Sep 01, 2022

Journaling with Honesty

Many times when writing in our personal journals it’s easy to follow a self centric narrative. To be fair, they should; it’s your own journal after all. However there is a point where following your own thought process can stray you away from the truth of a matter. It’s easy to write about how horrible a day was and that ‘everyone in the entire world was out to get you’; it’s cathartic, even. Is it true, however? You may find yourself asking ‘well what does it matter if it’s true, this is my journal after all’ which, again, is entirely fair. It is your journal, however if you found it easy to slip into hyperbole to defend yourself how often have you also done so to speak down on yourself? Rather than everyone being out to get you, how easy is it to write about how situations entirely out of your control were somehow completely your fault? It may not always seem like it, but journaling with honesty is one of the hardest things to remember when filling out your daily entry but doing so is the first step towards positive personal growth.

Be patient with yourself.

It’s hard enough to change a thought process, let alone the act of writing being mindful of the new process. Change rarely happens all at once and you should celebrate the baby steps you do take towards improving yourself. You may find that there are layers of walls you've built up that will take time to work through but it's important to stay patient and work at yourself at your own pace.

You have lived your life well.

Forgive yourself.

Remind yourself how easily you forgive a friend for forgetting an important date or a family member for losing their temper. You don’t think any of them are worse people for having bad moments so it’s only fair that you show the same kindness and forgiveness towards yourself.

You are stronger than you know.

Stay positive!

Not everything is the end of the world and as easy as it can be to fall into downward spirals of worry and negativity, fight those urges and write about the lighter side to your day as well. Write down the joke you came up with on your way to work because it’s hilarious and should be documented, even if only you will ever get it.

You are not alone.

Always look for growth.

As you slowly transition into writing more honestly for yourself, keep an eye out for patterns. Noting bad behaviors or the beginnings of downward spirals is the first step in naturally adjusting away from them. You’ll always have bad days but the more you stay honest with yourself the more you’ll be able to help yourself stay away from falling too deeply into negativity.

You are loved.

Write an honest journal entry of how you’ve been lately.
Be sure to stay patient and kind with yourself.

Authors: Colin Murdy & Anna Ratzburg

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