Journaling: A Path to Clarity & Understanding
It was advice that really annoyed me early on: journal, journal, journal. I made a lot of excuses too. “I’m too busy. I can’t write fast enough. I’ll never read it anyways.” The list went on and on because when I really resist something, I find even the most ridiculous reason not to do it. I’m a Capricorn through and through…stubborn little sea goat!
Well, I’m many years in now and have hundreds of pages typed into my computer, countless notes on my phone, and my voice recording app continues to ask if I’d like to purchase a subscription because I’ve reached my monthly limit for the free version.
From time to time, I find myself reading through various entries. It’s like reading about someone else’s life because all the change I experienced becomes more and more a part of the distant past. I can’t help but love the version of me that wrote each entry. Whatever crisis I was experiencing at the time, mostly I felt lost and so desperately wanted change and peace. Oh, if only she knew! If only she had a peek into her future versions! Perhaps my former me would’ve calmed down a bit, lol.
As I said, reading past entries is like getting a peek into someone else’s life. The thing is, I don’t want to forget what I experienced. I want to remember it all so that I never forget to be grateful. Through journaling, I allow myself space to be the most vulnerable and brutally honest that I can be. A place for me to express myself without judgment or fear. It provides a forum to process my emotions and experiences. This is something that takes me a good amount of time to do sometimes. In the experience of journaling, I gave myself a gift. The gift of learning who I am and knowing myself on a deeper level than ever.
No human is perfect. We aren’t supposed to be. We are all doing our best to make sense of this messy life we’ve been given. The only way to learn is to make mistakes and reflect on them.
So, I’ll tell you what I never was: journal, but do it to know yourself better. That is the best reason I can offer you. There are many benefits to journaling, like having that safe space to process things and getting things off your chest so you don’t dwell on it more than you should. But, the biggest and best reason I now know is to understand and know yourself on the deepest level possible.
If you are going through change, I encourage you to take some time to write your future self a letter. Ask him/her questions, tell them what you are currently experiencing, thank yourself for your strength and persistence and love; share dreams of the future. Then, put a reminder in your phone for one year from now (or however long you choose) and when the time comes, sit down with a cup of something warm and read it. You might even want to write a letter back to your former self to let them know how things turned out. Thank him/her for how they handled things, provide encouragement and love.
Here are some ways to journal to get you started:
Gratitude journal: Write 3 things each day that you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how this changes your energy and outlook for the better!
Shadow journal: Write/speak about the painful experience you had. Allow yourself to be brutally honest. This is a place to process your emotions and help you to discern how you will proceed with your inner healing.
Voice journal: There are many voice-recording apps out there. I was introduced to the “Otter” app by a beloved mentor and have used it ever since. I love using this one when I’m alone in the car driving. This is great for when you find yourself in a busy season of life because it’s a way to still fit it in!
Dream journal: keep this one at your bedside with a pen and jot down symbols that stuck out to you in your dreams. When you have the time, research the meaning of these symbols and see if there is a message trying to be communicated to you.
Scat journal: This one is a method you can use when it’s hard to put together sentences. Jot down words that come to mind. Using different colors for the words is a nice addition too. I associate colors with the chakras and so when you go back to review your entries, sometimes the colors you used paired with the words can help you decide where in your body these feelings are based (and where to focus your energy work).
May you know and understand yourself better than ever. Happy journaling!
✨Bright Light Betsy✨
