Random Topic Wednesday - special prize inside(The importance of journal keeping)

in #writing7 years ago

What is a journal? Why should you keep a journal? Throughout the ages, many people have kept records of what they have done, or lessons they have learnt, or about experiences they have had. Without these journal made by great men and women we would have forgotten all the things that has happened and why things are the way they are today.


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I have always heard they saying; each time an old person dies a library is burnt down I never understood what this meant. I have always had the good intentions of keeping a little journal and each time I started one I never really kept it going.

Your journal has the potential to be both therapist and a dear friend who listens without judging or interrupting and is open 24 hours a day. You can tell your journal things you wouldn’t dare verbalise to someone else. Writing it down takes the edge off more toxic feelings and emotions and helps you better understand what you’re feeling, freeing up thinking space to gain clarity on what to do next.
Source: https://www.psychologies.co.uk/five-reasons-why-you-should-keep-journal


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A few years back I read one of my mothers journals. There were things in it that I never thought she would ever do. It was really interesting to learn from they way she approached and reacted to things that happened in her past. Recently I have wanted to know a lot more about some of my deceased family members.

I hope to one day have something to give to my children and when future generations ask who I am they will be able to read all my stories and adventures, as well as a few problems and lessons from experiences I have had.


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I thought about journals for some time and what would be the best way to keep them? Often books get broken or lost and the internet seemed like the best way. But websites can be tampered with and things could still get lost or changed.

I thought of steemit and how the blockchain works, this provided the answer. Why not us steemit to keep a journal? Well that is exactly what I will be doing. I would love to see a few other people doing the same and will write a weekly journal entry. I would love to see your journal entries so please use the tag #journal.

Please feel free to suggest any random strange topics you would like me to write about. The best comment/suggestion will receive an upvote and will have their topic choice put up the following week

Just on a little side note for self improvement. I will be doing pushups, situps and squats for the amount of $$$ (ratio;$1:1) I earn on this post and will give a short feedback every day at the end of each post. This will be split in equally between all 3. Any not done will carry onto the next day.

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Helpful and well written. I've journaled off and on over the years.

I think you should talk about the "Power Of Now", which is a book talking about the importance of living in the present. You don't have to read the book of course, but it changed my life, so check it out if you have a chance!

Can you elaborate a bit? What idea from the book comes to mind most often?

Yeah, I would say the idea that our soul or consciousness and our mind are two separate entities, and emotions such as anger are are just a way for our mind to remain in control.

If we are able to gain control of over our mind and quite the thoughts meant to distract us with the past and future, then we will reach a level of enlightenment that is synonymous with living in the moment.

The ideas are kinda out there, but I was able to take some really valuable ideas that helped strengthen my mind when I needed it the most!

Sounds like a great book indeed! Sometimes it's not just the crazy ideas, but the simple ones, that appear obvious when we read them, the most powerful ones.

Can you write a post on self harmers and why they self harm? How to make them normal etc.

What do you mean by self harmers (masochists)?

Nope people who cut their hands when they feel depressed.

I also wanted to ask what self harmer means..lol @steemit-fun, what is self harmer? Thank you

@dragonslayer109, your post are always informative and there are always things to learn. There are many things I would want you to discuss but first off, can you please talk about politics in Africa? I mean how do you think we can help to eradicate this leadership problem rampaging the whole of Africa? I know you are south African and you might not be facing what other African countries are facing but I know you to be for all African in respective. Don't you think African deserve better? Thank you

Your idea sounds super exciting to me !!!!!

That's a fabulous way to encourage within yourself a creative blog post - in the style of a journal, just like a 'dear diary'

Writing is definitely more heart felt when it is natural ... I once wrote a post here in a 'dear diary' format and it was about one of my patients that passed away, an elderly man with alzheimers. It made it much more easier when it felt like I was infact writing thanks to him from my heart....

Which , funnily enough takes me to this quote of yours

each time an old person dies a library is burnt down

Basically our elders hold a world of information , & we only get the chance to discover it when they are alive!!! So ask questions!& lots!!!!... before its too late!!!!
I really enjoyed your post! Got me thinking hard this late hour of 1am...
I think I will work on a #journal post soon... I love sharing my poetry but no harm experimenting either ♡

PS:
Good Luck with the sit up and squats!!!

Writing like that is also a lot nicer to read as you can feel the reader. I love spending time with elderly people and listening to their stories, they are always amazing.

Couldn't agree more, having a journal can be all kinds of things to a person! Very well written, thanks for posting. I will be sure to try the weekly journal post you suggested.

I will be looking forward to reading it :)

That good writing... I have drawing design @ned face in my blog. Maybe you like...
Follow back me dragon....
I resteem.. Can you resteem my post to please

The real question, at least in my opinion, is: how to keep it up?
I think journaling is a great way to organize your thoughts and create a written version of your life story. However the real struggle for me is allocating time and motivation.
To anyone that journals: Why do you do it and how did you get the habit?

Nice post...

NICE POST

Could not agree more💙 Both my therapist and social worker told me numerous times to keep one, as it would help to cope with my emotions. It's so true though! Writing them down actually relieves the pain (at least, from my personal experience). And as you said, it's amazing to look back on it years down the road and realize how much progress you made! Great post buddy! I love it!💗😍💎

I have tired many times to keep a journal and they have failed, but now I have motivation to do it and a way to keep doing it. I have a memory box that I keep some things in. I love it because it has many random things inside that all have a story linked to them.

That's awesome! You are so right, it does take motivation but it really does help in the end💚💚 it's so cool you have a memory 📦! I wanted to do that before. Whenever I could potentially feel like "shit" I could look back in the box and it can be used as a reminder almost to look forward to life, as surprises are on their way🖤 Haha I'm just a big pessimistic baby who's trying to change negative thoughts and turn them into something beautiful!! I hope your journal will keep on working for you:) keep it up🖤😚

Keeping the journal on the blockchain will certainly ensure it is never lost. I do a journal several times a week, old school - write it in a book called "the artist's way, the morning pages journal."

Its more so a quick thought process purge and then I write out gratitudes and do a quick 5 min meditation to some music. The gratitude piece is the most impactful for me.

Thing about journals, most people are pretty private about it, it will be interesting to see who is willing to do it on steemit. I'm an open book, but don't know that I will add it to my already too long list of steemit related activities.

Music, that is a very interesting thing you use to write your journal. Definitely gave me an idea, as music unlocks creativity and thoughts. I will not be adding personal things to the journal, just some normal things that happen everyday that make me who I am.

Thanks for the post. I am a true believer in keeping a journal. " The pen never lies". " What grows in the dark stays in the light". There was a study that concluded that people who wrote every day for 15min were less stressed

well written.

Imagine how many murders and crimes of passion have been committed due to the uncovering of unwanted truths from a private journal by someone's spouse.

As an author I couldn't agree more. Pouring your feelings out on a sheet of paper is the best therapy out there. Great post!!

I have been interested in keeping a jojrnal for many years now, but i haven't been very consistent. I have have many unique experiences from travelling the world and playing professional basketball that I believe many people can gain from. I will definitely use steemit as a way to do a weekly journal. Tha k you for this post!

Thanks for sharing such a post

That is actually a really clever way of keeping a journal alive forever - blockchain!! There might even be a need for something like this. Maybe, write a "private" journal and, when the person passes away, the journal becomes available to read??

It will be quite interesting to see what happens with this, imagine if steemit has a private journal keeping section on it. I think it would be a great way to get more people to join steemit.

That is definitely something that is required!! Time for someone to develop this (oh gosh, another ICO in the working)...

The diary could save all actions of success that we have made because the people usually remember bad things but it is hard to remember things which you are proud with. In the journal we can save all staff like this plus pictures, people, drawings, ideas, thoughts and many else. I read this in a book just yesterday.

That's an awesome idea. Love the #journal tag! Looking forward to reading some. My Nana writes a journal & I know there's some amazing things in there. She has been through a lot. Happy her library wont be burnt down when she passes.

I love keeping a journal! It's definitely been like a therapist for me. And what better way to keep track of how you've grown over the years?

It is the best way :P

I couldn't agree more. This was a great, well written post and i'm glad it is doing well.

It's really a good help if ypu want to organize your mind, or just talk to someone, but the is too personal

Nice post. I blog a lot but was thinking of starting to write a memoir using Scrivener which I used to write my last book. Then I can use years or decades to store memories.

Helpful as I will be journaling on my next trip. Upvoted and followed.

What a wonderful idea, my dad told stories from the second world war and I can only remember a few, If he had kept a journal it would have been wonderful. I am getting old and have learnt a lot along the way good and bad. I think this is a legacy you can leave to your family. Thank you for a wonderful post.

That would be really great to read if he had kept a journal.

i journaled off and on too over the years, it was all angry thoughts when i was younger, I'd finish a book and throw it out into the sea. Now i keep track of my life on Steemit haha~ good and bad stuff, so i'd have some place to come back to next time if i wanna write a memoir or something haha~ coz i'm helping my boss write his, so i guess i should start keeping track now. Good idea!

Really helpfull.i love journaling as well...follow for follow...i will follow your work ...kindly follow me

Nice work and I absolutely enjoyed the idea of a journal, Thanks for sharing.

This is an intriguing topic. I have always fancied keeping a journal but i am afraid after what happened the last time i kept one. i was in high school back then and in my final year , it got stolen. i really had some thoughts in there i am afraid the world will see .