Thursday, March 28, 2024

11 ways that I use journaling

October 22, 2009 by  
Filed under Featured Posts, Practice

Journaling - a powerful tool

My Latin teacher in high school would drill into us the importance of writing things down, pointing out that when you write something you commit it to memory.  I therefore developed the habit of writing down my thoughts in my teen years.  Journaling is one of the most valuable techniques for consciousness and awareness.  It allows you to record your innermost thoughts, to read, reflect and gain insight.

I find that journaling centers me.  Whenever I have an issue working through, I open my journal and start writing.  What do I write?  Anything that comes to mind.  It matters not.  My journal is a private place where I record whatever I want to record.  I use journaling to:

  1. Express gratitude – I make long gratitude lists whenever I feel any lack in my life
  2. Clear my thoughts – when I am puzzled or unsettled about something
  3. Cleanse my life of toxic people – I write letters expressing my feelings towards the person.  These can get really graphic sometimes, with colourful, expressive language.  But oh!  When I am done – I feel FREE!
  4. Forgiveness – long lists of who and what I forgive (mostly myself) which always brings a sense of release
  5. Visualize – I write detailed descriptions of what I envision for my life
  6. Express intentions – similar to visualization, but more short term and to the point
  7. Create action – I write “to do” lists
  8. Affirmations – short sentences or phrases affirming the good I desire in my life
  9. Copy what others are writing that resonates with me – I will write a sentence or paragraph from something I have read and perhaps go on to my own insights.  Sometimes though, it’s just to affirm something in my life.  I regularly copy lines from Daily Word and Creative Thought
  10. Muse – I record my insights about …. Anything!  This is how this blog started, and even today many of my blog posts came from my journal
  11. Write poetry – occasionally the poet in me blossoms in my journal

So you see that your journal is yours.  What you write is less important than that you write.  Your journal is a mirror of your life and causes you to really examine your past, present and desired future.  Tony Robbins, who is passionate about journaling states: “A life worth living is a life worth recording”.

Today, grab a journal – even an inexpensive exercise book – and start writing. Don’t know what to write?  Let go of thinking and just put pen to paper and see what emerges!  You may be surprised!!

Comments

6 Responses to “11 ways that I use journaling”
  1. Joy says:

    Journalling is probably one of the best habits I have cutlivated since 1991. It provides answers everytime. Looking thru, I ask a question on one day, and later the answer is right there another day. Ideas fly thru our heads so fast and get lost, but journalling records them and helps us to use them. Also it is my little friend. Helps me reason out a thing or 2, records my frustrations, and my gratitude. It is a daily morning ritual for me becuase I have come to know the value of it.

  2. freeandlaughing says:

    Thanks for sharing Joy. We are sure on the same page! i know what you mean about it being your friend – I feel the very same way about my journals. It’s a great daily habit.

  3. Noella says:

    I appreciate today’s post on journaling Marguerite, since I sporadically write down good quotes, write poetry about inspiring scenery and experiences while traveling. Now I’ll so more daily writing having been inspired by your itemized list.

  4. freeandlaughing says:

    Great Noella – it’s a good habit to cultivate! Good luck!

  5. Ryan says:

    I find that keeping a journal helps a lot now because of the college process to get my feelings out. When there’s no one around to talk to, your journal is always there for you; no matter what. And just think how long the journal might last. Future generations might stumble across this and read it. You may not want them to, but this goes to show that our lives really aren’t that insignificant. They took the time to read about YOU. The one and only. Hey, this may even inspire them to write their own. The future really isn’t that lonely. Even after you pass on, your life story will still be here for others to learn.

  6. freeandlaughing says:

    So so true Ryan – great thought to think that what you are writing now, that seems insignificant to you, could be a source of learning and insight for generations to come! Thinking about it, a lot of biographies of historical figures were based on information from diaries (which I guess is what we used to call journals). Anne Frank journaled, and loook at the impact her journaling has had on the world. WOW! I am off to journal some more now.