The Mindfulness Journal
Why I keep a journal
Call it what you will. A book, a diary, or paper it’s all the same. It’s not about your journal's catchy nickname. It’s about what you’re willing to put into it. That’s the beauty of it. It’s whatever you decide it to be and that’s a really powerful idea.
To start, I’m gonna name a few things that I believe journaling isn’t.
- It isn’t work. Leave the essays and all the other bullshit out.
- It isn’t a routine. Don’t force yourself to write in it unless you feel called to.
- It isn’t for appearances. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s not this.
Just like everyone else, I have so much going through my mind. From school to work, it all seems to add up to an overwhelming tsunami of pressure. Opening up, even about the small things, doesn’t bring me that wealth of relief that some people get. It adds to that pressure.
That’s where the journal comes in. I shift that pressure away from me and into this small black notebook. I write about everything, it doesn’t matter how insignificant. I write it all down and close the pages on it all. That’s the most freeing part, putting it to rest knowing it's safe. It’s for me alone, that’s what gives it this sense of security. Journaling gives me this sense of freedom and release I have yet to find anywhere else. Not just that, it's also given me perspective. I see things much differently when it’s laid out so plainly in front of me. It changes from world-breaking to an inconvenience. It’s empowering finding that strength and wisdom inside yourself. I even go as far as dating each time I write. I want to see when and where I’ve been. And journaling gives me a rare opportunity to glimpse back at who I was and laugh at myself, maybe learn a thing or two, and acknowledge myself and my situation for what it is.
