Journaling for growth

Journaling is a process of self realisation, and subsequent inevitable growth.
It is an exercise to begin to understand our own internal workings.

We must be able to confidently address our own weaknesses and strengths. Our weaknesses allow us not only the means to growth but also to relate. Sometimes, in moments of utter despair and loneliness, we will look for a shoulder to lean on. And will lean only when we feel we can trust. All this requires maturity.

The initial topics to journal can be and should be simple. So, their appeal can be broad and surpassing age barriers. It is also nice to be able to find topics that can excite writing from both men (boys) and women (girls).

Sometimes, we would assume that jounaling is mostly done by girls and confuse it with dairy writing. We also assume, we will not be able to share what we write as it would be private and confidential. That comes much later.

And the best known journal writer is a man! Henry Thoreau! His journals were mainly composed of his observations about Nature- his travels and experiences. But that is not all his journals were. He also wrote about his hopes emotions and beliefs. That is where a Journal will offer anyone who is serious about Journal writing to find himself or herself. To grow. And identify traits that help us and the ones that deter us.

You need not write about yourself alone. You can write about religion, God, beliefs, about values you follow, about what you love and what you hate! And you need not share if you donot want to. But a good journal should EXPLORE and delve DEEP.

To begin with...

Start a Journal with- OBSERVE EVERYDAY THINGS AROUND YOU> NOTICE THINGS YOU OTHERWISE TAKE FOR GRANTED. Make a list that starts ,"I AM GRATEFUL FOR....
Write for 10 to 15 minutes. Free writing. This means you keep writing, mindless about the grammar or even the content of what you are writing. Usually you will follow or develop styles that are at least grammatically correct. You will initially THINK you cannot write for ten minutes at a stretch. Believe me, soon, this will look like too short a period of time. You must not make this into a CHORE THAT MUST BE DONE> You should try to make this into a fun thing you would like to look forward to each week day. Fix only one target entry a week. But make sure you write it.

Get yourself a nice notebook or journal to write on. Get yourself a nice pen to write with. Find and fix a corner that is yours. Some would like to have music in their corner, some would prefer quiet. Some would be able to write it only when alone and others will be able to write even in the cafe! Make it a ROUTINE. Your body and mind should gear to holding the pen to paper each time the clock strikes 6:00pm thursday evening ( For example!)

Once you are comfortable about doing it once a week, you could do it more often.

Next week, you could LOOK AT THE LIST YOU MADE LAST WEEK AND Write a 10 minute piece starting- This list surprises me because....

There are a lot of resources listed on the net about Journal writing. These are some of the prompts i liked and they fall into two broad categories- Journaling for understanding yourself and Journaling for Relationships

Self Understanding prompts

1. I really miss...
2. For my birthday I'd like....
3. I really wish....
4. Something few people realise about me is...
5. I dream that one day I will...
6. Some little things I FORGET to enjoy!
7. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would...
8. The hardest thing for me to do is...
9. I love...
10. What makes me feel proud is...

Relationship prompts

1. Teenage years can be...
2. Best friends are...
3. My best friend is...
4. In a good friend I look for...
5. I am a good friend because...
6. I hate it when someone says to me...
7. I love it when someone...
8. I get mad when...
9. i feel sad when...
10. I resent______________ because_________

Try starting with this.
Let me know what you are working on.
I'd love to be able to do it with you guys. I'll rope in my family, too.

We had started a Journal writing exercise that we thought we should share at dinner time. No TV. All of us, Dad, Mom and the children would share what we wrote. We came to a consensus topic for the day. We unfortunately, set ourselves a very ambitious target of everyday writing from the start.

We will start again. Once a week. And journal about the TV, too! Then, may be we, too can build it into more frequent write-ups.

We all wrote on--- I love...