Be inspired to: Journal
Written by: Brady JohnsonPublished: February 4th, 2022"Be inspired to:" is going to be a short article released every Friday where we outline helpful lessons that have helped us so far in life. We want people to be more in touch with their mental health and we also want to talk about helpful lessons that could help them feel better about their life. Be inspired to take action and make a change in your own life.
Lesson #1- Start with a pen and a journal
I strongly believe that journaling is something everyone should do once in a while. You do not need to write everyday, no one has time for that. But writing about how you are feeling is vital when it comes to aligning your thousands of thoughts that are present in your mind. So whenever you have some free time, pick up a pen and a journal and just write.
“The importance of keeping a journal” was the title of my first ever blog post on Brady’s Blog (my personal blog), so I felt that it was fitting to start off Inspire Others with this lesson.
This is what I wrote last June,
“I feel as if even now I still underestimate the importance of journal entries. Let me make something clear, I have not been keeping a consistent journal for a long time, I wish I had with that being said. The reason why I think it is so valuable is because you can always look back and see how far you’ve come. I used to do entries when I was starting a new workout to say how I felt but honestly a majority of that was bogus because I was just writing how I needed to become better. A journal does not serve as a list of responsibilities but rather how you cope with those responsibilities. I feel better every time after I write. It organizes my thoughts. One day I want to write a book and to have all that information I need will only enhance my world view in my later years. Even when you have good days, still write in your notebook because when you have bad days you can look back and see what you were doing on your good days.”
As many of you know, I have gone through some rough patches in my life but through it all, my journal has been something I lean towards for comfort. Even during the times where I thrive, I still love to write because it gives me something to look back on. I kept a daily journal from April 2021 - July 2021 last year, documenting what my new job as a bar back / bartender was like in a restaurant. I still go through that journal every once in a while because it makes me smile when I can see how far I have come in the past year or so.
Journaling is a chance to talk to your mind, your one and only friend at the end of the day. I have told my journal my darkest secrets and my most futile accomplishments because a journal does not judge. A journal is just there to listen to your thoughts.
Last spring was when I really needed to depend on my journal. Like most people I was stuck at home with little to do besides be with my thoughts. I needed an outlet, so I would spend hours sitting by the pond behind my house. Just me and my journal, no one else. Some of the most peaceful moments in the past year have been sitting there. It is important to find a quiet place like that to free your mind. In this fast paced life of ours most of us need to learn to step back and document the small moments so we never forget them.
Journaling is also a way to leave a legacy. Not everyone lives forever and one day we will all pass on. If leaving your mark on this world is important to you, leave behind a couple of journals so that people can get a glimpse into your life.
So go to your local CVS, buy a journal for a few bucks, and just write. Write through the pain, write through the happiness, the wins, the loses, and everything in between, you will thank yourself in 10 years, I promise.
Some ideas of what to write about–
General feelings / emotions
Future goals
How a particular person makes you feel
Choose your favorite picture from your camera roll and write about it
Poetry
Quotes
To do lists for your week
