Just Write About It

I was in the bookstore yesterday and picked up the most beautiful journal I’ve ever seen. It was covered in soft leather with intricate carvings. There was a beautiful antique gold clasp, and the pages were thick but silky smooth. I held it and turned the pages with awe, wondering what words of wisdom would be jotted on its pages. I will not be the one who writes these words.

I own several nice journals. Some are fancy with gold edged pages and floral covers. On others, cute puppies or kittens smile up at me with pleading eyes that beg me to open the book and write. I have a gardener’s journal for detailing the weather and blossoms, a mother’s journal for documenting my little darlings’ every move, and a prayer journal for preserving God’s loving answers to my requests.

With a few exceptions, these journals are totally and completely blank. They call out to me from their prominent spot on my bookshelf, reminding me of my good intentions and lousy follow through. To be honest, my perfectionism keeps me from doing much more than lovingly stroking their bindings.

I find that I am paralyzed the moment I open an ‘official’ journal. What if my handwriting is messy? I might inadvertently write the wrong word, or my words may not make sense. To me these journals are almost sacred – crisp new pages waiting for words of wisdom.

Such words seldom spring from my hands. When I first start journaling anew (something that happens every six months or so), I usually write about the world around me. Sometimes I write about my feelings, other times I’ll document life activities or prayer needs. I may praise, rant and rave, or scribble some drivel. None of these things seem worthy of preserving for future generations. In fact, I often hope that no one will ever find my journal – I know they would be disappointed to find out just how selfish and insecure I am!

I’ve found that journaling, however, is really good for my spirit. During times of emotional stress or extreme joy it helps me to process my thoughts and plan my actions. Elizabeth Scott, manager of About.com’s Stress Management forum, tells us that journaling allows us to gain self-knowledge by clarifying our thoughts and feelings. It is also a good tool for problem solving, allowing us to think through several options so we can arrive at the best solution. It can even have health benefits, such as reducing symptoms of disease, improving cognitive functioning, and strengthening our immune systems.

So how do you start? What do you write about? Over the years I’ve learned that a nice new spiral notebook is my best tool for journaling. If I make a mistake, I can just tear it out! When it is full I can easily find another one for about fifty cents, so there won’t be a long search for just the right tool.

I start with a clean piece of paper during a quiet time in my day. Sometimes I journal right after my devotion time, other times I just grab it and write during five minutes of calm. I don’t have any particular formula for writing, although I know many people who do. I only have one rule – I have to write three pages as quickly as I can. Even if I repeat, “I don’t know what to write today” over and over! I never have enough conscious thoughts in my brain to write that much and I start each day expecting to struggle to complete the task. But somewhere around the 2/3rds point of the first page I get into a flow. I stop writing about the activities of my life and start processing my thoughts and feelings. It amazes me to find that I’ve often written four or five pages when I decide my hand is sufficiently cramped so I can’t write any more.

The key to journaling is to just do it. Find the system that works best for you through trial and error – don’t wait to get it perfect before you start! Purposely misspell a couple of words in your first few sentences to turn off your inner critic, and just write whatever comes to mind. If you are afraid someone will find your writing and be hurt by it, tear out that page and destroy it! The effort of processing your thoughts is the important part – not the need to leave a written legacy.

If you are interested in getting to know the creation of God that is you, I recommend that you start the journaling process. If you want additional information about journaling and the wide variety of tools available, check out http://journalforyou.com.