DECEMBER 17-18, 2014 AND JOURNALING: A BLOG POST (JOURNALING HOW-TO INCLUDED)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS BLOG POST
A PERSONAL BLESSINGS JOURNALING AND END OF YEAR JOURNALING (12.17.2014h.)
B PERSONAL JOURNALING (12.17.2014i.): A PRODUCTIVE DAY SO FAR
C WHAT JOURNALING MEANS TO ME (12.17.2014j. and 12.18.2014a.)
D DON'T WORRY ABOUT GRAMMAR OR YOUR WRITING (A JOURNALING HOW-TO) (12.18.2014b.)
E MORNING JOURNALING (12.18.2014c.)
F WAYS TO PAPER JOURNAL OR HAND WRITE A JOURNAL: BLANK BOOKS (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
G DIGITAL JOURNALING (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
H WHAT TO DO WITH EVERY JOURNAL ENTRY (A JOURNALING HOW-TO)
I USING JOURNALING PROMPTS AND SOS (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
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A PERSONAL BLESSINGS JOURNALING AND END OF YEAR JOURNALING (12.17.2014h.)
I am blessed--no matter what has happened or has not happened. I am blessed. There are no qualifiers or buts. I am highly blessed.
I do not deserve one blessing, yet God has blessed me with an infinite amount of blessings. Unending Blessings. Everlasting Blessings.
A blessing is unmerited or undeserved favor shown to me by God. It's God showing Himself to me. Blessings are gifts given to me that I don't deserve, because I mess up and make mistakes all day long, every single day, yet God loves me enough to bless me anyway.
The year of 2014 has been a tough one at best.
The truth of the matter is the tougher the year, the more I get out of it. The more blessings I am able to count. Tough years are usually the best years--not at the time--NO!--but in hindsight. Tough years are those of growth, maturation, and a change in perspective. They are memory and blessing filled years.
A year ago when I did end of year journaling for 2013, and prepared for 2014, I never would have expected one of these things to happen, let alone all that did in 2014.
Thank God. What a blessing.
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B PERSONAL JOURNALING (12.17.2014i.): A PRODUCTIVE DAY SO FAR
Written December 17, 2014, Wednesday, 427 p.m.
After weeks of not getting much journaling or writing done, even with the new version of Penzu, I got more written today than I think I have in a week combined. I have 15 typed pages, 4,984 words written so far of the JOURNALING STUFF book I want to write between now and the end of the year. It's pretty amazing.
I am probably crazy even attempting such a feat, but I believe in journaling so much I cannot imagine doing anything different.
Journaling has never failed me. Not once.
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C WHAT JOURNALING MEANS TO ME
(12.17.2014j. and 12.18.2014a.)
Written December 17, 2014, Wednesday, 630 p.m. and December 18, 645 a.m.
What does journaling mean to me? If I were to answer this question, once again every day, I would answer it differently and in the same way.
Journaling makes me appreciate life and count my blessings. It makes me live fully and purposefully. It gives me proper perspective and helps me remember.
Journaling is how I communicate best with God. It forces me to stop, be still, listen, and count my blessings. It helps me see His glory.
There is nothing more rewarding than journaling.
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D DON'T WORRY ABOUT GRAMMAR OR YOUR WRITING (A JOURNALING HOW-TO) (12.18.2014b.)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 726 a.m.
THE RULES OF JOURNALING
I mentioned earlier how there are no rules with journaling, except two:
1 Journal every day, preferably throughout the day and night. After all, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
2 There are no rules.
Well, there are indeed other rules of my thumb regarding journaling. They are more of the never-do variety, though. So, let me mention a couple now.
1 Never fail to journal each day. Journal even one sentence.
That being said, there are times we cannot even do that. So, here is a tip when that happens: For the next few days thereafter, journal longer than you normally do.
2 NEVER worry about grammar, if it makes sense, punctuation, or any writing rules. Throw the out the window.
It is about content and meaning. It is about going deeper, healing, asking questions, remembering, counting blessings, finding joy, exploring, learning, creativity, etc. Do not worry ever about grammar.
Write one word sentences or paragraphs if ya want.
Use slang.
Start and end with a preposition or and.
Do not worry about commas or any other punctuation mark.
Use as many dashes or ellipses or exclamation marks as you desire.
It's okay to be wordy.
It's okay not to make sense.
Babble if you want.
Just capture it on the page.
So, you can remember.
Have fun. Be creative. Explore and experiment.
Just never-do worry about grammar.
Just journal.
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E MORNING JOURNALING (12.18.2014c.)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 747 a.m.
The day has started strong. Oh, how it is ripe with opportunity and bursting with blessing.
Thank God for the blessing and gift of today and being able to enjoy Him.
Life is good. Because God is so good.
Even though clouds may be overhead, in weather and because of circumstances, there is still Light shining brightly and it is a Light that is never diminished, for He is Light and He created light. Consequently, there is light and Light at all times, without fail, even if it has dimmed or cannot be seen with our earthly, sinful, finite eyes. This is good.
Journaling helps me look past the dark spots and toward the Light.
When I count my blessings as I journal, it eliminates the dark and murkiness of life and weather. It reminds me to look past the murky parts of the past or the now, and focus on the Light, lessons learned, and the blessings of every dark spot and every moment of Light.
Darkness is only temporary. But, what we tend to overlook is how it is only in the dark that we can see, not just the stars, but the Milky Way. If it was light, we would not ever have such clear vision so we can see the stars and the Milky Way.
Darkness does not equal bad or negative.
Darkness equals a time to stop and look around, to see the Light and the Milky Way.
So, yes. Through the noise of life, through the dark moments, through cancer, dementia, retiring, and moving, there is the Milky Way and the Light. There are blessings we never would have had the opportunity to experience if not for the moments of darkness.
This is what journaling reminds me.
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F WAYS TO PAPER JOURNAL OR HAND WRITE A JOURNAL: BLANK BOOKS (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 812 a.m.
My favorite way to journal is digitally, but I will start here.
How do you paper journal or write by pen?
Let's start with BLANK BOOKS OR JOURNALS.
You have no idea how lucky and blessed you are to live today. Let me explain.
THE HISTORY OF PAPER JOURNALS AND BLANK BOOKS
I have journaled for over thirty-two years now and cannot even begin to share how blessed we are to live at this time. Back in the day, we did not have personal computers. And, few places sold diaries or journals in metro Denver: Hallmark, Current, and The Tattered Cover Bookstore. That was it.
I was a kid and had to save up my allowance to buy them and asked for them for birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's. Any other time, I was at the mercy of mom to take me there, or a friend to take me until I was old enough to drive. (Memories stir and swirl as I share this. Journal entries for later.)
The Tattered Cover Bookstore sold the most and best journals or blank books. (Still do, let me add.) But, it meant a drive of thirty minutes plus. It was there I bought my first and best books on journaling, and I still use them to this day.
Now, let us fast-forward to the year 2001. Journals were a little easier to find, but you still had to look. Barnes and Noble had the cheapest and best. However, a new place started to carry LEATHER journals I could afford, Tuesday Morning.
Then, in 2007-2008, the journaling world exploded and suddenly Target, Wal-Mart, and grocery stores carried journals. Thank God. So, count your blessings this was and is the case.
If cost is a factor, try discount stores and Tuesday Morning for blank books for journaling. Also, go online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
BLANK BOOK WARNINGS
Now, this is where I, being a journalkeeping veteran can impart wisdom so you don't have to learn the hard, often times frustrating and heartbreaking way. Learn vicariously and avoid the pitfalls I will warn you about, for I have been there, done that, have wanted to hit my head on a wall or scream. Let me spare you.
Let me start by saying that this has been my favorite way to journal, when I paper journal, and still is in spite of these warnings.
I need to give you a warning, though, about blank books. THEY FALL APART. Most journal/blank books I have written in, the spine has become loose as I write. No. Expensive ones are not any better, so save your money. The trick is this: white school glue. But, it will need to dry for 24-48 hours. If you choose this type of journal, keep two extras on the shelf at all times so you can continue to journal as the glue dries.
Also, after the glue has dried, make sure to open the cover very slowly and deliberately, the front, then the back. Then, slowly open to the middle. Then,slowly open the book in thirds. Now, you are ready to use it again.
If you fail to do what I say, you can tear the spine or book. Or, it will be so hard in the spine you cannot use it. So, do everything I said, and in that order, and it will hold up and last.
Also, make sure to carry an extra journal with you in case you spill coffee or water on the one you are using and it needs to dry.
Also, carry an extra journal with you because there is nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of a good journal entry and you run out of pages.
Another problem is finding pens to work, not losing the pens, and being in the middle of a major AHA moment when you run out of ink. Carry two pens at least with you at all times, preferably three or more. Trust me.
HOW MANY?
So, how many blank books should you buy at once and how many will you use?
I fill one once every three weeks, and did so when I worked full-time and went to school full-time.I journal more though than anyone else on average.
So, if you haven't journaled before, here is my recommendation. Buy one, but be ready to go back to the store in a week. You need to figure out what kind, size, etc. works for you.
Tip: If you become annoyed with what you are using, then that is not the one to continue using. The act of journaling should never annoy you.
That being said, if one type annoys you now, it may not later. So, be open to it later. But, this time, if you are annoyed with the journal you have chosen, stop using it.
Figuring out what you want to use may take time and experimentation. Be creative and keep trying new and different tools until you figure out what works.
When you figure out what works, always have three on hand. One you are using plus two sitting on the shelf waiting to be used.
PENS
Most of what I said about blank books in the previous section of: HOW MANY applies with pens.
Your favorite pen you use every day may not be what you prefer to use to journal. That being said, start there.
Use only black ink if you don't want the ink to fade of not being able to read it in time. I use black ink and underline and star with fun colors.
Or, if you type up your journal immediately, the color of ink doesn't matter.
If you don't have pens, or want or need to try another, get the smallest pack you can get when starting. See if it works.
Discount stores are the cheapest first. Start there. Wal-Mart and Target.
Office supply store have a larger variety. But, buy small packs. They are the most expensive place to buy pens. If the discount store doesn't have pens you like, try here, in small packs. Then, buy in bulk online. You will save tons of money.
Be careful that the pen does not bleed through the pages. Or, only use one side of the paper if it does. Note that means you will fill that journal in half the time.
Experiment.
How many should you buy when you figure out your favorite pen? Stop buying them in the store. You will pay too much. Instead, buy in bulk and online. Amazon is the best I have found.
I use roughly three pens per blank book.
MISCELLANEOUS
I wanted to give you enough information on this so you can start. I will talk about the positives and negatives later. So, stay tuned.
OTHER WAYS TO PAPER JOURNAL
Spiral school notebooks
Composition books
Legal pads
Steno pads
Loose school or printer paper
Index cards
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G DIGITAL JOURNALING (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 1009 a.m.
Digital journaling is typing your journal on your computer.
There are multiple ways to do digital journaling and multiple ways to save your journaling.
Digital journaling, when done right, can be saved forever and is easy to do. Let me say that in a different way to help make a point: The biggest benefit of digital journaling is your journaling can be saved forever, when done right, and cannot be damaged, stolen, or lost. Also, you can type far quicker than you write by hand.
A DIGITAL JOURNALING 45-DAY CHALLENGE
If the idea of typing up a journal is unappealing to you... Let me issue a challenge. Try it for 45 days straight, without fail. Apply everything you learn below.
If you do this 45 days in a row (re-read that, please, and note how I said 45--days--in a row--without fail), it will grow easier each day and you might come to enjoy it. In fact, I think you will. That is a guarantee.
TOOLS NEEDED FOR DIGITAL JOURNALING
1 A computer, a cell, and/or a tablet computer
2 The Internet
3 Optional, a printer
4 A word processing program
HOW DO YOU DO DIGITAL JOURNALING
What are the different ways to do digital journaling?
A You can email yourself journaling entries
B You can use a word processor
C You can use a journaling app
D You can do online journaling
Now, let me break them down for you.
A EMAIL JOURNALING
Send yourself an email of your journaling entry.
If you keep your email account, it will be saved forever. It's permanent and cannot fade or get damaged.
It is easy to search and find something in your journaling.
You can copy the text and save it in either a word processor or into an online journal.
You can email your journaling entry to your online program, if you use Penzu Pro, for example (my personal favorite). {NOTE: Since I use Penzu Pro, any email I want to save, that could be considered a journaling entry and a memory to save, I blind copy my Penzu journal. So, my online journal includes far more than just me journal entries. If someone sends me an email I want to keep, I respond and blind copy my Penzu email. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I treasure and cherish this feature. I use it several times daily.}
B WORD PROCESSOR
Whatever you use as your word processor is perfect. Use that.
You can use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Kingsoft, etc. I've tried all of them. They all have their positives and negatives. My favorite is Kingsoft. It's free and is like MS Word.
Make sure to save your journal online and in the Cloud, so it is saved forever. If you just save it to your computer, you can have your computer damaged or the file damaged. So, email it to yourself if nothing else.
You can also copy it and paste it in your online journal.
C JOURNALING APP
I don't like any journaling apps. Try them for yourself.
Journaling apps, on a whole, cannot be used across multiple devices and by synced.
Journaling apps do not allow you to save your entries as a pdf or txt, usually, nor can you email them to yourself.
If anything happens to the device you're using, you lose your material.
I just don't like them.
D ONLINE JOURNAL
A blog is an online journal. There's Blogger and Wordpress, for example.
There are also several online journals. I like Penzu. You can use the free version or the PRO version ($19 a year). Moreover, if you use Pro one year, you can use the free version the next year if you want. You do not have to buy the Pro version every year if you do not want. Also, it has UNLIMITED storage--which is CRITICAL. Penzu has more options than any online journal, is permanent, and is easy to use.
HERE IS A COUPON FOR PENZU
Penzu Online Journal Coupon
Do you want to write your life stories, blessings, and journaling and keep them permanently? I recommend using Penzu for this purpose. Here is a link for a coupon:
Penzu is how I do all of my journaling. It's how I save all of my stories of blessing.
You can do the free version, which is wonderful. I definitely recommend it.
Or, you can do a $19 per year version. It's a little fancier and offers more options. If you use the above link, you get a discount off that price. If you are serious about keeping your legacy of blessings, and want to write as many as possible, this is what I would recommend.
I've journaled for well over three decades and Penzu is the best journal out there.
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H WHAT TO DO WITH EVERY JOURNAL ENTRY (A JOURNALING HOW-TO)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 1047 a.m.
My goal, up to this point, has been to help you figure out why and how to journal. I will share a great deal more of those things, but that will come in time. I do not want to hit you with too much information and short-circuit your brain.
Now, let's look at some very important information to include in EVERY journal entry.
But, first... Have I defined a Journal Entry?
A JOURNAL ENTRY IS...
A journal entry is every time you write something in your journal.
It's what you write in your journal.
WHAT TO DO WITH EVERY JOURNAL ENTRY
1 DATE AND TIME STAMP IT
Write the date, day, and time. This is the one fast, hard rule of thumb. Absolutely do this--every time. Without fail. At the time, it may not seem that significant, but alter, when you review and re-read your journals, or if you share them with someone else, this information is sure helpful.
2 WHERE
I also write where I am journaling--if it is different than my normal everyday place. I usually write either in my study or on my sofa. If it is different than that, I take note. This is even more meaningful when I am at a cafe, restaurant, bookstore, in my car because I had to pull over because I got a brilliant thing to write, in my car as I wit between appointments, standing in the grocery store line, on hold with a company I'm calling, at the hospital and why, in a waiting room, etc.
3 ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY
Write an one-sentence summary of your day.
4 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Write at least three.
5 WRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT
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I USING JOURNALING PROMPTS AND SOS (JOURNALING HOW-TO)
Written December 18, 2014, Thursday, 1041 a.m.
A journaling prompt or exercise can be quite useful if you are stuck and do not know what to journal, if you want to spice up your journal and add life to it, or just want something different to journal. They are motivational/inspirational and will help you to write/journal.
So, how do you use a journaling prompt?
Read a prompt. If it applies to you, or sounds good to you, use it. If not, skip ahead to the next one.
When you find a journaling prompt that sounds good, and applies to you, then do a SOS (Stream of Consciousness) Writing. This is how you do a SOS: Set a timer for at least ten minutes. Write fast, without stopping, for ten minutes. If you become blocked or do not know what to write, try to either repeat the journaling prompt, write it out, or write, "Don't know what to journal." Write as fast as you can, as much as you can. Don't worry about grammar. Don't worry of it makes sense. Don't worry if it is silly or shallow. The whole point is what arises from the journaling prompt.
As you do your journaling prompt, you may say something that shocks you, or something will jump out at you. Then, set your timer for another ten minutes and use that as your journaling prompt.
The truth of the matter is what you write with every first round of a journaling prompt, you can find at least three more prompts out of that writing. So, do. The prompts that I do this with end up being some of the best journaling I ever do.
Another way you can use a journaling prompt is this: Do your original round. Then, from there, pick one thing that jumps out at you, then do a ten minute SOS from there. Then, from that new and second one, find one prompt and do a third round of SOS. You can keep doing this and doing this and you'll be surprised how much you can journal and how deep you can go because of it. This is when journaling can be quite fun.
I will not lie. Sometimes the first journaling prompt can be as pleasant as pulling perfectly good teeth. It can be quite painful. But, do it. You never know what can arise from it.
Also, later on, when you re-read and review your journaling, you may find treasures you thought were junk at the time. but, through hindsight and experience, and a fresh eye and perspective, and you will find a true gem. Mine it. Use that, then, as a new journaling prompt and SOS.
Journaling prompts, when combined with SOS, are the best tools and trick you can do for deep journaling, provided you do not stop with the first SOS. Keep mining it. Keep doing another journaling prompt and SOS from your original prompt, and then do another and another. Do this today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etc. with that original prompt and SOS. A journaling prompt used today, and the SOS and journaling entry formed from that original SOS, are timeless and can be mined for the rest of your life. Do it. This is more rewarding than I could ever begin to express or describe.
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