More often than not, I have a romance with life. It is not because my life is perfect. I have my disappointments and fears just like anyone else. Now that you understand that I don’t live a perfect existence, I would like to explain why I have a romance with life.

I maintain a positive attitude that keeps my ducks in an optimistic row, enabling me to work through the mysteries of life. I have learned how to rid myself of negative baggage. Positivity is a glorious feeling. It is the opposite of wallowing in negativity. You may be thinking that some problems are unsolvable. And there are. When you are faced with the impossible, it takes great strength to be able to accept that over which you have no control. It all  goes back to one’s positive attitude.

A Romance with Journaling

Are you aware that some of the most influential people in history journaled? They did so to keep a log of their past. Fascinating as it was to be able to have the self control to recount each day for posterity for the benefit of the public, journaling provided these influential men and women personal benefits they were likely not aware of.

Journaling is a mission into your own private world–a romance with your past. And oh how many mysteries of my life I have uncovered. My mission to write was never intended for cathartic reasons, yet as my stories unfolded, so did the understanding of who I am.

Where did I get my wanderlust? Why do I prefer to take the high road? Why do I put my ultimate concierge above all others? What joy do I find in writing to you? Why am I a nature lover? Why am I always dazzled and frazzled? How does my dog complete my life? Through journaling, I unearthed a stronger understanding of significance of the events and people who helped create the woman I am today. For those of you who are tempted to take up journaling, please do because it will open the windows of your private world.

How You Decide to Journal Plays a Role

I find when I write a personal story of an event in my life, I focus on the event rather than solely on my feelings. There is a great difference between the two. Telling your personal story rather than jotting down feelings makes a huge difference in your well-being.

Focusing on Feelings

Here is an example. If I was just thinking of my feelings as a young school girl growing up in Kankakee by the Sea:

I felt I didn’t belong to any school group in Kankakee by the Sea. Feeling lonely at times, I was a minority. I told myself when I turned 18 years old, I would never return to Kankakee by the Sea.

Darlings, I journaled what I already knew. What did I learn by this type of journaling? Nothing. I was just as miserable after journaling as I was before I wrote down my feelings.

Shifting to Storytelling

Instead, here is an example of  storytelling:

I grew up in Kankakee by the Sea. My formative years weren’t the easiest because I was a minority. I learned that I had to try very hard to belong. I remember I promised myself that when I grew up, I would always try harder and I would be kind to others.

Storytelling is far more beneficial to help you harness your feelings. Now I look back at my school years in Kankakee by the Sea as a positive experience. I no longer see those years in a negative light because I learned the positivity of resilience and the joy of having empathy. How special is that? This came to pass because I journaled my feelings in story form. And darlings, I return to Kankakee by the Sea each summer with pleasure, to lunch with my classmates.

In short, you will receive the strongest benefits from journaling when you write your personal story and not simply your feelings.

What Have I Learned from Journaling?

I have learned so much from journaling, which has enhanced my creativity. I am far more goal driven and I now have more clarity. Empowered, I see my past as a positive. I have a voice and I know who I am.

Ensure you have a beautiful journal that fits your personality. Buy a pen that fits your style. Take your pen in hand and fill your blank journal pages with your life stories. Allow your mind to target and ingrain the important things you want to remember.

Even when you start journaling in a bad mood, by the time you finish your entry, your insight will have a subtle manner of shifting your mind towards gratitude. I know for myself that journaling has the ability to change one’s feelings from scarcity to abundance.

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