Journal

Journaling / / 2 Comments

Journal: A record of experiences, ideas, reflections kept regularly for private use.

Recording details of our lives is as old as handwriting itself! Great rulers and leaders to common, ordinary individuals from around the world have written about their experiences, sentiments and ideas in diaries and journals.

Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD.  He wrote his deepest thoughts in a journal.  He titled his entries “Things to One’s Self.”  Today we know them as “Meditations“.    

Ann Frank received a diary on her 13th birthday and recorded her teenage thoughts and feeling while her family was in hiding in Nazi occupied Netherlands.

Mary Chestnut, who was married to a Brigadier General of the confederate army, began a diary in February 1861 and wrote in it through June 1865. It is considered to be one of the finest eye-witness accounts of the Civil War years.

Leonardo Da Vinci left over 50 notebooks (20,000 to 28,000 pages) of thoughts, ideas, descriptive drawings and other “genius” material.

There are many more famous people in history and today that kept or are keeping a journal

There are many types of Journals . . .

Not only is there “free writing type journaling, you can keep an:

  • Art Journal
  • Dream Journal
  • Travel Journal
  • Reflection Journal
  • Reading Journal
  • Gratitude Journal
  • Line a Day Journal
  • Any type of journal you create! (“One of my cousins gave me a beautiful journal with an ocean-themed cover, and I use it to record my thoughts and feelings every time I visit the ocean.”)

I have been a journaler (is there such a word?) most of my life. I  have a Reading Journal, my Ocean Journal and a Line a Day Journal that I would be happy to share with others.  However, my Reflection/ Free Writing Journal is very personal and not intended to be shared with anyone.  Getting the mixed up jumble of my thoughts and emotions out of my head and down on paper is very healing, and beneficial to me.  To see them written down helps me to better  understand and  hopefully make some sense out of my mixed-up head!  In fact, I’ve done some extremely emotional and painful journaling and actually burned it so no one could ever see the angry and bitter thoughts and emotions I was releasing from my heart and soul.  A personal journal is not for others to see, but a way to help us to work through our thoughts, feelings and emotions as we make our journey through life on this earth. 

 It doesn’t matter whether you keep a daily written journal, a daily gratitude list or a book of doodles and drawings.  It doesn’t matter if you make a bullet list of the thoughts and emotions you are experiencing.  It doesn’t matter if  you 4 pages filled with bitterness and anger (that you have to burn so know one will ever read it).  Expressing your true feelings and emotions on paper can help you through difficult times, record the good times, and help improve your emotional and metal health.   If you’ve never tried journaling before, give it a try.  It can’t hurt and you may find it very beneficial to you too!   Keep Going and Keep Growing!

2 thoughts on “Journal”

  2. Howell Mary

    Kathy, I have ALWAYS said that you should write a book..? you’ve got what it takes!!?
    I remember when our kids were little and we would get together and write down our thoughts and things that we wanted to do.
    (Sweet memories of the peanut
    butter pie!!!)?❤️?❤️

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