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HOW TO JOURNAL

The Journal is your private place to express all your inner thoughts and feelings. Begin to understand yourself through writing. You can then move closer to knowing who you are and who you want to be in life. Your feelings, your breakthroughs, your desires — record them all here. Discover yourself.

Getting Started
Find a comfortable position in your chair. Clear your mind. Relax. And let your thoughts and emotions flow freely. It is important that you do not censor yourself as you write. Do not worry about grammar or punctuation errors. Put every thought onto the page. Be risky. Be daring. Be you.

What should I write about?
Writing helps clarify feelings. Choose a topic each day, and let your mind go. Start writing words. And follow your feelings.

•Did something happen to you today that made you upset or joyful?
•What did you discover about yourself or the world?
•Is there something from the past that you wish you could take back or do over to make it right?
•What are your needs? What are your desires?
•What are you most afraid of doing? What are you afraid of not doing?
•What are you curious about? What issues are unresolved for you?
•What do you love to do, experience, and feel? What kinds of things in your life do you want to build on?
•Find a photo or an image. What does it make you feel?

How often should I write?
As often you like. Your journal is here for you whenever you feel like writing or reflecting about anything.

What is the difference between the six journals?
Daily Journal — Write whatever you like here. This is your own private space for your general daily thoughts.

Gratitude Journal — Record five things you love every day. Your entire outlook on life will change because you will be looking for the things you are happy about to record later on in your journal.

Spa Girls Journal — Keep your exercise routine on track with your fitness goals! Record your best and worst fitness moments. How is it making you feel about your body today?

Discovery Journal — Get to know yourself by looking back. Remember how you felt, what you loved, were you afraid of, and dreamed of doing. As a child, a teen, and a young adult, what are the themes taking place in your life?

Health Journal — Your goals, successes and challenges. It's good for your body and soul. How are you treating your body?

Create Your Own Journal — You can name it whatever you like. It's yours!

How can a journal help me?
Self-discovery. Writing consistently in a journal can give you a deeper connection with your own inner self.

Less stress. Releasing all your inner thoughts and anxieties through writing can help release unwanted stress.

Courage to pursue your passion. Knowing what you want to do with your life is the first step in making it happen.

Understanding the past. Journaling can bring up many issues in life that are still unresolved. Writing about them helps take you to a place of forgiveness and healing.

Greater sense of peace. Listening to your inner thoughts through writing will give you a greater sense of peace and a more positive outlook on your experiences in life.

Awareness Get to know what really brings you joy in life.

* * *
Memories can be misleading. Sometimes family expectations may have reshaped what really happened into something more socially acceptable. Our own minds can do the same thing, blocking memories from our consciousness, insulating us from what really happened.
My very first memory is...
I have tried to forget...
I wish I could remember...

How do you feel about yourself right now? What makes you feel good? What's holding you back?
I love...
I hate...
I feel...
I can't feel...
I would like to feel...

If it is true that we are mirrors for one another, then the qualities you most like in others are reflected in yourself...and the qualities you least like in others are those you probably don't like in yourself.
I admire...
The qualities I most admire are...
I don't like...
The qualities that most annoy me are...
What does that say about who I am?

* * *
You've cracked open your brand-new journal, pen in hand, but now you're stuck. Where do you start? According to journalist Michele Weldon, "Everyone has something they need to write about." A firm believer in the power of journaling, Michele shares five points to help you get past the fear and let the words flow.

•When the fear of writing is upon you, write anyway.
We're all afraid of telling the truth when we need to be afraid of not telling. We can eliminate the fear of being judged by telling ourselves this is for our own personal use and will not be published or end up on a billboard.
•Move beyond the superficial.
In order for the writing to be cathartic and healing, you need to be honest—completely honest. You need to move past a superficial retelling of events and ask yourself more difficult questions such as, "Why am I feeling this now?" To write descriptions of places and people is what I call "drive by creativity." Our stories need to be told in depth.
•Quiet down.
It is difficult to access a truthful and profound internal wisdom when you are distracted. Make a time and place for yourself to write when all you are concentrating on is the writing, not the children, the pets, your boss, your coworkers or your errand list. Make that special, sacred writing place a quiet zone.
•Check out the flip side.
It is easy to vent, to blame, to point fingers and shout in your writing. But it isn't all that helpful. To avoid the connection between writing and negative feelings and emotions, make sure that when you are writing about an event or a feeling that you examine the flip side or the positive outcome of the situation. Is the fact that you survived the most positive thing you can recall? Then honor that.
•Re-read your work.
I know people who write and write and then destroy their work. Your writing is a great way to learn about who you are and where you have been. When you move to a new house or apartment, you are not required to torch the one you just left. So go back and look where you have been and applaud yourself for telling the truth and congratulate yourself for moving on.