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Journaling - The Write Stuff For You?
Long ago –okay, for me, it was long ago!- it was common for a young person to keep a diary, a place to write down the heartaches and giggles of growing up, the trials and tribulations of school, friendships, sports and activities. Sometimes it was a locked book, so that we felt secure knowing our secret thought remained a secret.
How times have changed! While I no longer keep a classic diary, it is no less important for me to write down thoughts, ideas, and heaven-knows-what, on a regular basis. Nowadays, the common name is a “journal”, and seems to appeal to every segment of society. There are an abundance of ways to do this, and so many reasons why. Although I prefer longhand, many people use a computer, and there are any number of prompts/styles/methods.
Let’s explore this together!
Do you journal? What prompted you to start? What would you tell someone who wants to start?
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@thisismarilynb I understand your concern. You can simply toss out what you have written. I do that frequently. I'll tear out pages or eventually throw a notebook if I'm worried about people reading it. I think you might enjoy the process--I find it very helpful.
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1 ReactionI understand the fear of someone reading my journal, and while I love journaling, I'm not sure I'll continue writing.
@thisismarilynb @gingerw @mir123
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1 Reaction@ginnysnow Do what you love. No matter what it is. It will help you feel better, I promise!
Ginger
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1 Reaction@gingerw
Ginger, I understand that journaling can be a great outlet, but I feel like it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, especially when trying to find the right prompts or structure. It can feel like there's so much pressure to make each entry perfect or meaningful.
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1 Reaction@ginnysnow Please be gentle on yourself! You are writing for you, not for an audience, not for a person other than just yourself. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be grammarly correct, it is just something that you want to write down. I bet there are others here who would agree with me and they may also chime in!
There are no Journal police, remember that. I have also struggled with just what to write down, but sometimes just getting started and putting pen to paper is all I needed to do. Start out by writing what is the weather outside, and go from there. How does it make you feel, and it will often lead off in other directions. Take a quote you saw and write about that. Use a different color pen if you want, or use your non-dominant hand. That's always an interesting experiment LOL
Ginger
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2 Reactions@gingerw
I will try
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