![]() I’m hoping to get a similar improvement here. I find streaks particularly motivating – once started, I don’t want to break it! – and I’ve used them to great effect when making changes to my fitness and personal finances. The message at the top tells me my current streak – how many days up to now I’ve written a journal. This is the sort of visualisation I find quite helpful:ĭays when I’ve written a journal entry are highlighted in colour, with a darker shade on days when I wrote more. Last night, I wrote a quick Python script that visually shows me when I’ve been journalling. If I don’t write a journal, I miss that opportunity. My journals are an opportunity for reflection and thought, and a way to spot where I should be making changes. I am unable to tell you how to read my stories, but hopefully you read them in a way that is meaningful to you.I try to write a daily journal, and I find it useful when I do, but I’ve been struggling to sustain the habit. And not only where others can see it, but can apply the words into the context of their own life. So, although I still do love the artistry that comes with sitting down with a pen and paper to get my thoughts in order, there is something special about writing about life in a way where others can see it. Furthermore, I have also found that by using an online platform, I am more inclined to also write about what I learned from an experience, rather than just the negatives. It forces me to express myself in a way that is legible and healthy (because it is public) instead of ruminating in misfortunes.It is comforting to know that you never are alone. Whether it be through me reading about others stories, or others reaching out about my own, it is so nice to be able to find support in one another. It gives me a way to connect with others - to share a sense of unity between thoughts, feelings and experiences.The idea of sharing these stories and lessons with others as a way to provide inspiration or some sort of growth is important to me. As much as having a piece of paper in a journal filled with similar pieces of paper may be touchable, it was only ever within my reach. I can get the thoughts out of my head and into something that is malleable and possibly useful.Here is what it has provided me with so far: So, I turned to a public platform… Medium. I wanted to see if others experienced the same things that I did, and if maybe my words could help someone else the way that so many others’ words have helped me. As I mentioned, writing is a way for me to connect with others - and a journal at my bedside table was just not cutting it. I loved every piece of writing that I did and would not stop writing something until it felt perfect (to me).īut alas, here we are. I would write stories, opinion pieces, classic journal entries, and everything in between. I would also spend time inside during breaks at school, writing and creating on extra handouts that teachers would provide me with. For example, when I was little the idea of talking to my dad in a heated conversation was uncomfortable, so I would write to him out instead - sliding a note across the dinner table in response. Moreover, many of those moments that I did not write would have likely helped me and provide some introspection.Īs I mentioned, words have always been the way that I felt as though I could connect and learn about myself, as well as others. ![]() ![]() It’s too bad that I did this looking back now, as those forgetful moments led to gaps and cliffhangers throughout my journals and entries. Growing up, I would go through phases of writing consistently in my journals before casually throwing them aside when ‘something came up’ and I forgot about the daily habit that I had created. Journaling gave me an opportunity to sort out all the thoughts that swarmed my busy mind and because of that, I have countless journals hidden throughout bookshelves in all of the places I have lived - each holding a story from a different stage of life. It felt like the most natural way to incorporate words into the experience of learning about myself. When trying to use words to connect with myself, I often turned to journaling. They gave me the opportunity to communicate with others, to connect with the outside world instead of live in my own head - but I cannot lie, they helped me figure out my inside world just as much. Whether it be writing or reading them, they were something I found comfort in.
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