September 30, 2011

Dear Diary

Hey cats and kittens, dudes and dudetts: A quick tip from the Tuckerbag. Over the past few days we've talked a bit about sharing our stories and the reasons that people are often so willing to talk about their lives. There are two reasons that did not come up which are very important ones everyone can benefit from.
First, talking about your life, stories that you have and things you've done, can be therapeutic. Sometimes people just need to talk through their good points and bad points so the whole thing make sense. The big picture is often more clear than the ins and outs of daily life.
Second, we tell stories to refresh our own memories. Talking about our lives reminds us where we've been and gives us a better idea of where we're going. We get joy from remembering what we've been through, how we handled it, and how it shaped us.
For both of these reasons (and a host of others) I highly recommend keeping a journal of some kind. Even if you don't have time each day to write a full page, just jot down what you did, who you saw, or what you were feeling. There are a few ways to do this on the road or in the bricks.
  1. Keep a physical journal and write in it each day or a few times every week 
  2. If you're mobile and can't spare the space, use an online journal. Here are some suggestions
  3. Maybe you just don't like to write. Get a digital audio recorder or borrow one from your local library. Your spoken journal can be uploaded onto your computer so you can really remember what you were feeling at the time.
Let's be honest; you're living a pretty interesting and unusual life right now. So write it down!

4 comments:

  1. Good blog Ash !! Great idea !! I use to keep a "blessing" notebook that whenever good things came my way, I would write it down.

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  2. So true, so true...

    Here's an online option that works for me - I recently started using a site called ohlife.com.

    They automatically send you an email once a day. You simply hit "reply" and type your journal entry as if you were answering the email. Then, when you later log-in to the site, all your entries are collated into a typical timeline format.

    So easy to use, and that email reminder at the end of the day is just the prompt I need to remind me to keep up with my entries...

    (I have no affiliation with the site, it just works for me!)

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  3. Take pictures. Years ago it was not so easy but now it is easy and easy to store. I'm sorting photos that go back 70 or so years and it is amazing how those images invigorate the memory. Photograph everything, your bed, your pet, your trashy kitchens, good things and bad things. You won't be sorry. Especially take pictures of yourself. Never delete any as you may be unfortunate enough to live a long life and they will be the best medicine for failing memory.

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  4. Hi. Thanks for the links to the journals. Not real happy with mine. I have another idea for you, one that I use. (kudos to OldFool too) 365 Project lets you post photos free and you can write how you feel about whatever below the photo. I've been using it for a month and like it. Have a blessed day!

    ReplyDelete

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