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by Sandy Grason
Journalution: Journaling to Awaken
Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life,
and Manifest Your Dreams
 Where Do I Start?
What is journaling? In March 1770, John
Adams wrote, “The only way to compose
myself and collect my thoughts is to set
down at my table, place my diary before
me, and take my pen into my hand.” More
recently, Oprah Winfrey was quoted as
saying, “Keeping a journal will absolutely
change your life in ways you’ve never
imagined.” What’s the big deal? Why do
so many spiritual practices and teachers
recommend journaling? As Louise Hay,
best-selling author of the book You Can
Heal Your Life, once wrote, “It is so important
for each of us to take that inward
journey and discover what attitudes and
beliefs we hold within ourselves.”
Why Should I Journal?
The reasons we journal are as varied as
the different types of journals piled high
on bookstore shelves today. Journaling
brings self-knowledge. Writing down your
thoughts, venting your emotions about a
problem or situation in your life, or just
recording scribbles, poetry, inspiring
quotations, and dreams brings you closer
to who you are. It is a window into what
is important to you.
You may have a particular intention
for your journal. You may want to leave
a legacy for your children or heal from a
divorce. You may be working through an
illness, or you may need to release emotions
in a healthy way. You may be developing
material for a novel or otherwise
nurturing your creativity.
But you don’t need to have a specific
reason. A journal can be a companion, a
best friend, a way to tap into your intuition,
or a place to dump your emotions
so they don’t land on friends and loved
ones. Your journal can be a way to clean
out the junk in your head so you can focus
on what is really important to you.
Ultimately, writing in a journal is an act
of self-love. Your journal is a safe place to
get to know yourself and discover who
you are. It can bring clarity in a confusing
world that bombards us with messages
and images of who we should be, what
we should want. A journal allows us to
paint a picture of what we want our lives
to be, and helps us love ourselves enough
to create it. Your writings, musings, and
doodles are a way to talk to your soul.
This book will be your guide on the
journey into your soul. It may be a healing
journey for you, as it was for me, or your
journey may have a different purpose.
Remain open, and trust that you have all
the answers you need inside you. Believe
me, you do have those answers, and this
book will help you hear them.
Tools of the Trade
The Journal
Selecting a journal is the first step. You
can plan a quiet moment for yourself and
browse through your favorite bookstore
for the journal that calls out to you. Or,
in a moment of inspiration, you may
grab the nearest spiral notebook, scrap
of paper, or blank envelope on which
to capture your thoughts. Some people
prefer a larger journal because they write
big. Some enjoy scribbling in tiny books
that fit into their front pockets. Others
like to use a huge artist’s sketchbook as a
canvas. Some people create unusual and
beautiful journals by pasting pictures and
drawings on the cover and throughout.
The company Moleskine makes a legendary
pocket journal that boasts a tiny
hardbound cover and a hidden interior
pocket. It is said that artists have used it
for centuries—from Vincent van Gogh to
Ernest Hemingway—and it is still sold in
bookstores today.
Both lined and unlined journal pages
are fully functional. Unlined pages tempt
us to draw and doodle amidst the words,
but some prefer lined pages because
they can’t write straight or have enough
trouble reading their handwriting without
the liberty of a completely blank page.
Still others use their computers because
they can type really fast; they find that
they don’t edit themselves as much when
typing, and can let their thoughts fly out
through their fingertips. For your consistent
journaling practice, I encourage
you to have something nearby that feels
comfortable and works with your lifestyle
and personality.
Some people keep separate journals:
one for gratitude, one for dreams, and one
for everyday matters. Or you might want
to keep a travel journal, a nature journal,
and a goal journal. Do what feels right
for you. I write in only one journal at a time, and I write anything and everything.
I like the idea of having a chronological
record of everything that is going on in
my life—the happy, the sad, the beautiful,
and the ugly—all in one place. A workshop
participant who was working with
her dreams told me that she likes to write
down her dreams in a separate journal
so that she can recognize patterns that
appear. Another woman told me that she
keeps separate journals for each of her
children, containing messages, advice,
and stories about that child's life—a gift
for later in their lives.
Logistics
Where Should I Journal?
Journal everywhere! Imagine that you are
curled up in an overstuffed chair with the
warm sunlight streaming through the
window just over your right shoulder.
Outside, the ocean is dancing with the
sunbeams. You hold your journal on
your folded legs and pour your thoughts
onto the paper. Or perhaps you would
prefer a large pine table with a vase of
fresh flowers and a beautiful painting
that transports you to another land. You
write quickly and effortlessly with one
hand. The other hand rests on the table,
palm down, soaking in the wisdom of the
universe, which courses up through your
arm and into your heart before it pours
onto the blank page. Insights and revelations
fl ow to you, and through you, to
share with the world.
Ideally, you would have a cozy corner
set aside for writing, surrounded by
wonderful things that make you feel safe
and loved, bathed in perfect light, and
maintained at the perfect temperature.
But, truthfully, you can write anywhere,
any time. I keep my journal with me, in
a canvas bag that contains books I am
reading, projects I am working on, and
lots of pens and highlighters. I like to
know that if I happen to stumble across a
poem or quote that moves me, I can jot it
down in my journal right then.
If I'm sitting in the doctor's office
and two women next to me are having
a philosophical discussion that inspires
me, I want to be able to begin the same
conversation with myself in my journal,
right then, while I'm feeling motivated. If
I arrive ten minutes early to pick up my
daughters at school, I sometimes use
those precious moments to capture my
life, my feelings, and my identity.
Where Would You Like to Journal?
When Should I Journal?
Is it better to wake up with the sun and
journal first thing in the morning, or to
refl ect on your thoughts and insights at
the end of the day? Does it make a difference
if you journal at the same time each
day? Some books will tell you that it's best
to write first thing in the morning when
your mind is clear or just after a thirtyminute
meditation. Others will tell you
that you should write at the end of the
day, capturing all the wonderful things
that happened throughout the day and
visualizing what you want to see happen
tomorrow. There are many opinions on
these matters, and I believe you must find
what works for you. As you work through
this book, try everything.
I've tried all of the above suggestions,
as well as numerous other routines,
and I find that different times of day
work for me in different ways. When I
am trying to tap into my creativity, the
early morning hours are magical. However,
when I am dealing with a problem,
the faster I can get to my journal and
dump all of my emotions, the sooner
I will have my answer. The revelations
always come; I just have to give myself
and my problems completely to the
blank page.
My journal entries happen at all
times of the day and night. I am often
“called” out of bed at three or four
o'clock in the morning, not knowing
exactly what I am going to write. I usually
write when I am confused or upset
about something. Journaling is my way
of working out problems or just ranting
and raving and getting out the craziness
that sometimes swirls in my head.
Some mothers who keep journals
write letters to their children every year
on their birthdays, keeping these books
as future graduation or wedding gifts.
Other people journal after they meditate,
recording visions and insights
they received in the process.
Only you will know what feels right to
you—and what feels right today could
shift as you change and grow. So stay
flexible in your journaling practice and
let it develop naturally.
When Do You See Yourself
Journaling?
How Often Should I Journal?
Some journaling books suggest that you
sign a contract with yourself, making
a commitment to journal every day for
thirty days. This is not one of those
books. Why? Because I signed the contracts,
made the commitments, and then
beat myself up when I missed a day or
failed to do it perfectly. I don't want you
to go through that.
Most people assume that—because
my passion is journaling and I've started a
journalution—I must journal every single
day, maybe several times a day. Wrong!
When I am journaling at three or four
o'clock in the morning, it's because I'm
working something out. I am confused or
upset, or I am very excited about something,
and writing about it will let me go
back to sleep. Then, days or weeks or even
a month might go by before I pick up my
journal. Part of the fun is looking at the
last few entries to see what was going
through my mind during my last session.
It's amazing how quickly we forget
the details of our lives, how much we
obsess over things that will be forgotten
in moments.
Think of your journal as a supportive,
forgiving friend who is always
there for you. Go to your journal for
answers or when you need to confide
in a friend. Your journal will listen
to your problems and help you work
them out. You can call on her every
day for six months while you are
recovering from chemo or after your
husband leaves you; she'll be there,
ready and eager to listen. Then when
you start dating that guy from yoga
class, you can ignore her for weeks
and she won't get mad. Your journal
is there for you when you need it, no
matter what. No judgment. No rules.
Just write!
This article is an excerpt from
JOURNALUTION: Journaling to Awaken
Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life, and
Manifest Your Dreams. Copyright c
2005 by Sandy Grason. Reprinted with
permission of New World Library,
Novato, CA.
www.newworldlibrary.com or
Toll-free: 800-972-6657 ext. 52.
ISBN 1-57731-483-2
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