5 reasons you should journal.

My awesome friend Abby made a list of 26 things she learned at age 26. I decided to make a list of something i'm passionate about...journaling! I believe everyone should journal. Just look at Facebook and Twitter! People have so many emotions and thoughts that they are craving to express. Some people express too much on those sites and that is why I want to yell at them "YOU NEED A JOURNAL!" :) just kidding. Anyway, I'm planning on volunteering at this non-profit in Birmingham this Fall called Desert Island Supply Co. which runs writing workshops for kids. I am just passionate about the fact that everyone should journal and I would love to teach a workshop about journaling to kids. Or poetry. That would be cool too. Or copywriting. Anyway, here's the list:

1. You make discoveries as you write. As you lay your thoughts and problems out on a page in front of you, it becomes easier to see the solutions.

2. Your mind is clearer afterward. You release all those built up thoughts, emotions and feelings in your head that have been bogging you down or flying around like 20 golden snitches that you just can't capture. (Harry Potter, anyone?)

3. It is something for yourself. We do our best writing when it is for ourselves and not for others--when we aren't worrying about how it will be received or being too vulnerable or who it may offend. When we write only for ourselves, it reminds us that our feelings should be only for ourselves, never bending to fit anyone else's expectations. (Especially important for those who have a "people pleaser" personality.)

4. It is peaceful. Nobody can journal and hear their thoughts while multitasking. In a world that's constantly moving, it is a treasure when we can actually take the time to slow down and process our thoughts, feelings and emotions--when we can write them all out and see if we find any meaning in them.

5. You don't have to be a good writer. Whether you think you suck at writing or not, everyone can benefit from writing out their feelings. Even if you list one word emotions you are feeling that day or make pro/con lists, that is still therapeutic. And no matter your approach to journaling you will always be surprised by how much you learned about yourself. Answers just reveal themselves as soon as information is organized. It is awesome.

Some of my favorite things to journal about are a list of things i'm grateful for, ways I see God working in my life and ways I see God working in the lives of people I know. The hardest things about journaling besides finding the time to slow down and actually do it is facing your own thoughts. Sometimes you are struggling with something and you just don't want to face it yet. You know that once you write it on the page, it becomes real and you can't deny it anymore (or push that thought to the back of your mind). Once you do the hard work of being completely honest in your writing though, that is when you reap the rewards: the wisdom you never knew you had...the solutions to your latest problems...the release of emotions making your mind clearer for tomorrow. It is all worth it in the end.