Journal Writing May Not Be as Helpful as You Think

It's no secret that journal writing is therapeutic. When were having a bad day it's a honest way to get out all the tension we may of repressed. It helps us to write out situations that have left us baffled or voice our opinions when we can't be heard. Journals are our friends who are always there when we need someone to talk too. When we're crushing on Tonya S. or Mr. B journals are our confidants. They're the conscience and the ear we find ourselves needing in life and are often neglected.

But are journals really good for us? Maybe not.

While journals provide us with comfort that paper may actually be listening to what we're saying, the problem is --what we are saying?

The little book we see as our friend may very well be our foe, the one place where we have recorded numerous memories we would more than anything like to forget. Instead of using a journal to boost self esteem the writer may very well documented every humiliation, disagreement, hatred, confusion and heart break they have ever encountered. It could be as simple as hating a job, being annoyed with a relative or having a bad acne break out. They're little things that aren't atypical or severe but also don't need to be documented. What is the point, after all?

Journals are good for letting emotions flow at the moment but they don't make very good keepsakes. Who wants to review a journal full of gripes about being overweight, depressed and unfulfilled in love? Are those not the things we long to forget? What are the chances when we pass away that some grandchild or relative may find our journals and read them? It could very likely happen and the private thoughts we recorded on paper are no longer private. Do we really want our grandchildren to read every blue day of our lives, every dreary moment we lived? It's like the media circus of today, we tend to believe what we read about someone more than what we actually know. We don't want to fictionalize ourselves. We may come across as being morbidly depressed on paper when in reality it really wasn't so bad and we managed. But people are likely going to come to their own conclusions about us when they read things that came right out of our brains, whether we seriously meant them or not.

Even worse, say you went on a year long tangent about hating Aunt Agnes. Sure, she wasn't a horrible human being but you thought she was annoying, a lousy cook and outdated. It was probably just a bad spell that happened when you suddenly targeted poor Aunt Agnes for one reason or another. Perhaps such feelings have made you feel guilty and you truly loved the woman with all your heart. What if you passed away and your journal where you ranted on about Aunt Agnes for no reason made into the hands of -- Aunt Agnes? Oh, how devastated she may be when she reads that all those rhubarb pies she made especially for you made you want to puke.

Journals have more power than we give them. Our words really can be mightier than the sword.

Who wants to review their life to see only negative things. When were 80 years old will we realize that we cute at 15, pretty/handsome at 25 and stunning at 55 even though we never saw it that way at the time. Journals serve their purpose to let us vent but instead of venting maybe we should encourage ourselves so when it one day ends up in the hands of poor Aunt Agnes she'll cry a tear because you cared about yourself, complimented yourself and loved her distgusting rhubarb pie simply because she herself made it for you.

Journal suggestion #1: A journal that makes you feel good about who you are.

A positive journal. Don't feel your journal full of degrading things about yourself or random events that aren't worth remembering. Every day open your journal and write at least one positive thing about yourself. That's it, just good things about you and nothing else. The results may surprise you. Sure, it may be hard at first to think of nothing but good things but isn't that what you'd want to read years from now.

I'm glad I was born with my mother's brown eyes. I make a mean mocha. I lost one pound. I said thank you to the pharmacy clerk today. I avoided talking bad about Mary at work, I'm smart....

Journal suggestion #2: A journal where you praise others.

That's right, instead of venting on the negative things write good things about those you dislike. You may be surprised at how much better you feel as a human being and how much stronger you feel emotionally and spiritually. Also, you may find a break in someone's flaws enough to understand them. It's when we are able to find good in the people who are cruel or nerve-wrecking to us that we can begin to heal.

The clerk at Sheetz knows how to ring me up fast, Aunt Agnes never has a bad thing to say about anyone, Josh has a sense of humor like no other, Peter is a true family man in every sense, Mr. B is a decent human being, Alice one gave the largest donation in the company to 'United Way.'

These journals may not document all the actions of your life but they may show you have a great character to understand and change.