Keeping It Real

       As you have probably guessed, I spend a lot of time writing. Sometimes it an article or quote, as well as notes and letters, like the ones I send to you each week. I also keep a journal for recording my daily happenings and my thoughts on them. For me, keeping a journal is very therapeutic.

         Some might wonder who would want to read a journal, but I believe it can be very enriching process. Journals can also enrich your family’s history, and in some cases even the history of your country. jennifer, think about the diary of Anne Frank and her record of her family’s living in secret from the Nazis, or Samuel Pepys’ journal, which gave us such great insight on the Great Plague and life in London in the 1660s. Both of these individuals were just normal people like you and me. I am sure that neither of them had any idea that their writing would be so historically important and read by so many. They are but a few of many who have provided us with an interesting perspective on history through their personal journals and diaries.

        Friends, journaling can also be used for more than just daily record keeping. You can use them for keeping notes on medical issues, diet and exercise to help you stay fit and keep a watch over your health. Then journaling about your emotions in a private diary can be very useful in reducing stress and anxiety, helping you to spot runaway emotions and to deal with them on paper rather than taking them out on another person. It’s a safe place to pour out thoughts and feelings you may not be ready to share with someone else. Putting those feelings down on paper is a way to sort through any conflicting emotions you have and then come to terms with them. If what you write is so personal you don’t want anyone to ever read it you can simply destroy it when you are done. The important thing is to get those feelings out so that they can be looked at.

        Keeping a diary or journal is a wonderful aid to decision making. Your journal is a place where you can write about things freely, listing the pros and cons of important decisions you may be facing and giving you an opportunity to see a written picture of the issue on paper. Rereading what you have written about an issue helps you to find the path you need to take or maybe the decision becomes clearer to you in the process.

        Keeping a journal is also a great way to recharge your inner being, keep track of daily events and sort out your life. If you aren’t already adding to a daily diary, I hope this letter will encourage you to start one.