Journaling....so many venues, so little time.

Never underestimate the power of Journaling.  It can be comforting, a problem-solver,  a documentation of important events. My whole premise in writing about writing, is because I feel the importance of lifting up the life changing benefits of practicing the art of Journaling.  It is amazing how beneficial it can be to take the time to sit down and record your thoughts; sometimes it provides much needed clarification. Plus it is cheaper and sometimes more effective than an analyst, or in my case...when my girlfriends are not readily accessible to talk to at the moment. Sometimes I go back and read about things that really concerned me at the time of the writing, and then in hindsight things did not turn out to be so troublesome.  It is truly a relief to look back and think why was I so worried at the time?

      I used to think of Journaling just in the traditional sense of a "diary approach" of life events & our reactions to them.  Of course that is a huge aspect of the concept of journaling, but it is just one part of the big picture.  I remember as a young girl owning several diaries(one for each calendar year) complete with one of those little locks and a key.  These were fun, but the drawback was they had a page for every single day...which made it hard to be consistent and write every day.  Then I felt guilty if I got "behind".  So I revised this process and started to keep a Journal.

Ah....pages just waiting to be filled...

You can find them in all different shapes and sizes; whatever your preference may be and they just have lined pages, so you can write as much, or as little as you want. Journaling is not limited to just the "diary" aspect of our communications...it can also include many venues including Travel Journals, Food Journals (for all dieters, or other health concerns), Fitness Journals documenting progress and Literary Journals (documenting latest favorite books you've read). Every time I go into a book store, or stationary store, I always am amazed at the variety of Journals available and frequently am tempted to purchase even more. I have plenty on hand as "back up", but let's just say I become inspired by all those empty pages just waiting to be filled. A writing prompt perhaps.
    The list for Journal topics is as expansive as the interests of those doing the Journaling.  I myself have 3 on-going, active Journals that I regularly write in: my Travel Journal, my writing inspiration journal: for blog & article ideas, and my private Journal (reminiscent of my "diary days") All these journals are so important to me in many facets of my life.  Sometimes the usage of my journals overlap with their "designated purpose", but I always feel blessed at having an abundance of destinations to record my thoughts!

The Digital Age Journal??

Living in the digital age, of course there is always Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other on-line venues (just like the blog that I am now working on.) All these internet venues provide a wonderful way to express one's opinions, feelings and outlooks but to me it is just not the same as your very OWN journal.  Facebook was created as a social network and does a very fine job of doing just that: socializing with many people simultaneously.  What a wonderful way of keeping in touch with both family & friends near and far. It also provides a format for expressing views on current social/ political topics which can sometimes stir heated debate.  Which is OK: we are Americans exercising our right to Free Speech. This is a good thing. Yet, a pet peeve of mine is when people use Facebook as a journal and post the most intimate (albeit sometimes boring) details of their life for the whole on-line world to see.  I know.....I know...I will get some flack for saying this, but I would bet I am not the only person out there that is annoyed by this.  Do we really care what you had for breakfast today or traffic was terrible on the way to work? There is the benefit to many individuals using Facebook like a journal, but sometimes I wish people would think twice before posting certain things on Facebook. I am not exempt from posting stupid things....sometimes one just gets caught up in the moment.  So I guess we can just accept the adage that if you don't like it, don't read it.  That is what the scroll button is for.
  I just want to put the thought out there that some people would find much more satisfaction out of taking a pen to paper....for recording their thoughts.  So many different bound Journals out there...there is bound to be one to fit your tastes and needs.

     So I can't emphasize enough the benefits of Journaling. It can help your perspective about an issue in your life currently. It may help you resolve something that has been nagging and tugging at your psyche. Sometimes the very best conversations are the ones you have with yourself...Write it down, you'll feel better.