Safe to Journal?

Your journal can become comforting, like a good friend.

Candess M. Campbell  –  12 Weeks to Self-Healing: Transforming Pain through Energy Medicine

Many of us love to journal. The notebook that keeps our sacred thoughts becomes an extension of us. It becomes full of memories similar to the photos that we have stored for years. 

Many of my clients had shared that they were resistant to journaling. Although I suspected it was because they were afraid of the inner journey, it was not that at all.  It was because in the past, someone had found and read the journal. 

Whether this betrayal was from a parent, sibling, friend or spouse, it was devastating. One client shared that her brother found her journal and read it and teased her. Another said that when she was a child her mom found her journal and was angry at what she had written. She then was punished for her writings.

Having journaled most of my life and having 30 years of my life chronicled in my journals, I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without that written inner journey. 

What I suggest is to purchase a canvas 3 ring binder and use a small lock. You can then use a spiral notebook or 3 holed paper and store your writings in this locked binder. You can also buy a locked journal, but most often they are small and you don’t have the room to write messy and large which happens often in a journal process. 

Another option would be to buy a locked box. Either of these choices can be stored in a closet or under your bed when you are done.

You can also journal on your computer and store your entries in an anonymous file or add a password to your file. I journal both ways and I find both to be profoundly helpful!

We are in the back-to-school season, so this is a great time to store up on journals, binders, and fast writing pens.

Yesterday I shared with you about Sentence Stems. Here are a few other ways you can begin to use your journal.

These are taken from 12 Weeks to Self-Healing: Transforming Pain through Energy Medicine. 

1. Dear God/Goddess letter – Write a letter to God or Goddess stating everything you need to say. Write as if you are having a private meeting with Him or Her—because you are!

2. Gratitude list – This is one of my favorites. Write down ten things that fill you with gratitude, and eventually work up to a list of twenty. If I find myself in a grumpy mood, I do this daily. It’s difficult to be angry or negative after doing so, because this activity seems to lift the heart. Completing this exercise weekly is a great goal to improve your mood.

3. Anger letter – In having journaled for over thirty years, I believe that venting can be quite helpful. When I started going through my journals to pull out the information I wanted to save, I definitely had to sort through the angry letters. Letting this energy go on a piece of paper is much better than turning it inward toward yourself and creating depression or pain—or turning it outward toward a loved one or innocent friend and creating trouble in your relationships. 

In future blogs I will share other ways to use your journal. Please feel free to share your own experiences and ideas!

 

Iwannabeaskinnybitch!

---