When I first heard the advice to keep a journal, I thought it was ridiculous to write down my thoughts. Did I really want my unkempt words to become proof on paper? Was I brave enough to walk through what bothered me? I didn't really think so but I didn't want to muddle the thoughts by trying to tell another person so I tried it. I could hardly write a lot when I started but the concern for what I wrote became a way of organizing and researching my thoughts and feelings. Thinking to be less transparent but still working to communicate my thoughts, I tried writing poetry. Writing reflections for my poems to post blogs and publish a book, I discovered that I could learn and relearn issues by writing in different styles. Just as I enjoy an experience by researching multiple perspectives, I could study myself and how life relates by writing about it. Reading what I write aloud helps me to connect to the experience, review what I know and stay grounded in who I am. I know that I will repeat some of my experiences but I find that relearning it through a different perspective allows me to discover anew.
Life offers an abundance and even what is familiar can be a fresh realization to enjoy. When I am not up for a pen and paper, I can choose to talk it out and have a discovery without proof. In getting words organized, I practice connecting to my experience, sorting what is necessary and readying myself for whatever comes next.
