Resources For Women

The Joy of Journaling

Remember the diary we used to keep as little girls and teenagers, hiding our precious secrets under lock and key? Many of us still have our childhood diaries today and we laugh as we reread experiences.

Journaling is the grown up version of keeping a diary, and yes it can give us that same joyous feeling in years to come, as well as, giving us an avenue to get it all out. Good, bad, happy, sad, or thankful, committing words to paper is therapeutic as we express our emotions. Words make things real and give us new and different perspectives.

Keeping a journal preserves your daily living experiences and feelings forever. Relive your wedding day, birth of your children, or trying and joyous times.

The great thing about journaling is there are no concrete rules. You can journal anytime and as often as you like. Some tips for beginners are:

• Try and set aside some time on a regular basis even it is only once a week or 5 minutes every day to write a line or two. Lock yourself in a room if you have to, you need quiet time too.
• Get a journal that motivates you to be creative. Choose one with a beautiful, wild, or crazy cover.
• A beautiful pen is also a great motivator. Use it only for writing in your journal. Make it special.
• Be creative. Don't fall into the trap of writing just what happened during the day. Express yourself with poetry, dreams, goals, and feelings.
• Count your blessings and be thankful. Write at least one good thing even bad times. This can be a lifesaver and make you appreciative of what you have.
• You can write about anything. Some topics to get you started: The best things that happened this week are:
  What I am thankful for today is:
  How I can improve my life is:
  My thoughts and inspirations are:
  Things that make me happy are:

In years to come as you read and reread your journal entries, you will be thankful you took the time for yourself.

Kathy Peet is a freelance writer from Michigan where she publishes the premier women's online magazine for enjoying life, WomensFun.com. It is the perfect solution for a laugh, a lesson learned, and just having fun. Her work appears on many sites on the Internet and at her own site WomensFun.com. You will find life enhancing articles, freebies, wit, wisdom, entertainment, simple pleasures, humor, shopping deals, resources for women, knowledge, adventure, and a free monthly ezine. Remember to relax, indulge, and laugh...You deserve to!.