Journaling for Life: Why You Should Journal

Whenever someone says the word journaling, immediately teenagers and diaries come to mind. I picture a sixteen year old laying across a bed, music blaring, writing about the kiss she just experienced.

Well, journaling is keeping a diary of things in your life and nothing is cooler than starting when you are a teen. Everything at that time is new and exciting and shapes how we are as adults. But it should not stop there.

Why keep a journal? Because it is history and while you may think that your life is boring, imagine a person many years after you have left this earth, reading about you. It can actually immortalize you. How great is that! If you don't believe your life would be interesting to others, just think about all the autobiographies for sale at the bookstore. Yes, people enjoy reading what other people are thinking, doing, and feeling.

So how do you go about journaling? Well, first off, don't let the thought intimidate you. Simply get yourself a journal or diary and put it in an easily accessible place. Whenever you feel moved, pick it up and write whatever you feel like.

It does not have to be a long entry; it can be just a sentence or two. The only warning here is that you should not write things that you don't want others with you know to see, unless you have a way to secure it. Journals are for your thoughts and feelings, but things that are written will be read by someone, sometime. Plus, do you realize how tempting it would be for someone to open it and read it if you aren't around? Even the most honest person might feel compelled to open it, so keep it clean or keep it locked up.

Finally, enjoy the experience. We all know that many times in life we cannot really voice how we feel, so things get bottled up inside. A journal is a great place to get things off your chest and believe me it will make you feel better.

As you fill one journal, just move on to another. A few years into it, go back to your first journal and see what you wrote. It is actually quite entertaining. Remember, never pressure yourself to fill a journal...just write when you feel like it and enjoy yourself!