I’ve been trying to maintain a journal for the last couple of years. Last year, for the first time in my life it somehow seemed to work. I think being angry at a lot of things helped. As I’ve maintained the habit, I’ve realized that it has benefited me in a way that I thought I should share with the rest of the world (or the people who follow me on Facebook at least).
So here’s a couple of perks I’ve found through maintaining a journal.
It’s not a diary.
I don’t mean that at all in a negative sense for people who maintain diaries. In fact, I wish I had the strength and the will to write every day the events and feelings that have transpired throughout my life. Fortunately, if you are like me and have a horrible time with commitments and following anything similar to (God forbid) a routine, a journal is your gift from heaven. It’s not a daily commitment, you can write in your journal whenever you like. Don’t feel like writing for an entire week? No problem. Want to write everything that has happened to you for a while in one day? No problem. Want to vanish off the face of the earth for weeks and then write for one day? Fantastic! That’s the great thing about journals: there are no expectations. You can write whenever you want and you still write in a journal. It can be at any point and you don’t feel guilt or the pressure of committing to it. And with time, if you become fully dedicated you could also become a regular at the business in a great way.
It can help you stay somewhat consistent in your life.
There have been times in my life where nothing felt right. That’s the way for many people. When everything feels like it’s tumbling and crashing in your life, you just need to feel like there is something you can hold onto.
It’s a place to write everything- I mean everything!
A journal is a place for all your essential and not so essential thoughts. All your emotions can be poured into it, and the only person who has access to that is, well, you! Really dumb comment from the teacher? A story only you find funny? Embarrassing thing you said to somebody that you hope (more like pray) you will find funny one day? All that can be written down and more! Struggling with your intersectional identity and how awful humans can be? This the perfect way to unleash all your wrath and fury onto the world without unleashing your inner demon. Or better yet, not releasing that inner demon unintentionally on people you love. It’s not foolproof, but it does help. The point is: it’s a great way to release internal and any emotional turmoil you are feeling that you are struggling to express at the moment to other people.
It’s a place of reflection.
Again, one of the biggest perks of writing things down is that you release all your emotions and you can write everything down. And when you write things down, not only do emotions seem to flow, but there are plenty of thoughts that seem to come into place. Like thoughts and emotions that seem to be non-related all of a sudden makes sense. Writing everything down can help you piece the puzzle together, and helps you make sense of it all. There have been plenty of times where my Journal has been my place where I’ve realized my mistakes in different situations, where I’ve realized my weaknesses. It has helped me understand my emotions in certain scenarios and how to better my behavior for the next time events like that happened to me.
It’s a great way to remember those small moments.
Some people have fantastic memories; I am not one of those people. In fact, most days by six in the afternoon I will most definitely have forgotten what I had for breakfast. I can beat a goldfish in the worst memory category. There have been plenty of events in my life that have happened that I don’t remember that clearly due to my memory. However, even if you have the most amazing memory on the planet, you’re bound to forget those small moments. Now, what are small moments? Well, stuff in the grand scheme of things in life you are bound to forget, but they really are what makes up life. It’s that really dumb joke your cousin tells at the table. It’s that car ride you had with your sister where you guys signed “Sherry Baby” and failed miserably at reaching all the high pitched notes (but ya sang it anyway). It’s that moment where you just lied on your couch with your mom on a hot summer day. Those moments mean everything, but they are the things we forget. But with your handy dandy journal, I’m sure when you look back you’ll be able to read and remember a few.
It’s a great way to look back.
In the end, the past become history. But every once in a while, it’s nice to look back and see how far we have come. As crazy as this sound, even after only a year of journaling, I can see my voice change from last year till now. I don’t even think I can fully grasp the mentality of myself back then as much as I used to. And I love it! I love looking back at those funny moments that I have had with the people I love. Even though I have had my ups and downs, sometimes looking back and seeing all the progress I’ve gone through makes me look forward to the future. Hopefully, even longer down the road my great (and beyond embarrassing) moments in life will be a laugh and bring a smile on my face as I reflect on some good years.
