A Journal is a Journey

Journal writing is therapeutic to the soul. I encourage anyone reading this to create a habit of journaling. Invest in a good notebook (or in your tablet/computer if you like it paperless), choose a theme and start writing. Now.
 
What do I mean about theme?

Simple.

Art journal, travel journal, gratitude journal, child raising journal, life lessons journal, health journal, spiritual journal, or anything under the sun journal. Whatever you like. It is really up to you.
 
I keep a spiritual journal and have been doing it for 7 years now (on and off). And I must say, in my own experience, I have benefited a lot from it.
 

What to me are the benefits?

(1) It has mental and emotional health benefits.

It keeps you sane. It gives you an outlet of your deepest emotions which you cannot normally share to others. You have the freedom to write whatever it is in your heart and without prejudice.

(2) It keeps a track record of events.

Can you remember what happened in your life on April 3, 2004 or May 5 2010? Or August 20, 2012? Well, if it's a significant event in your life then you might just remember. But can you recall the feeling, the words, the "eureka" ideas you had during those days? Can you recall exactly which successes and failures you had on specific historic events of your life? Can you remember what you've prayed for on Sept. 28, 2007? No. Because our brain cells die everyday and along with that we also lose our memories. We cannot depend solely on our memories. That's why it is helpful to keep a journal.
 

(3) It keeps track of your growth.

Yes. It keeps track of your growth as a person. As you reread your journal, you can gauge how far you have grown or matured. You can assess how you have been in the past weeks, months, or years and evaluate how far you have to go in your progress.
 

(4) You will get to know yourself better.

You think you know yourself that much? Nope. I bet you will be surprised by yourself. You still have a lot to know more about you. And keeping a journal will help you in knowing who you were then and who you are now. Keeping a journal is like 'you meeting you in pages.'
 

(5) Our written account can inspire others through our life story.

 
You never know that there might come a time when you are ready to share the pages of your journal to others, they will be encouraged, inspired, and comforted. My journaling today has been a product of my mom's journal writing habit. She was the one who encouraged me to have a journal. After my mom's death, I opened and read her volumes of journal notebook and was blessed and inspired by her life story. She wrote down her deepest thoughts and emotions, her failures and successes, her best and worst times, her prayers, and her spiritual walk and intimacy with God. It took her years in convincing me to keep one but to no avail. Never have I expected that her journal was the catalyst to my journal writing today. I bet she's happy in heaven to know about this. 

You need not to be a seasoned writer. Do not worry if you are not creative in writing. Journal writing does not have limits or sets of rules. You are both the author and the reader. You do it for your own self. For your own sake. So friends, with that said, I hope I have encouraged you to start your own habit of journal writing. Your journal is your journey. 

😊 Good day!