“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Proverbs 27-19.
At one time or another most people decide to keep a diary or journal and ask, what’s the difference? A diary is traditionally used to keep a record of events while a journal’s purpose is to reflect upon things. Whatever you call it, halting at a point in your busy day and taking the time to write about your life is a worthwhile and healthy practice. Do as you did as a teen and note daily events as they occur (remember those locked volumes with spaces for the day’s happenings we hid from our sister’s prying eyes?) or let creativity loose and expand on and develop ideas (which we might do mentally, referring to it as mulling things over). Journal writing involves turning inward, contemplating, mirroring, studying, and examining and can be regarded as a literary form of meditation. It can be stream of consciousness where you let words spring forth without editing, to the point of setting a time, say ten minutes for sessions. Putting what’s in your mind on paper helps you see what needs to be analyzed and also what you prefer not to dissect but keep as memories recorded just as they happened. Writing in a journal is a private act from the moment of taking up the pen to the bonus of accumulated precious pages in your own handwriting. They belong only to you and are yours to decide to keep or to share with special people.
Do any of these ideas intrigue you: Places, You Should Know, Life’s Loves, Yesterday, Seasons, Good Friends, Long Ago, Looking Back or Random Thoughts? If any spark a desire to begin writing, why delay? Bobbin-olive has an entire line of beautiful, compact, 100-page journals ready for you to begin doing your part as only you can. Additional prompts are provided for times when you need a boost. All our journals are small enough to take along so down-time can become productive and creative time.