November 22 ~  Moments of Revelation You Are Special

"The diary taught me that it is in the moments of emotional crisis that human beings reveal themselves most accurately. I learned to choose the heightened moments because they  are the moments of revelation." ~ Anais Nin

Writings that changed the world

The first rule in keeping a diary or journal is that there are no rules. A way to organize, remember, and create, a journal says, "I am."

"A diary means 'yes indeed,'" observed writer Gertrude Stein.

A personal account, a way to discover what is REALLY going on inside. With it, you can confidently get in touch with who you really are. "The opening line from a journal,"said singer Judy Collins, "can be the beginning of a song."

Journaling provides clarity, discovery, and authentic expression. "The difficulties we encounter in our life are like logs; our inner life is like a flame. What we need is a safe way to burn the logs," revealed Ira Progoff, called the "Father of Journal Therapy."

A self-portrait and self-inventory, a journal can be a springboard to put the present into perspective or a way to decide and take action.

Famous diarist Virginia Woolf once explained, "The past is beautiful because one never realizes an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past."

Write without worrying about punctuations. Be ready for the  unexpectedly profound result or fresh perspective. "I never know what I think about something," said writer William Faulkner, "until I read what I've written on it."

A journal is a safe place, a haven. Step barefoot through the pages. This is for YOU: a private place for growth, gratitude, and discovery. Remember overheard dialogue. Record a dream or memory.

"A journal gives you total control," explained counselor Ann Pardo. "Writing entries is also validating because you can see something tangible right there in front of you."

Just grab a lined or unlined notebook. Experiment with different colored pens or pencils. Have fun, play, and relax.

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves," said writer Rainer Maria Rilke. "Like locked rooms and like books that were written in a very foreign tongue... and the point is to live everything. LIVE the questions and perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Celebrate life's heightened moments.