11 ways that I use journaling

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!!