tct-current

Guest Article by Sarah Gentili

Journal Writing: A Road Map Of Discovery

When I was younger, I never actively kept a journal or diary. The closest I came to keeping a written record of my life was when my parents would have me write things down about family activities or outings we went on, and then file them away in a personal history notebook for me. At the time I dragged my feet at the thought of having to do work for my parents that was so similar to what I did in school.

What I didn’t understand as a child was that those snippets of my childhood and teenage years would prove to be a treasure when I got older. Looking back know I understand that the personal history book I created with my parents allowed me to do two very important things.

1. I was taught how to pull back from the immediate things happening around me and see the big picture. For example, I still remember the civil war re-enactments I used to go to with my family when we lived in Virginia. These family outings were wonderful, but I thought my parents killed the fun by having me write about them after we got home. But writing about it made me look at those events from a different perspective then someone just having a good time. I was able to see the time and effort that went into the events, the passion and pride in a shared history, and knew I was a part of something truly special. If I had been allowed to run off and play after our family outings, chances are those events would have faded into much smaller memories.

2. Personal history allows me to see patterns in my life that I would not be able to see without it. I can always pull out my personal history notebook and look at it. When I do this, it’s easy for me to start to see the patterns which past choices have created. These patterns can be used as a road map of where I have been and where I am heading. This can be a valuable tool when a person is looking for direction or trying to make a difficult decision.

As an adult I now keep a regular journal, as well as a personal history notebook. I don’t always write much in my journal entries, but I always write them. They have become a great source of comfort to me.

I believe everyone can benefit from a personal history notebook or journal of some kind. It can be a key to discovering things about yourself and your life you never realized. By simply filling the pages honestly and consistently, it will give you a vital tool to improve your life and move in new and exciting directions. Personal history and journal writing can also be a gift to your children. Something you can share with them as a means of drawing closer to each other. I have bought my oldest daughter a journal set very similar to the Memory Keepers set available on this site and she loves it.

The hardest part is actually starting. It takes time to develop the habit of writing in a journal, and it is much harder to write consistently than it sounds. But the end results are worth the hard work and effort.

YOUR OPINION - Let us know if you liked this article, and whether you agree or disagree with it. Provide your comments here.

Click here to return to the top.