Journaling

Some of my favorite heroines have kept diaries. And one of my favorite book series Sorcery and Cecelia is written in the form of diaries and letters. The end result of all that reading about writing has been that I have long wished to keep a journal. I have literally dozens of blank books all waiting for me to write something brilliant in them. They were probably destined to remain blank. My attempts at journaling just never stuck. The fact is my life is pretty bland, my thoughts not really all that scintillating.

However, when the church book club picked One Perfect Word by Debbie Macomber for their February read all that changed. One Perfect Word is about throwing out New Year’s Resolutions which challenge you to make all sorts of different changes in your life and placing your focus on just one word. A word such as balance, where you will focus simply on adding balance to your life. Perhaps you will choose simplicity and concentrate on simplifying your life. Or perhaps you will go with finish and devote your energies to finishing what you start. My word is contentment. I want to show gratitude for everything I have in my life.

So what does that have to do with journaling? As part of the process you journal your thoughts about what the word looks like in your life, what it means to you, what you are doing to accomplish it and how it is changing you. I found a day journal which has entries that are just half a page long. For the first time ever I am keeping a journal! I have passed the two month mark and am feeling pretty good about it. It will never be a piece of great literature but it has been a good experience for me.

So what about you – do you journal? If so, what kind of journal do you keep?

– Maggie AAR