We talk on this blog a lot about ways to journal and ideas about journaling content, and that's appropriate because the people who visit this site are already interested in journal writing. Whether they're actively practicing or not, for some reason, journaling is on their minds.
What causes a person to start thinking about journaling? What's the tipping point that sends them in search of a notebook and pen? And why does this urge hit some people, but not everyone?
I do not have the answers to these questions, but here are a few guesses.
Why do some people feel the urge to journal but others do not?
It's very possible to journal just for fun, and if you enjoy writing anyway you may journal for simple entertainment. If writing's not your thing, it will likely be one of the extreme experiences listed below that brings journal writing to your awareness.
Please note: journaling is much more about objectifying your thoughts than it is about writing; so not being a practiced writer is actually a false barrier to journal writing.
What conditions result in taking up journaling?
• Positive life experiences and basic distrust of memory. The fact is we know that taking notes will help us keep memories fresh as time passes. Documenting your schooling, your children, your relationships, your travel and other momentous life experiences is no less serious an assignment than ensuring you get photos of those occasions.
• Negative life experiences and basic helplessness. Let's be real: most of us know what it is to suffer and feel lost and confused. Journaling is an immensely powerful tool for working through those desperate times.
What's the tipping point for starting to journal when those conditions arise?
• The urge to journal positive life experiences, I believe, arises from a surplus of love. When good things happen, we can sometimes become overwhelmed by the wonder. We share with others, but there can be a feeling of needing another outlet to express. While there are tons of media available for such a purpose, a journal is most readily available, portable, and flexible.
• The urge to journal negative life experiences happens when we are simply out of solutions. We've tried everything, looked everywhere, and still we have come up short. It is in the pages of a journal that we ask the hardest questions and dig relentlessly until answers begin to surface from the deepest parts of our selves, both conscious and unconscious.
What about you? What was your tipping point to start journaling? What conditions especially inspire you to grab your journal and write?
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.
Are you new to journaling? Or perhaps you're an experienced journaler who wishes to restart a daily journaling practice? Our Build a Lasting Journaling Practice in 14 Days self-paced journaling course can show you how.
image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiropractic/2609742036/
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