I Spent The 18 Months Writing Down One Positive OR Negative Thing A Day, And It Changed My Perspective Completely | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

I Spent The 18 Months Writing Down One Positive OR Negative Thing A Day, And It Changed My Perspective Completely

Gratitude doesn't come in only black or white.

220
I Spent The 18 Months Writing Down One Positive OR Negative Thing A Day, And It Changed My Perspective Completely
Kayla Quinn

Amongst the bullet-journal, handwritten tracker-trend of the twenty-first century, there seems to be a recent spike in the daily feel good or positivity journals. Even as a writer, I've always found it near impossible to set aside the time to write for even just a little bit on a basis, so I never thought much of this daily-journal trend.

Then, for one of my high school graduation gifts, a favorite English teacher of mine from back in middle school gave me a five-year journal as a gift.

I didn't think too much of it, aside from it being a generous gift. I'd figured I would give it a try and be consistent with my journaling. It turned out to be a much easier routine to pick up than I thought it'd be, something I'd leave on my bedside table and fill out right before I went to sleep.

Because the journal covers the span of five years, each day only offers you four lines to write. Some days I was hardly filling the first line, and others I was too quickly running out of space.

The purpose of the journal itself wraps around the idea of gratitude, which is the only area of the journal I sort of went off-course with. While it encourages a writer to jot down something they are grateful for--something objectively positive--I found myself struggling sometimes to write something objectively happy.

So, instead of making something up, I was brutally honest, whether that honesty resulted in something positive or not.

Now, looking back at the things I wrote the summer before I started college, the time throughout my first year at college, the heartbreak I went through, the insecurity I felt when making new friends, the adjustment to a new job, and the strangeness of readjusting back into college and then back home again, I find myself left with a different kind of gratitude.

Even on the days where I couldn't find something positive to write down, it only took a day or two for my attitude to turn around and discover something new I was grateful for.

It's unrealistic to expect at least one positive thing to happen on a daily basis, especially if a person doesn't WANT to find something positive. Instead of feeling disappointed in myself for writing something not objectively positive, I found a level of self-gratitude from my ability to state that that particular day had been rough, and then move onto the next and the next until I found something positive again.

The pattern went on, and the book came with me to college, back home, on weekend trips, vacations, and anything that meant I'd need to write something down. It holds memories and thoughts, but most importantly, it holds pieces of myself that I now realize make a much bigger part of who I am than I thought when I first wrote them down.

And for me, knowing that everything I've discovered about myself and about my perspective is just a chunk of my five year journal makes it that much easier to pick up on the daily and jot something down, be it happy, sad, or all the places in between.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

The Unwritten Rules Of "Talking"

What is "talking?" How does one "talk?"

5344
girl holding phone
NYCPRGIRLS

Now that it seems “talking” is the new way to date, and will stay that way until another idiotic term is used to describe the people who can’t settle down and just date someone, I feel as if it’s time to go over the unwritten rules of “talking.”

Rule 1. Having feeling without feeling.

Keep Reading...Show less
The Stages of Having FOMO in College
iamthatgirl.com

Are you one of those people that gets super upset when you miss out on anything? Well, you may have FOMO, or fear of missing out. In college it’s not hard to experience FOMO every once in a while. You just love doing everything and anything, so hen you have to miss out on something it's the worst possible thing in your mind. Whether you’re sick, have to work, or have so much work to do you could cry – FOMO will hit you hard in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Vivien Leigh
Revelist

I've lived a whole 21 years with an RBF (Resting Bitch Face), so naturally, I go through most of these struggles on a daily basis.

And before you ask, yes I'm fine. No, I'm not mad. This is just my face, so take it or leave it! To those of you who have been #blessed with an RBF, you'll probably relate to these more than you'd like to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Iconic Duos: Timeless Legends

From Luke and Leia to Beyonce's twins...

774831
Luke and Leia from Star Wars, a iconic duo
Lucasfilm

“Name a more iconic duo... I'll wait." OK, well, if you insist. In no particular order, here's a list of 100 iconic duos that seem to be timeless.

SEE MORE: This Is The ICONIC Disney Sidekick You Are To Your BFF, According To Your Zodiac Sign

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

A Candid Letter to My Best Friends Ex

Because this is the real form of torture you deserve.

1555
middle finger
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

What's up Asshat,

I've composed a list of things that I wish upon you, and they're harsh and cruel. These things are things that I wouldn't wish upon my worst of enemies, not even that Starbuck's barista who always screws up my order, not even him. You fall into a whole other category of hate. You surpass Starbucks barista. Congratulations, I'm actually a pretty nice person, making you worthy of every single bit of torture I wish upon you. What are these things I wish upon you you might ask?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments