Why Journaling Still Matters
Throughout time, the famous and not so famous have kept journals. These journals were highly personalized and represented a glimpse into the daily lives and cumulative life of each and every person. Journaling still matters today for a variety of reasons.
What happened before there were computers? It seems hard to imagine, but that time was only 30 years ago for society in general. For most people, the answer was to keep journals of everything from their business transactions to personal life.
Perhaps the most famous of journal keepers was Anne Frank. Of Jewish faith, she and her family lived under constant threat from Nazi forces when said forces invaded the Netherlands and the family took extreme steps to hide from persecution.
Read Anne Frank’s Journals and you can’t help but be moved. Most people only look at it from their perspective as readers. If you step back, you can see how keeping these journals probably helped this young girl deal with the stress.
It goes without saying that nobody should have to go through what Anne Frank and her family did. That being said, writing down your thoughts every day or two has some massive benefits and is something you should consider doing.
How sharp is your memory? Do you really remember the details of your life three, five or 10 years ago? Probably not. Journaling gives you an opportunity to create a timeline of your life that can take you back to events long lost in your memory.
Given the pace of modern life, we often can get caught up in the moment. Losing the forest for the trees is an apt cliche. A journal can help you gain some perspective. Writing out your thoughts gives you the chance to really think.
To this end, keeping a diary is also beneficial because it can help you see the big picture. At this moment, some aspect of your life may seem a calamity. Reading through old entries, reminds you that you’ve survived other situaitons and will this one.
Finally, keeping a journal gives you a unique opportunity to share your life with younger family members. You might prefer to keep it private, but the point is you have the choice to one day share your life experiences with a son or daughter that will amaze.
March 05 2008 | Memory | No Comments »
