily accessible. You might never remember to carry a notebook, but always have your iPhone handy. Use an app like Evernote to capture your teachings, or whip out the voice recorder when you want to remember something you hear. If it’s something you see, snap a photo of it. The method that is right for you is the one you will use.

Make it personal.

Find a way to set your intention with your sacred text. Write a dedication prayer on the first page, personalize the cover, create a separate ‘notebook’ in Evernote with a conscious title. You can decide that you want to focus on creating a book on sacred relationships, and use it to store teachings on love and connection. Maybe you want it to be your own personal guide to getting closer to God. If you set an intention, you’ll be more likely to hold it sacred enough to actually use it.

Make it interactive.

The whole idea here is two-fold. 1: We remember what we write better than just hearing it or reading it somewhere. 2: We want to carry these teachings with us so we can refer to them later. I love that I can grab my journal, flip to a random page, and see a message that is exactly what I needed in that moment. You may be able to do the same with your notes in your phone, or by playing a random voice memo. (Quick hint: If you’re using a voice memo system, be sure to title each memo with something relevant. That way, if you go back looking for something specific, you can find it!)

Make it without rules.

You may find yourself writing direct quotes most often, and that’s great. But don’t forget that it doesn’t have to be limited to that. You can also jot down your own soul reaction to the teaching. You can turn it into a scrapbook of magazine clippings and doodles and other ephemera. You can add photos or fortunes or anything that inspires you. There are no rules, and all of these are just suggestions for how you might use your sacred text.

How might you use a sacred text? Care to grab a journal and try it out?

xo,