The power of journaling
During this time, it can be easy to feel unmotivated, but a great way to shake it off is to get some creative juices flowing. Photo courtesy of Unsplash; photo illustration by Riggs Zyrille Vergara
By Ayra Fouad, Staff Writer
For ages, society has been looking for the secret to success. Some say it’s waking up at ungodly hours, others say it’s meditation. The fact of the matter is, not all of us have time to do all — or any — of those things.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably wait until the very last minute to get out of bed, and the closest thing to meditation that you do on a daily basis is scrolling mindlessly through Instagram before falling asleep. So for those of us on a time crunch — and unwilling to set yet another, earlier alarm on our phones — is there anything we can be doing to be more successful?
To uncover this secret, we simply have to connect the dots between the biggest and best minds of the world. Frida Kahlo, Leonardo DaVinci, Oprah. What do these people have in common? Journaling.
But don’t think that you need to start your day writing “Dear diary.” Kahlo had an art journal, while DaVinci’s journals are world renowned for all of his many philosophical and scientific discoveries littering the pages. Although we don’t quite know what Oprah’s journals look like, I think we can safely assume it’s probably different from Kahlo and DaVinci’s. The secret formula to success may be as simple as a pen and one of the many notebooks piling up on your bookshelf that you bought on a whim at Chapters.
What I’m trying to say is that if you are sitting at home, frantically searching for a way to raise your chances of success, it might be as easy as writing about your feelings. Draw a picture, make a list of all the things you’re grateful for or draft a list of supplies for the zombie apocalypse. Journaling is basically a personal therapy session, except you don’t actually have to be face to face with anyone. You can do it in any kind of attire, from any location, at any time and it’s virtually free.
Many people I’ve talked to about journaling either make fun of me for having a “diary” or tell me about how they’ve been meaning to start for so long, and now don’t know where to begin. Here’s the deal — it’s not a diary. It’s an expressive medium meant for self reflection. And secondly, it’s probably one of the easiest and most fulfilling things to do.
Write (or paint or draw or whatever you prefer) like no one will read it. It could be as simple as reflecting on your day or as complex as deciphering the meaning of life. Let’s face it — you’re the only one ever reading it, and even then, you’re probably not actually going to read it. Unless you get famous, of course. Which, if you journal, you obviously will. No pressure!
