I have been journaling everyday for the last 2 years. It has been one of the freeing experiences in my life because it actually allows me to slow down to think about what is truly happening around me, as well as what my part is in it.
Here are 6 ways that journaling will change your life.
- How do you feel? Journaling can help you get what you truly feel inside out of the way. This helps when we are caught in the “retrace of life”, when we tend to disregard our feelings and keep ourselves busy and jaded.
- Point of view: Journaling can give us a better understanding of our own point of view, as well as, what others think of our situation. It’s taught me that it’s not about what others think, when we journal, it is about OUR point of view.
- A life worth living: I like to think that of journaling as “my life’s story.” That alone makes it Fun, Enjoyable, and Inspiring to write a little about myself and what’s going on with me, everyday of my life. After journaling continuously for sometime and looking back on the things that I have written, I realize that life is much more interesting and deeper than I thought. It’s a Great way to discover that my life is truly worth living.
- Hi, my name is…: Do you know yourself without thinking too hard about it? Chances are you are only who you think you are. This was true for me before I started writing for myself everyday. I thought I knew what I liked or disliked, who I was, where I was going in life and memories of where I have been. In reality, these aspects of myself were only what I thought I should be, not actually who I was. Journaling helped me to uncover my dreams, goals, and boundaries.
- A cooler person: The idea of being able to write for your life and passing it along to someone else, such as, children, grandchildren, or friends, without being ashamed. This allows others to feel more connected to you, and lets them learn that you are only human, that you live life, and that you have feelings too.
- Build your serenity: Getting back to number 1, when you start to write about your feelings and how situations in your life changes your feelings, you can gain the ability to start to process those feelings, rather than leaving them bottled up inside, put them on paper so you can get them out of your heart and mind. This is so you can process and try to understand them more, which will bring you to a serene existence and helps you to notice your feelings like anger, jealousy, resentment, even joy and happiness. This is what helps me feel better.
You can write about anything, the sky is the limit. It’s a good way to cope and help yourself.
Have you tried journaling? For more ideas check out the newest Let’s Talk About It magazine, Put Yourself First http://rwhp.org/letstalk.html
I think that this is a tremendous suggestion. Years ago I did a lot of journaling by pasting images, quotes, cuttings from articles and small symbolic things into my journals. All of these ideas have been wonderful to look back on. It reminds me of what is interesting and important in my life.
Thanks for contributing. It’s helped me understand the issues.