January 2, 2015

"Joy from Journaling"

Dear Reader,

This past year I lost a lot of sleep over something. Some nights, it kept me up long past midnight. Don't worry, though... it wasn't a guilty conscience that kept me from enjoying a long night of rest. What kept me awake this year was my resolution to journal daily.

I have to say that it was very tedious at first. I had to force myself to stay awake long enough to write. Early on, I realized that if I made "Well, it's late and I'm tired" an excuse not to journal, I would never write. So, in the beginning, I forced myself to do it. As the year progressed, it evolved from a chore to a habit. Now, it's a passion. I LOVE journaling. There's nothing quite like being able to look back and see how terrible and beautiful life can be. I can look back and identify moments where I goofed up or did something right and then watch the consequences of my decisions play out. Life can be different every single day, so my entries vary dramatically. Some are comical, some serious. Some are denotative, others more abstract and reflective. But they're all priceless to me.

There were a few nights this year where I didn't journal for some reason, and I regret every single lost day. The experiences of those unrecorded days are nearly impossible for me to recall, which is tragic.

But the most tragic thing I have realized is that I HAVE LOST YEARS AND YEARS OF MEMORIES. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT JOURNAL BEFORE.

I beseech of you, my dear Reader, if you have ever considered journaling to stop making excuses and start now. If you haven't considered journaling before, then consider it now. Again, I can't believe that I didn't journal before. It is extremely difficult, but it's certainly possible. I challenge you to keep a daily journal. If you do, you will find great joy. You'll come to love it as I do, and then you'll find yourself saying the same thing. "I can't believe that I didn't journal before."

NM