JOURNALING!

We at the Crisis Connection highly recommend that you keep a journal. Keeping a journal can cultivate personal growth in many facets of your life. Abuse survivors may particularly benefit from this therapy.

Journals are places to keep your most private thoughts. They are your best friend when you are sad. Journals know of every battle you’ve fought. They are good places to go when you are glad. Journals keep track of dreams. They know your every goal. Journals know how the world seems when the universe takes it toll. Journals are places to get a grip in. They help you climb mountains. Journals are a cool well to dip in – they’re never ending fountains.

Keeping a journal isn’t difficult once you are accustomed to chronicling your thoughts. The difficult part may be in getting started. The following are some basics to beginning this journey:

1. You may want to start out with a spiral notebook, much like ones used in school. However, as you become more skilled, you may want to purchase a hardcover. Selecting a creative journal may be one of the best parts of the process.
2. Get a supply of comfortable, fun pens. You may also choose to use a computer instead of handwriting.
3. Write as quickly as the thoughts enter your head. Don’t take the time to edit your ramblings before committing them to paper. You want to be free-flowing.
4. Experiment – write at different times of the day, in various locations, and for varying lengths of time.
5. Never erase or scratch an inspiration. There was a reason you wrote what you did. If you find yourself going down a path you truly don’t want to travel, just start a new paragraph with a new idea.
6. Use your imagination! Write sideways. Write in a circle. Write upside down.
7. Include the date when you have completed each journal entry. Also note the mood or emotions at the time. When you re-read the entry sometime in the future, it might give you an insight as to why you wrote what you did.

You may want to check out: WWW.DIARYPROJECT.COM

Totally Private & Personal, Journaling Ideas for Girls & Young Women by Jessica Wilber
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
American Girl Magazine
New Moon Magazine
Amelia’s Notebooks by American Girl
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Through My Eyes: A Journal for Teens by Linda Kranz
Zlata’s Diary by Zlata Filipovic
Don’t Give It Away by Iyanla Vanzant
SARK's Journal and Play! Book by Sark
Nobody’s Perfect Journal by Kimberly Kirberger

Journaling Benefits:

• Because there is no structure, it is easier to put your inner critic on hold and get to the heart of what you are thinking and feeling.
• It is easy to be unaware of how long you have been grappling with a particular issue or challenge. Rereading journals will afford you a time perspective and allow you to see recurring themes.
• Journals can be burned or shredded.
• If you get ‘stuck’ and can’t think of anything, simply write "I’m stuck" until something comes to mind.
• Everything you write, everything you think and say, is important. You are important!
• You get to decide who you want to be, and you can change your mind at any time. Until you grant yourself this personal freedom in real life, use journaling to try on different ways of being & expressing yourself. Write as though you are already fearless, limitless and risk free. Your journal will not resist change or pressure you to be who it thinks you ought to be!
• Ritualized practices, like journaling, can bring rhythm to your life and become a time for calming, centering, and reflection. Taking this time to go inward and be yourself enhances your ability to be with others in a positive and intentional way.
• I do solemnly swear to keep my journal forever and to read it when I grow up! Did you know Louisa May Alcott used her journals to help her write, "Little Women"?
• Other benefits can include: creative problem solving, self-paced learning, building self confidence, clearing the mind, greater honesty, stimulates self growth, broader perspective, sharper focus, deeper level of analysis, uncovers unknown wants, release of tension and better health.
• The main rule to remember: There are no rules to journaling!

These types of journals can shed new light and bring new ideas:

An Intentional Journal can be a gift to others. Keep a notebook or recorder handy and record thoughts you want to share with your family or friends. It could be stories of funny and touching things. Capture them while they are fresh in your mind.

A Birthday Journal is a gift to you. Annually, write a letter to the ‘old’ you (meaning the age you were before the birthday) and another letter to the ‘new’ you (who you are now and who you want to be for the whole next year). Reread the entries annually. You may also want to capture national headlines, top songs/movies, etc. You can also write down as many wishes as the number of birthdays you’ve had…(I wish to remember a good joke, etc.)

POSSIBLE JOURNAL STARTERS!

These are ten things that I would most like to change. I’ve circled those things that I can begin to work on right now.

There can be a difference between what I actually say and do and what I believe. I plan to work to change by…

I am made in the image of all that is good! I know I am really good at:

Habits are the things I do without thinking about them. When I don’t think, I don’t do my best and I don’t get my best. What was I thinking when I:

I forgive myself for believing a mistake is always a bad thing! There is always room for improvement. I made a mistake when I: Now that I know better, I can:

What are my short-term (one week to one year) goals? Education;Friends;Health;Work; Family; Recreation

What are my long-term (five to ten years) goals?

What kinds of skills might help me achieve my long-range goals and how might I acquire those skills?

I wish I would relate better to family _, friends_, peers_, children _, adults_. These are my personal goals & timelines to do this, specifically on skill development:

Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. What can I give to the community now and in the future?

My Fitness World – What I Eat, What I Do To Exercise…

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." – Helen Keller If you could soar like an eagle, where would you go?

"There is no map for life. Unfair things happen. The challenge is what you do with these things." - Elizabeth Glaser Learn about Elizabeth Glaser in her book, "In the Absence of Angels," about her children and AIDS. If you only had 10 more days to make your mark in this world, what would you do to make a lasting impression?

You are here for a purpose. There is not a duplicate of you in the whole wide world. You were brought here now to fill a certain need. Why do you think you are here?

Creation is everything you do. Make something. Draw a picture. Weave a dream. Compose a song. Sew, knit, build, etc.

Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by quickly you can hardly catch it going. – Tennessee Williams Write about today.

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known! Jot down two incredible things that could happen to you in the next three years!

Here it is, write from my heart!

My life according to me:

If you could wave a magic wand and make anything come true, what would it be?

"Sooner or later every one of us breathes an atom that has been breathed before by anyone you can think of who has lived before us – Michelangelo or George Washington or Moses." - Jacob Bronowski If you could invite six people to dinner and interview them about their experiences, who would be on your guest list and why?

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? If I am afraid to take a chance, I’ll take one anyway. If I have done things that didn’t work out well, or that didn’t make me feel good, I will do something else. I must do something different if I want something different to happen. This is what I will do:

Tell about a time you had to get out of your comfort zone.

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

In Anne Frank’s diary, she wrote: "I think that what’s happening to me is so wonderful, and I don’t just mean the changes taking place on the outside of my body, but also those on the inside." What does that mean to you?

Astronauts can take five items on missions that fit into a box about the size of a shoebox. If you went in space, what five personal items would you take and what is the significance of each one?

A circle has no beginning or no end. What does that mean to you?

These are the qualities I think you need to be a great friend:

Write with your opposite hand – force both sides of your brain to work! Don’t worry about how bad the writing may look. Because it may be challenging to write with your opposite hand, you’ll probably find that you write simpler sentences.

Name a hero and shero!

What traditions do you have in your life?

If you have something you really want to say to someone but just can’t seem to do it – try writing a letter to them that you’ll never really send! What you’re doing is getting it all out on paper. Sometimes, after reading the words on the page, it becomes easier to deal with!

Draw a square box and draw puzzle pieces inside. Label the pieces of your life on the puzzle. Fill in all of the things you feel and think about…make sure to call one piece you. Color them to show how you feel.

My favorite books are:

I’d love to learn more about:

My personal cheering section includes:

My favorite poem is:

What gets scheduled seems to get done…what do I need to schedule?

I read the ‘Fish’ book by Stephen Lundin…what principles have I applied?

What ‘note to myself’ do I need to put on my bathroom mirror as a constant reminder?

I went to www.franklincovey.com and wrote this mission statement for myself:

What songs lift me up?

This is what I want my life legacy to be:

I am passionate about:

I could make some sort of personal contact at least once a week with someone I’ve shared part of my life with. The people I should send a note, e’mail, call or stop by with are:

Where could I make a difference by volunteering my time & talent?

I love a challenge like:

Who are my favorite artists?

Here are 40 things to be happy about:

I remember seeing a rainbow…

I’ve watched the paper and signed up for the local community college fliers. I saw the following workshops and presentations and I am going to sign up for:

Some of the best gifts nature has given me are:

My best holiday memories are:

You should have seen the sunset….

If I could get rid of _________________in my life, I could make room for:

I checked out these books at my local public library ("If", "Would You Rather?", "Book of Questions"). Here are some of the answers I gave after reading them:

The best day of my life:

Things that make my heart smile are:

Who have I complimented recently? What sincere compliments can I give myself?

If I could eat my own words, I’d swallow these:

How old do you think people should be before they: get a job, cook for themselves, do their own laundry, kiss, have their own phones, travel alone, get married, have children, vote, stay out as late as they want, etc.?

Make a list of things you are self-conscious about:

Here is the latest social concern issue I’ve researched:

For additional information please see:

• Teen Power & Control Wheel
• If You're Living in a Violent Home: A Guide for Teens
• Take 25
• Take 25 Hand Out
• Challenge Day
• Parent Aptitude Test
• The More You Know
• New Study on Teen Communication Preferences
• Speakers Available