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Five Fabulous Journal Ideas

Some additional information in one line
Mari L. McCarthy May 22, 2012

Guest Blog Post by Brandi Harrigan


JournalsThere are so many ways to use a journal and so many reasons WHY to use a journal that a list of five is just a taste, a warm up, an appetizer. If you can imagine it, your journal can handle it. The following five ways to use a journal can be used in a couple different ways. One is to have themed journals, where one journal is used for certain kinds of writing. Another way is to use one journal and switch from style to style as needed. One of my favorite things about journaling, besides my five favorite ways to use a journal, is that there are no rules. Anyone that can pick up a pen can write a journal- and really, even if you cannot pick up a pen, there are several of voice-to-text software programs that can do that job for you.

Personal Diary-

All through history, people across nations have written in personal diaries as a way to mark their passage through life. Using a journal to record special moments, milestones, heartbreaks, etc. is probably the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks “journal.” Indeed, a personal diary was my first introduction to keeping a journal.

Engage ______ in Conversation-

A journal can be used to have what author Mark Levy calls paper conversations in his book, Accidental Genius. In a paper conversation, we can have a written conversation with ourselves or with parts of ourselves, ie. a painful body part, or a wounded aspect of our Self. Or, we can bring a person, whether living or long since passed, into conversation in our journal. Through these conversations, we can learn a lot about ourselves and about what ails or strengthens us. To have a paper conversation, all we need do is ask a question and then allow our imagination to come up with an answer. While the answers may come forth from our imagination and not anywhere outside ourselves, the information we learn from this practice can yield great insight.

Re-Write Your Life Story/Stories-

Our stories are nothing if not the very thread that weaves our entire experience of reality together. Our stories, whether factual or not, underlie the way we see ourselves in the world and the way we see ourselves in the world determines our place in it. Through journal writing we can explore our perspectives, test out new ideas, and/or reframe the details of our lives. As we change the stories we tell ourselves, we can thereby change our entire lives.

Imagine, Dream, Plan for the Future-

The power of visualization has been a hot topic since the release of the movie, The Secret. And, indeed, visualization can be the key to bringing forth our deepest held dreams. One of the tricks with visualization is that the more senses we can incorporate into our visualization, the closer we are to manifesting the vision into our lives. Writing is a way to tune us into our senses in a visceral and tangible way. And, if we apply the no-rules rule of journaling, we can quite literally write our way into the future of our dreams by exploring the details of our dreams in writing. Through writing we can fully flesh out all the sensory details that make the experience of our dream real, and with visualization, the more real our experience in the moment, the more power it has to affect the future.

Brain Dump-

We are all human. As humans, we have a never ending stream of thoughts going through our minds at all times- not all of it pleasant or helpful. By using our journal as a brain dump, we can literally dump onto the page toxic thoughts that might otherwise erode our sense of self-esteem or our best efforts to live the life we truly want to live. Toxic thoughts can lead to disease, pain, & suffering of all shapes and sizes. If not acknowledged and released from our consciousness, they can literally stagnate in our bodies where they turn into sicknesses of all sorts. By unleashing such toxicity onto the page, rather than on ourselves or those we care about, we are doing ourselves a great kindness. No one ever has to read our journals, no matter what, so you never have to censor what goes into them.

As for me, I’ve been writing in at least one journal since my second grade book fair. Throughout my tumultuous teens, a kept a backpack packed in case I suddenly had an opportunity to run away. Guess what was in that backpack without fail? As an adult, even if I’m just spending the night at a friend or family member’s house, at least one of my journals come with me. I use all the methods mentioned above in my journal writing, though I do have a special notebook that says TROUBLE on the cover that I like to use for my brain dumping- that way all those toxic thoughts stay away from the others. Journaling is something that I don’t anticipate ever putting behind me. I use my journal every day to digest the past, to find miracles in the present moment, and to plot my future. Honestly, if I had any say in the matter, I’d mandate journal writing for everyone as soon as they learn to put pen to paper, it’s just that powerful.

About Brandi

Brandi guest bloggerBrandi Harrigan, 31, is author and creator of JunkiesRising.com, a new website offering solutions to the age old problems associated with addiction and recovery.  Through her own experience as a fourth generation addict, teenage mother, and survivor beyond staggering odds, Brandi discovered the unknowable power of self-compassion and has made it her life’s mission to share what she has discovered with other addicts suffering under the weight of hopelessness. JunkiesRising.com is a synthesis of 20+ years of study of subjects from addiction, psychology, and health/nutrition to spirituality, metaphysics, & quantum physics and brings a fresh approach to addiction based in ancient wisdom.

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