By Ariel Colhoun Passionate about increasing the sphere of influence for women & driving positive change.
Anyone who knows me well, knows I not only keep a journal with me at all times, but I actually keep more than one - I leave one in my car for my creative thoughts and ideas while I'm on the go, I keep one by my bed to record all my dreams, and I have several others in my office all categorized by a variety of topics including my 'To Do' list, my wish list, and several others for books I am planning to write in the future.
I love journals.
I think I love journals so much because they carry that kind of nostalgic reminder of my childhood era where my friends would read Judy Blume and write all their thoughts, hopes, and dreams down in a locked diary starting each daily entry with "Dear Diary ..."
Unfortunately, in more recent years we are finding handwriting, in general, is becoming a lost art along with the concept of "Dear Diary ..." and creative writing in general. It seems as though the digital generation has unintentionally moved past the benefits that can be derived from simply keeping a journal.
Did You Know?
Expressive writing can reduce stress - Writing your thoughts, or even a forgiveness journal or gratitude journal for only a few minutes each day is the best way to reduce stress, redirect your thoughts, and potentially even lower your blood pressure.
Creative writing can invoke mindfulness - Journaling allows your brain to tap directly into the right brain - your creative side helping you to think outside of the 'box' and simply write freely. No one ever has to see what you've written if you'd rather keep it private but on the flip side, sometimes maybe one day all those individual journal entries will lead to you maybe even publishing a book on whatever you've been writing about! Documenting or writing highlights about your day will help you grow, learn, and maintain perspective on your personal journey through life. It is also a great way to reflect when you take the time to look back on prior entries as the years go by and see how your life has evolved.
Improve overall mental health - Expressing your thoughts the "old-fashioned" way can help boost your overall mood and current state of mind, keep your memory sharp, increase your working memory capacity, assist in establishing daily routines and reminders to keep positive habits, keep you in the present and allow for some detox time and rest from all those electronic devices, and so much more.
What Do You Wish for?
Keeping a journal can keep you organized and on track with all your wishes, hopes and dreams. We all make wishes but have you ever written them down? Quite often we make wishes for something that we genuinely desire, but we don’t write them down. We believe we will remember them all but the reality is that unless we record them in some manner, we may forget. The simplest way to fulfill a wish and make it come true is to keep a record. If your wishes are truly important, the first step on your journey to make them come true is to write them down. When you write your wishes down, you are more likely to fulfill them. The process of writing your wishes down will force you to articulate your thoughts and desires, and make them real. It will motivate you to focus, begin with 1 wish, take action, make a plan, and get it done. Writing all your wishes down will also record all your original thoughts and intention, will allow you to prioritize your wishes, help you keep track of your progress and ultimately transform your life.
Give The Gift Of A Set Of Notebooks
This holiday season why not give the gift of a set of notebooks? They are the perfect gift to help inspire others to wish more, do more, and dream more. Try our new Urban Notebook Series - beautiful 133 lined page 6"x9" notebooks with matte covers. Our notebooks are slim & easy to carry. The classic sleek style makes them perfect for writing or note-taking for work, school, traveling, exercise, personal diary, or everyday notes, wishes, dreams, goals & ideas!
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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