5 Reasons to Keep a Journal

I didn't always delight in writing as I do now. In fact, I couldn't stand it. In school it was that 'have to' assignment. But my mother didn't give up. She bought me a beautiful journal, and told me to just fill it with anything, even if it was an outline of my day. At first, that is all it was. Just things like "I went to the park today, it was sunny." But as I got older, and kept on writing, new things started appearing on the page. Deeper things, and I realized that as I wrote, my writing found a different part of me. When I wrote, I was revealing the truest part of myself. Where without the scrutiny of others, I worried about nothing. I poured out my soul and dreams. And found so much satisfaction.  I believe you would discover this too, if you gave it a chance.

1. Able to be sincere: In the digital world we are now a part of, it's easy for anyone to shoot you an email or message, but somehow it's not as meaningful as getting a letter in the mail. Just to know someone took the time to find beautiful stationary and sincerely write to you. I think that is one thing I don't like about instant messaging and texting. Nothing feels genuinely sincere. But when you see written words, they have a deeper meaning. In your own journal, you have the ability to be that sincere person, to yourself and to God.

2. Leave your legacy: Have you ever found a grandparent's journal? Flipping through the aged pages you discover snippets of their life they never told you. And just like no fingerprint is the same, so too is no one's vantage point of life the same. Your journal is your fingerprint.

3. Your lifelong companion:You know Indiana Jones and his famous fedora? That hat went everywhere with him. And made it, banged up, through some rough times. That is how I view my journal. To go everywhere, and see everything, get nicked and wrinkled, hear of all my tales, my ups and downs. So chose your companion well. Make sure it is made of tough stuff.

4. Immortalize your thoughts: People say it's the small moments that make life wonderful. And it's true. Yet those small, happy moments are easy to forget. But they will never be forgotten once immortalized in the fibers of your companion's white pages.  How wonderful to have a journal (or perhaps several) of your early life, to flip back and read of how you grew and what you thought as life was taking you down different roads.

5. Forever part of your life: You can always grow to love something good. Think of good habits. You weren't born with them. You cultivated them, and therefore, they became part of your everyday life. The same is with writing, or anything else that you wish to do, but don't normally do. If you truly desire something good, make it a part of everyday life. And soon it will without you trying, stay for a lifetime.

"Keep all special thoughts and memories for lifetimes to come. Share these keepsakes with others to inspire hope and build from the past, which can bridge to the future." Mattie Stepanek

"Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation." Mark Twain

"No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer." Barbara De Angelis