Why I Keep a Journal
Many people fail to realize that journals can be very therapeutic. It just depends on how you go about keeping one. If you report the events of the day in a dry, emotionless manner without any personal reflection, it’s doubtful that your journal will be of any benefit. However, if you examine your day in detail, sort out your feelings about your experiences, and determine what you have learned, a journal can be a vehicle of personal growth and happiness.
This is just one of the many gems of wisdom that came along with my psychology degree. Keeping a diary is a popular form of therapy, especially in introspective circles. I like to compare it to patient-centric techniques, where the therapist reflects everything back upon the patient. Some may find it frustrating, but in the end it is the lack of judgmental responses that allows one to discover their true feelings and motives. After all, when you’re the only one who’s really talking, it’s impossible to learn much else.
These are the reasons that I decided to keep a journal. There are a lot of things going on in my life. In fact, it feels like it’s been a string of bad luck over the past year. I broke my wrist, lost my job, and had to move in with my parents. My son had to go into surgery as soon as he was born, and our health insurance paid for very little of it, putting us into debt. Shortly thereafter, I had a falling out with my parents and moved in with my wife’s family. Since then, we’ve been slowly working off our debt and dreaming of having a place of our own again.
That was, of course, only the first few months. Recently, my mother and my father have been going through a very messy divorce. In fact, I get to go to court on Wednesday to testify about it. My one bit of solace in the whole mess is that I have managed to stay on good terms with my brother. Unfortunately, he’s decided to quit Talan, which is perhaps the one context in which I get to see him regularly.
My old family is falling apart and my new family is struggling to get on its feet. If it isn’t obvious, I could use some stress relief. I invite anyone who is interested to read about these and other events in my life. I hope that my rantings might help you all with your own problems. As the introduction to my thoughts section states, “This is my life. These are my thoughts. I hope you enjoy both.”