Journaling Inspiration from Oprah!

It may not seem like you have a lot in common with Oprah Winfrey, the woman who was recently named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” for a record seventh year in a row, but if you are a journaler, you may have more similarities than you think.

Oprah has been journaling since she was 15 years old, and she gives that introspective process some credit for the success she has experienced. In the April 2011 of O, the Oprah Magazine , she writes: 

I wrote a lot of bad poetry in my teens and 20s, mostly about how some guy had done me wrong. I used my journals as therapy. Oh, the time I wasted worrying about men and weight, and what other people thought!

In my 40s, I got wiser. I started using journals to express my gratitude—and watched my blessings multiply. What you focus on expands.

Oprah even shares several excerpts from her journals over the years with her readers— very personal and honest accounts of everything from high school crushes and devastating heartbreak to struggles with her weight and questions about her calling in life. Here are a few examples:

“I weigh 165 pounds this day – seems impossible but true. I have seemingly been overcome by food perhaps stemming from other social inequities.” – February 19, 1979

“I have never wanted anything more than I’ve wanted that man—and I know that my vision is somewhat blinded because I’ve lost sight of who I am.” – May 17. 1981

“I not only want to fulfill the mission of my purpose this trip to the Planet Earth, I want to do it consciously—so that I can revel in its splendor.” – August 23, 1994

By sharing her personal journaling entries with the world, Oprah is offering a direct look at her private thoughts and struggles. Her candidness may inspire others to start keeping a journal or even start sharing their own personal entries with others.

Use Oprah’s example as a prompt in your own journal. Open to a new page and answer the following questions: 

1. Have you ever let anyone read portions of your journal before? Why or why not?

2. If yes, who did you show your journal to? What excerpts did you share? What was his or her reaction to your writing?

3. Have you ever thought about what you want to happen to your journals after your death someday? Would you want them read by others or destroyed? Would you ever want them published (like Anais Nin or ____)?

4. Oprah said she uses her journaling to track her evolution as a person, who she was and who she is becoming. What have you noticed about your own evolution since you began keeping a journal?

5. Is gratitude journaling part of your writing process as well? Do you agree with Oprah that “what you focus on expands”?

Please feel free to share your journaling experiences in the comments section!

If you want to learn how journaling can help you tackle life's challenges, please download the free eBook, The Journaling Guide to Manage The Stress and Strains of Life.