This article explores the author's lifelong practice of journaling and the unexpected benefits they've discovered.
As the past threads to the present, the eye of the needle either grows larger to allow in new hope or smaller to keep out the misdeeds of times past. While “Goodbye, good riddance, old year” is a comfortable knee-jerk reaction to a tough year, I caution myself not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, as the saying reminds.I have kept journals for most of my life.
Some were in formal diaries, like the locked ones I had when I was a teenager, with covers sporting replicas of faces smiling, a surreptitious warning not to write on its pages if one was unhappy. These provoked guilt about most of the things a teenage girl might want to write about. Maybe that was the reason for the thin faux leather strap that snapped into a lock when the diary was closed and needed a key to reopen. A snip of the scissors would also have gained entry into the secrets within, but I convinced myself that no one would dare enter without permission. And just in case, the key was hidden in a small jewelry case in my dresser drawer. In later years, I kept my thoughts in spiral notebooks allowing me to rip out a written page and pretend that part of my life never existed. However, most of the time I would fold the discarded pages and tuck them into the pockets of the notebook. It was as though someone whispered, “Just because it is sad doesn’t make it bad.” Eventually, I graduated to lined yellow pads and finally a reporter’s notebook with occasional notes on napkins in between. I kept more of my written thoughts as I developed an awareness of their possible value to me. While some of them became seeds of stories I wrote and published, many in this column, I discovered a more significant reason for respecting my thoughts in the time frame in which I recorded them. They are a reminder of what is possible. Reading my own words about disappointment when a story was rejected made it all the sweeter when one was accepte
Journaling Self-Reflection Writing Memories Growth
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Value Stocks Outperform Growth in Late 2024Investors may find more value in value stocks this year as mid cap value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in the past six months. Large cap valuations remain high, while value stocks have shown momentum closing the gap against growth stocks in the second half of 2024.
Read more »
Jennifer Aniston's 80/20 Lifestyle and Her Thoughts on AgingJennifer Aniston opens up about her approach to maintaining her health and happiness, embracing an 80/20 lifestyle that balances healthy choices with occasional indulgences. She also discusses her perspective on aging, rejecting society's expectations and embracing positivity.
Read more »
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals: Takeaways and Rose Bowl ThoughtsThe author discusses the results of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal games and offers his opinion on making the Rose Bowl the annual championship game.
Read more »
Texas Veteran Kills 14 in New Orleans Attack, Recorded Videos Threatening FamilyA U.S. Army veteran from Texas, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove to New Orleans on New Year's Eve and deliberately plowed into revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people before being killed in a shootout with police. Jabbar had recorded videos during his drive, addressed to his family, in which he talked about plans to kill them and told them he had joined ISIS.
Read more »
Rock legend releasing ‘lost’ album recorded nearly 50 years agoThe iconic singer said the album was originally recorded in 1977.
Read more »
Tage Thompson Blasts NHL's Hardest Shot Ever RecordedBuffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson set a new NHL record for the hardest shot ever recorded at 106.0 mph during a game against the Dallas Stars.
Read more »