Journaling
- Are you a journal writer?
- What is your style?
- How has it helped you?
- Would you like to share?
My Story
When I was younger, I saw my grandfather write in a diary every night. I wondered what he wrote in that diary that he kept under lock and key in his small briefcase. When my curiosity rose to a limit, I asked him boldly one day, “what do you write in your diary, Baba?” To which he gave his same peaceful smile as usual and said, “I write about how great my day had been.”
“What about when the days were not great?”
“You can always find one good thing in each and every day.”
I shook my head and gave him a quizzical look. I could never look at a day to be good if I got a bad grade or had a fight with my friends.
“Shuchi, we need to find one focal point in each day and write around it. You should try it. Always end your writing for the day with a thank you to God and the universe.”
I was inspired enough to start a personal journal. But I was not evolved enough to express gratitude. Instead, I wrote about my day. Some days were boring as they had the same old routine- I got up late, missed the bus, etc., etc. I kept up with the practice for a year and gradually got away from the habit.
One day, reading about the habit of daily journaling, in a wave of nostalgia, I picked up my journal and started to write again. I tried keeping a gratitude journal, but my journaling style was different than what my grandpa advised me to write. I wrote mostly about my inner thoughts, how they had affected me. My reactions to a certain difficult situation. In a nutshell, it was more introspective in nature.
The journaling styles changed according to my life situations. When I became pregnant with my first child, I wrote all through my pregnancy. I wrote to my baby and told her about my difficult journey in conceiving her. I expressed my joy of finding out the day when I was pregnant, the first stretch mark, nausea, and the happiness I felt through each discomfort, doctor visits, the sonograms, and her first kick. I poured my heart upside down. I finally knew what expressing gratitude really meant. I was so grateful to my child to have chosen me as her parent. I was grateful for her and for nature to give me the gift of motherhood. Thus, began my journey towards gratitude journaling.
I have found that as my awareness, particularly about self, grew, I have come to accept myself for who I am.
Through, journaling, I get a chance to evaluate my actions and reactions and find if there is a need for small or big alterations. I have learned not to react but respond.
Reaction versus Response
- Reactions are emotional in nature, responses more objective
- Reactions are immediate, responses are after a pause
- Reactions are impulsive, responses are thoughtful
- Reactions are opposite rejoinders to a certain situation, responses are a chance to evaluate the situation
- Reaction controls you, whereas you control the response
Gratitude journals give you chance to focus on the goodness of your life, it gives you a chance to look at things from a different point of view and provide you a chance to introspect. Most of all expressing gratitude brings things to a positive plane, which makes you feel centered and aligned with aware ● accept ● alter the principle.
In addition, gratitude journaling improves self-awareness, which improves self-esteem.
By acknowledging the goodness around you, your stress level reduces and your sleep performance improves.
You are happier as you are highlighting the positivity that life offers you. You tackle problems with calmness and become a problem solver instead of complaining about them. The report card on Gratitude Journaling is A+++. If you have not already then give it a try.
