The River of Change helps you look back at your journey as if it were a river: noticing the challenges, the flow of emotions, and the moments of growth along the way. Drawing it out makes your experience visible and gives you perspective on how far you’ve come.
What you will need:
- A large sheet of paper or several notebook pages (to give your river enough space)
- A pen or pencil for drawing the river and adding notes
- Coloured pens, pencils, or markers (optional, to show emotions, challenges, and highlights)
- If doing it digitally – a phone, tablet, or computer (drawing app, notes app, or digital whiteboard. If doing it online - platform like Padlet has the feature of drawing timelines).
Instructions:
1. Draw your river.
- Start on the chosen side of your page with “Arrival”
- End on the right side with “Today / Returning Home”
- Let your river twist, bend, slow down, speed up - whatever feels true
- Use symbols, colors, or patterns to reflect different feelings along the way. Use your weekly/monthly reflections to remember the important moments.
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2. Mark key moments or emotional turning points.
- You can use simple icons or draw little scenes
- Along the river, ask yourself:
- What challenged me the most?
- When did I feel truly alive or connected?
- What made me proud?
- What helped me keep going?
3. Reflect near the end of your river:
- How do I feel about this chapter ending?
- What part of myself have I discovered or strengthened?
- What do I want to carry with me into the next phase?
Additional Reflection Questions
- If I could name this river, I’d call it…
- The hardest part of the journey was…
- The most beautiful or meaningful part was…
- Now that I’ve made it through, I know that I can…
- What were my major emotional or learning moments?
- What hidden stops (small but meaningful realizations) do I want to remember?