Get the Most Out of Life. Journal.

Get the Most Out of Life. Journal.

2014-08-14 13:42:37

Get the most out of this life. Journal.

It's really that simple. 

Do you want to live the best life possible? Do you want to enjoy your life the most? The answer to each is to journal. Period. End of story. Any questions?

Journaling makes you go deeper. It helps you gain a new and proper perspective.

So, if you don't want to get the most out of this life, to live the best life possible, to enjoy your life, go deeper and remain shallow, to have a new and proper perspective, then keep living as you are fail to journal. 

Do you doubt what I'm saying? If so, and.even if you don't, I want to challenge you to a journaling challenge. See the next blog post about this Journaling Challenge for 45 Days.

#Diary #Journal #Journaling #BenefitsOfJournaling #WhyJournal #JournalingChallenge #JournalingChallengeFor45Days #Journaling Stuff #Blessing OfTurningForty

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC. August 2014. Shirley Plantation.)

Journaling is Joyful and Brings Enjoyment

Journaling is Joyful and Brings Enjoyment

2014-08-14 12:26:47

An enjoyable life is what I seek.

Infused with joy, not happiness. 

HAPPINESS VS. JOY

Happiness is short-term and is fleeting. It changes with the wind. Happiness depends on people and circumstances. Happiness is shallow. You cannot always be happy. You can sure try, but it just isn't possible. 

Joy is long-term, God given, and isn't dependent on anyone or anything. Joy runs deeper and can be found anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. Joy is found only in God, His Word, and in His blessings. Joy can be found in any storm. Joy is independent of people and circumstances, but is dependent on the Lord and His blessings. Joy is always possible. And, joy lasts and is lasting. 

Whenever someone tells me they are happy or seek happiness, I cringe. They want a shallow, short-term, dependent emotion. I feel sad for them and wish they wanted and sought more. They seek the lesser, for happiness is so much lesser. 

Hence, I seek an enjoyable life. 

JOY AND JOURNALING

Let's face it. People and circumstances are part of this life. So, how can we see past them? How can we seek more than happiness? Is it possible and achievable?

The truth is unless you know God and believe in Him and follow the Bible, you will not know joy. Happiness is of the flesh. Joy is of the Spirit. Happiness is human. Joy is spiritual. 

If you know God, and are in His Word each day and pray to Him, you can then know joy.

I also believe joy and gratitude to hand-in-hand. You cannot know joy unless you count your blessings.

If you count your blessings, meaning you look for your blessings in each moment throughout your day, you can know joy. As a matter of fact, I do not think we can ever know the fullness of joy, and live an enjoyable life, unless you count the blessings of each moment.

How can you count the blessings of each moment? Particularly because we have to work, do household chores, run errands, and exercise, how can we find the time to count the blessings of each moment throughout the day? This can only be accomplished through journaling. 

Joy is found through knowing God. Knowing God allows us to see all of His blessings, if we stop and take note. We must do so of all the moments of each of our days.

JOY AND JOURNALING 

Why should we journal? Journaling brings enjoyment. Moreover, joy comes through journaling. 

We stop and take note of at least the three most memorable parts of our day, each and every day. Moments that stood out, whether for the good or bad, are moments we should take note of and journal about so we can find the blessings of each moment. 

Joy is found through being open to be blessed and through looking for the blessings. We become cognizant of our blessings only when we search for and look for them in our lives and in each moment. Journaling helps us do this. 

Count your blessings each day in your journal.

#Journaling #Diary #Blessings #Gratitude #Thanksgiving #Journal #Journalkeeping #JournalingStuff #BlessingsOfTurningForty 

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC August 2014. Norfolk Botanical Garden.)

Taking a Journaling Vacation While on Vacation

Taking a Journaling Vacation While on Vacation

Aug. 14, 2014. Th. 824.a.m.

This last week or so, I've been on vacation from everything. Even journaling. (I cannot tell you the last few time I took a journaling break vacation.)

I've needed it, frankly, for a long while but didn't fully realize it or how much I craved it and needed it. After all, the last year and a half has been rough. The time has been full of blessings as well, thank God.

There are always sun and clouds. Both are part of this life. Both help bring perspective, maturity, and wisdom.

The rough times I'm talking about have been of the really rough variety. The blessings have been small and large and everything in-between. They have been numerous daily, though, when I actually stop, take account, and give God thanks.

So, this vacation has been a balm to the pain I try to bury through denial or food. Or, I think I've worked through it, but need to again and in a different way. Pain never fully disappears, however, we sure can turn it into something good, as God does. Pain can be a blessing. It helps us look at our lives more closely. Do we see more of the clouds or do we see sunshine and how the rain the clouds produced also created new, beautiful, blessed life? This is the question. Do we focus on the pain, the why, or the what-could've-should've-been--or do we focus on living the blessings throughout today?

This vacation has been a great blessing. It's helped me step back and forget about everything else for a while. It's been an escape. My husband, B, and I went to some places we've been to already, but we tried to explore them in different ways, with a fresh perspective set of eyes. And were blessed. We saw and experienced incredible things. We also went to new places, saw new things, and received fresh blessings. Oh, how we needed it.

Taking a vacation from my journaling was a major blessing. It is a wonderful reminder of how much I enjoy and need journaling. I am craving journaling, and have been, in a much deeper way. I need it. My journaling helps me draw near to the Lord, count my blessings, enjoy life even during the storm, and gives me a deeper and fresh perspective. It helps me live a much fuller life. It helps me to really enjoy life and living.

When was the last time you took a vacation from it all--work, housekeeping, writing, reading, journaling, art, music, etc.?

Once a year, take a break from your journaling. It will bless you.

That being said, at least four times a year, take a journaling retreat, where all you do is journal. Do this for a weekend, five days, seven days, and at least ten days but preferably fourteen.

Go on vacation. Your life just might depend on it and you will then be far more open to.look around and see all the blessings in your life, for you will be refreshed and revived and can see things clearer once again.

--Stacy Duplease
http://RYPJournaling.blogspot.com
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Tablet

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC August 2014.)

Journaling Stuff: A How-To (2014-08-05 13:34:32 Aug. 05, Tues.)

THE FIRST OF THE NEVERS OF JOURNALING

NEVER: Never delete, tear up, or throw away any journaling you do. Never, ever, ever. This is strictly forbidden. (I'm not kidding.)

If you want to feel the powerful rush or freeing nature of tearing it up and throwing it away, either print out a copy or use blank pages to represent you wrote and then rip those to shreds, but not your original content.

Why not? Why is this forbidden? 

There are a few of reasons:

1.The whole idea of journaling is to capture your ENTIRE life on the page--not just bits and pieces. It's to deal with your life as a whole and not in pieces and parts. 

2. You want to track where you are, were/have been, and where you are going. If you delete portions of your life because it feels good at the moment, you miss important segments of your life. The fact is, if you want to tear up, delete, or avoid something in your life, it's far more imperative that you deal with it and address it head-on, full-out, and not partially. Running from or tearing something up is not dealing with something in a healthy way. It's avoiding dealing with it and getting true healing and closure from it. 

3. You want to look at the entirety of your life so you can track your progress, anything that repeats itself, how you grow, how you falter, your cycles of life, etc. You want to be able to look back at it later and reflect on it and analyse how it's brought you to where you are today. 

4. If you want to delete something because it isn't very good, that in itself is good. Don't delete it. Keep it. Try again. Keep all of your not-so good journal entries. It, again, will help you see your progression later on in life as you look back.

5. Your journal doesn't have to be perfect. You don't even have to use capital letters or punctuation or complete sentences. It's okay for your journal to not be pretty, but be messy. Again, you want to see where you've been. Don't get rid of anything. 

So, keep it all. Never, ever get rid of any of your journaling. 

A NOTE ABOUT "JOURNALING STUFF": IT'S ALL-INCLUSIVE

The full title of this blog post series, book, and resource is:

JOURNALING STUFF:

AN ENORMOUS RESOURCE ON HOW TO JOURNAL 2015 EDITION

From 2010 to July 01, 2014, I wrote what I call a journaling encyclopedia. I will include that at the back of "JOURNALING STUFF" so that you have everything I've written on the subject of journaling, memoir, and life story. 

As to why I'm calling it "STUFF" is because 'stuff' has several meanings and definitions. I'm using most, if not all of the definitions, in regard to journaling and how to journal. Check out the definitions here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff

I want to take the pressure off and make it an easy connotation in regards to journaling. Journaling stuff sounds a lot less formal or complicated than journaling encyclopedia or dictionary. (That's simply too stuffy.) Hence, it's stuff. I know. Everyone says not to use the word stuff. It ins't formal. It's not a good word to use. Right? I'm sure you have heard that said about the word, 'stuff.'

I would have to agree--unless you know the definition of stuff and apply it accordingly. When you know the true definition of a word, and use it with the meaning in mind, you use it correctly and use the best word intended for what you're trying to convey. JOURNALING STUFF is about the stuff of journaling, it's about the miscellany of journaling, it's about my expertise in journaling, it's giving you the materials and resoruces you need to journal, etc. 

ANOTHER NOTE: Also, when I assemble the "JOURNALING STUFF" material, and put in into book form, I will put it in date order. The journaling encyclopedia at the back of the book is in alphabetical order. 

THE BOOK VERSION OF "JOURNALING STUFF"

Everything in the first part of the book, "JOURNALING STUFF," you will be able to read on this blog for free. In fact, you'll get the progression of this resource as you read this blog. However, when I put it into book form and publish it as a paper book and as an e-book, I will edit it and add even more material. After all, why pay for something if you can get it all ehre on this blog? There are over 335 pages of additional material from the encyclopedia as well. So, I'm making sure it's worth every penny you have to pay in the published version of this book. 

That being said, if you don't want to pay the money, you can still get a great deal out of how to journal information from this blog. In fact, it'll be more than adequate. So, you'll receive no pressure from me to buy the resource of JOURNALING STUFF. 

Journaling How-To and Prompts (2014-08-05 12:52:18)

Journaling How-To and Prompts (2014-08-05 12:52:18) 

HOW DO YOU MAKE A GOOD JOURNAL ENTRY?

Just write something down on the page that captures your life today. Then, capture something of your life yesterday (yesteryear) and then what you hope your life will like in the future. This is the best journal entry. However, there are times you might jsut want to journal about the past, present, or future, and not all three. Guess what? That's good journaling as well. Make sure to get it all down on the page. Capture your life on the page. That's it. It's really that simple.

The best way to capture your life on the page is to journal something each and every day. 

JOURNALING PROMPT

Capture your life on the page right now. Get ready, get set, go!

WHAT IS JOURNALING?

Is journaling a hobby? Is it a practice? Is it an exercise? What is it?

Journaling, when done best and most effective, is a way of life. 

HOW DOES JOURNALING BECOME A WAY OF LIFE?

After you journal and capture your life on the page, day in and day out, and after about two weeks of doing it consistently for fourteen days in a row, it starts to become a way of life. The more you journal, the more it will become part of who you are and will become part of your being. 

How does journaling become a way of life and part of who you are? Through doing it. 

CAN SOMEONE TEACH YOU HOW TO JOURNAL?OR CAN A BOOK TEACH YOU HOW TO JOURNAL?

The truth is no one, nothing, and certainly no book can teach you how to journal. Only trial and error, practice, and doing it can teach you how to journal. 

ANOTHER SECRET OF JOURNALING: VARIETY

If you ever approach the page and are blank, and don't know what to say, try a journaling prompt. This entire blog is meant to be one enormous resource for you and journaling prompt. It cannot teach you to journal, but it can sure act as a coach to help you practice the art of journaling. 

There are times you will try to journal, and come up empty and you don't know what to say. Try a journaling prompt. I already said that. Also, read an article or book or some sort of resource on how to journal. Now, let me explain why and how. 

The key to good journaling is variety. 

Change it up. If what you're doping now no longer works, and you come up empty or blank, try something new. Journal in a different way or in a different place. Try to use a different journaling prompt. Try to read a journaling resource. Whenever something lights the bulb in your head, and you have an A-HA moment of inspiration that takes you to your journal, do it. 

There is no excuse to ever get stuck in your journaling. There is always a fresh way to do it, a fresh topic, or a fresh journaling prompt to help your journaling come alive again. 

The secret to good journaling is variety. Experiment. Keep trying something new as needed. Once you come to realize this as fact, your journaling will always be alive and fresh. There are no strings. You're set free. Variety is the spice of life and of journaling. So, by all means, enjoy and have fun. If your journaling isn't enjoyable and fun, you're doing it wrong. Try something new. Add variety. 

JOURNALING STUFF:

AN ENORMOUS RESOURCE ON HOW TO JOURNAL 2015 EDITION

Years ago, I started to write a journaling encyclopedia of sorts. I never finished it. So, now that I am focusing again on journaling alone, and helping act as a journaling coach for others, I'm going to resurrect the idea.

Between now and November 01, 2014, any blog post I do on journaling, I will combine into a book and resource on how to journal. I will then add to it every year and make it an even larger resource. 

My goal is to make it the largest resource on journaling on the market. Period. 

Journaling How-To and Tips: How Do You Organize and Save Your Material (All of Your Journal Entries)?

How Do You Organize and Save Your Material (All of Your Journal Entries)?

HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE AND SAVE ALL OF YOUR MATERIAL AND JOURNALING ENTRIES?

The answer depends on if you journal by hand or do digital journaling.

Let me be frank now. If you want to truly capture your life on the page, and have all of the benefits of journaling, you will not hand write your journal. Not any more. (Wait! Keep reading. Don't let me lose you.) After all, you have the capacity to keep all of it in one place, online, and keep your journaling permanently, where you can share it with future generations. You can save your journaling permanently and not ever have any of it lost. Moreover, you can save space in your house, your domain, because you will not need several bookcases for your journaling. Digital journaling, journaling on your computer, laptop, tablet, and cell phone is simply the only way to journal. It saves space and makes organization easy. Also, digital journaling costs far less than paper journaling. 

DISCLAIMER AND TIP FOR PAPER JOURNALING AND HAND WRITING YOUR JOURNAL

That being said, if you will journal no other way than via hand writing, type up your journals EVERY single week so you can have a permanent journal. Do not skip typing them out one week. Trust me. If you do, you'll end up "meaning-to-do-that" and will have a year or two sitting there to be typed up before you know it. (Trust me. I've been there, done that. Typing it up as I go, the first time, saves a lot of time and makes organizing and saving my journaling a snap.)

So, how do you organize and save your digital journaling? That's a good question. The answer is, it depends on how you do your digital journaling. 

There are several ways to do journaling digitally and online. However, I will cover only four of them. 

1 PENZU

2 Google Docs and Drive

3 Blog (Private or public)

4 Email Journal

PENZU

I recommend PENZU. It's by far the easiest way to journal, never mind organize your journal and search your journal. Once again, you find it here: http://penzu.com/home#sthash.UMmPMvpx.dpuf

Again, I am turning forty in 40 days from today and I've journaled for over three decades. I've tried every type and every way to journal--via paper and digital journaling. Penzu is by far the best. To be honest, no other journaling platform compares. There are so many options, and search options, that it makes everything about Penzu the best and without hesitation., It's not perfect, but it's close. 

JOURNALING TIP AND PENZU: In fact, I would say not to do any other type of journaling but Penzu. This is especially true if you have not ever kept a journal before or have never kept a digital journal before. If I were you, I would go straight to Penzu and not bother with any other types of journals or journal platforms. 

Even if you use the free version of Penzu, which is more than adequate, you have several easy tools at your fingertips to organize your journaling and do your journaling. And, one of the easy organizing tips is: it does it for you. It puts it in chronological order for you. How simple is that? 

Also, you can use the search feature and find anything you want to find. Again, it's nice and simple where you don't have to do anything extra or special. 

Another nice feature about Penzu is that it saves all of your journal entries online, no matter what device you use. You can use someone else's cell, tablet, laptop, or computer, and as long as they have an internet connection, you can get to your Penzu journal. All of your journaling is then in one place. (I have shelves of paper journals, documents on my computer, several blogs, etc. In essence, I have my journals all voer the place. It's a complicated system. But, since November of 2012, I've tried to get everything saved on Penzu. I still need to type up about three hundred books of my handwritten journals, (remember that's AFTER I lost about twenty years of my journaling--maybe 25 years in our last move) but I at least have all of them and can put them on Penzu when time allows. So, you see, my journaling system is complicated--except for what I have on Penzu.) 

Another nice feature of Penzu is you can upload all of your blog posts to it as well if you want. The problem is it doesn't keep the original date of the blog post, though. At least you have each saved though. 

There is something that is problematic, though, if you don't know how to do work-arounds with Penzu. I can teach you the work-arounds so Penzu will end up being by far the BEST journaling platform you can use, hands-down.

So, what's the catch with Penzu? You won't know there is a catch until you've used them for years or unless you download thousands of journal or blog entries. But, when you do, you will see the problem. If you have too many journal entries, you cannot see all of them when you open up Penzu. It only goes to 80 pages on the screen, but you may have far more than that. I have a total of 3,330 journal entries as of this moment. I add ten to twenty per day on average Monday through Friday, less on the weekends. So, not seeing all of them at the bottom of the screen tends to make me panic. However, they are all there. I just cannot see them at the bottom of the screen. 

How do I find all of my journaling entries on Penzu if they don't show up on the screen? I can search for them via date through their custom feature. 

However, that being said, the Penzu Pro Version offers even more organizational tools, which I really like. 

If you want Penzu Pro for $19 per year - 20% off from this code:  

http://penzu.com/r/34f16257

I tag all of my entries in a very specific way. I tag my journal entries with a separate tag for each of these categories below and do this for each journal entry:

1 Month

2 Year

3 Topic(s)

I can then do a search for each/any of those tags. This is how to organize your journal and journal entries. 

Also, if you do get Penzu Pro, I recommend having a new journal for each year. I had one journal for all of it up until three days ago and now see my error. (Aha! I justt realized how I can rectify that problem and will. I can search the tags, and the dates, and move the entries to the specific year. Huh. thanks for helping me solve that problem.) 

I can save my journal via a pdf or a txt file. I save them both--on my computer and on my online storage, along with my eternal hard drive. Just in case. 

So, I would use Penzu if I were you. It is simple and it simply makes sense. Now, pardon me while I reorganize my Penzu files. 

(Journaling How-To and Journaling Stuff (2014-08-05 14:27:02))