What would we have known today if there weren’t people in the history of mankind who thought of writing down their experiences, their feelings and discoveries?

Some of the most influential people in history kept detailed journals of their lives.

I just love these two quotes: “Each day passes by and you have nothing to prove that it even happened. Our lives are full of hidden gems of knowledge and insights and they have the largest impact on what we are doing right now.”
Anais Nin

and
“Writing is the only way I have to explain life to myself” Pat Conroy

As we are in the “Lock Down” period of the Corona-virus pandemic, it is important not only for ourselves but also for our generations to come, to write down our experiences, our feelings, our hunger for deeper connection with God, ourselves and the people we love.

There are a few purposes for a journal:

It is a permanent record of your posterity and a cathartic release valve for the people writing them.

It helps us understand our past, present and future.

It helps us clear our minds and organize our thoughts, pull in the outer world and reflect on it.

It is an inheritance – Leave something behind for your grandchildren that tells your story and what you accomplished in life.

It is a way to harness your creativity.

Regular writing does wonders for your mental health, as it helps you to diffuse negative emotions, many depression sufferers and terminally ill patients are encouraged to journal 15 – 20 min a day.

It helps to build up your self-esteem, makes you feel good and re-live events you experienced (especially trauma) – without fear or stress

Journals writing can help you learn to process and communicate complex ideas effectively.

Helps you memorize important information.

Reminds you of mistakes you have made and how you fixed them, accomplishments you are proud of and great moments you want to remember.

A Journal aids in building better habits – forces you to be aware of your actions and behaviors (Food diary, mood tracking etc)

Another advantage: you can write without being “plugged in” and you don’t have to worry about dead batteries while getting your batteries re-charged.
Disadvantage – no back-ups. Scan and save on memory stick

Ever need to know what you did on a specific day? Where you were, what you did? (Lawsuit)

See your progress – your own personal growth, important goals and objectives

Explore your thoughts on a particular day. They may be irrelevant, but also be inspirational or educational when you get older and reflect on them.

Lastly, but definitely the best and most important reasons for keeping a journal are summarized in the following words (can’t remember who the author is or where I found it!)

Daily reflection and self-awareness (Introspection) is one of the most important human skills to master, to become a more compassionate and overall better person.

May one of the above-mentioned reasons encourage or inspire you enough to start putting pen to paper.