~~FACE YOUR STORM AND SING YOUR BRAVEST SONG~~

Photographer unknown

Today I am sad for one of my dearest friends. And as the sorrow flooded through my being, I found myself anxious to write, to purge my emotions and cleanse my soul. That is one of the beauties of keeping a journal; purging your emotions is therapeutic. It also helps you bring order to your chaos and purpose to unwelcome storms.

JOURNAL PROMPT:  Sometimes the storms we face are big and sometimes they are small. Big or small, it takes courage to face them. What do you need to be brave about? Write about it in your journal.

............~HOW MY ENEMY BECAME MY BEST FRIEND~............

Do you love or hate journal writing? Maybe your feelings are passive? In junior high school there was a girl named Andrea who I didn't like because she was conceited; she breathed the attitude of being better than everyone else. She was popular and cool. She didn't like me either. I don't remember "why" but we decided we were going to fight each other after school. A bunch of students circled round us. The fight didn't last very long--no bruises nor split lips, nothing serious before the teacher arrived.

"What's going on here?" He demanded. 

Andrea put her arm around my shoulders, "Nothing." She told him. "We're just hanging out." I nodded my head in the affirmative. From that moment on we became best friends. When the group of students saw the fight was over before it even got started there were groans and remarks like that was stupid. That made us laugh. The fight was our catalyst to transform from enemies to best friends. Through the years my journal has been one of my best friends.

If you hate keeping a journal or feel indifferent, click on the "WHY" tab and review the reasons for why keeping a journal is more than just a record. Consider if some those benefits aren't something you want in your life.

JOURNAL PROMPT: Reflect on a time when your opinion about a person changed after you got to know them. Record the reflection in your journal.

"I DON'T KEEP A JOURNAL ANYMORE BECAUSE ...

A few months ago, I had a nineteen year old girl tell me, "I don't keep a journal anymore because when I reread it I don't like what I read. It embarrasses me. Now if I could just write poetry, I would like my journal."

"Why not?" I responded. "A journal full of poetry would be beautiful."

A journal is your personal record and should reflect you, your life, your growth. I hope we can look at our youthful journal entries and not be embarrassed by them, but instead see growth. Your journal is your book and you get to write it how you want. You are your own editor/publisher. Feel free to write poetry if you want! I think that would be awesome! If you are an artist, draw or doodle all over the page. If you aren't an artist, but want to draw or doodle, please do so

JOURNAL PROMPT: Write a poem about your day or draw a picture.

WRITE A LOVE LETTER?

It's never to late to write a note of appreciation or love letter to someone special. 

Lucy gave Snoopy great writing advice, "You have to be more specific." Click on my "Tips" tab for examples on writing detail. I love Snoopy. He makes me laugh. 

WRITING A LOVE LETTER--I was challenged this past week to write 2 love letters, one to someone special (I chose my Hubby) and one to myself which I wrote in my journal. It made me think, "What do I appreciate about me?" Getting a note from me was very nice:)

The love letter challenge came from this great blog called buoyapproach.blogspot.com. I love the concept. A buoy is to keep something or someone afloat, to cause to be cheerful or confident. My friend created this blog with the goal to help others create joy in their lives. 

JOURNAL PROMPT: Accept the Love letter challenge or another buoyapproach.blogspot.com challenge and write about it.

........................~FINDING JOY IN THE JOURNEY~.......................

Sometimes we think what we write is meaningless; that there couldn't be anything special about an ordinary life. There is nothing ordinary about you. No one else thinks your thoughts or can be YOU. Enjoy the marvel and wonder of your life. 

Journal Prompt: Record what you decide to do extraordinarily well.

................A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.............

A picture shows many details difficult to pen and freshens journal pages. Just remember...

Photographer Unknown

... the picture doesn't tell why you chose to put it in your journal or how you felt. Writing, "I was amazed by the beauty of this building," would be okay but even better would be to express why you felt amazed. ~"I am amazed by the exquisite beauty of the new Provo City Center Temple. I felt like I was in a Heavenly castle on earth. I have always loved stained glass and each decorative window was breathtaking. I loved the carved wood, the marble, the paintings and murals. I found myself reaching out to touch carvings, hinges, doorknobs, and marble. I tried to drink it all in with my eyes and still couldn't quench the thirst. The incredible beauty of the temple doesn't compare to the sweet feeling of peace that filled my heart. I didn't want to leave and found the time too limited even though our walk through the open house was as leisure as we wanted. What made the experience even better was sharing it with my husband and all of our children."

JOURNAL PROMPT: GLUE A PICTURE OF A PLACE IN YOUR JOURNAL. TELL WHY THAT PLACE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU. ADD DETAILS.

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~Start Where You Are

A Mountain Is Climbed One Step At A Time.

The #1 reason for lengthy gaps in my journal is that I’d get behind. Then I’d want to catch up before I would write my current details. Ironic, huh? While I was not writing because I wanted to catch up, I was also forfeiting to keep a current record of my life. The next problem felt colossal. Having enough TIME to write down what I missed. So I kind of gave up until I adopted my new motto—Start Where You Are. I pulled out my journal, turned over a new leaf, and started to write. Some days only a few lines, other days more. It takes 3 weeks to develop a new habit. I am there and loving it. What a great choice we have to start where we are and move forward.

(P.S. The events you missed writing about—you can jot yourself a note to put them in your Personal History. Or, were they in an email/blog? Copy and paste those pieces of your email that are important to you. File them on your computer and when you’ve got them collected, print them as a journal insert.)

Journal Prompt: SET YOUR JOURNAL WRITING GOAL. WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU? EVERYDAY? FOUR TIMES A WEEK? DECIDE ON A TIME & WRITE?