As little girls, we always had journals and diaries. Some had secret passcode locks, some were glow-in-the-dark, and most were only written in one time. Today as Collegiettes, our lives can get a little hectic and frustrating. Did you ever think that keeping a journal (for real this time) might be a helpful and positive escape?
This year, I made a vow to get a journal for the start of the New Year and promised myself to write in it everyday. Like most resolutions – I didn’t really follow through exactly the way I planned. However, I make sure to write whenever I have a bad day and whenever I have a really good day.
Getting lost in my own personal feelings and thoughts for a short amount of time feels so good. In that moment, I’m not worried about the exam I have coming up or how many pages of reading I missed last week – my only concern is myself.
Sometimes I’m digging my anger into my journal. And sometimes I’m scripting my joy away with hearts and smiley faces. Regardless of how hard the paper gets pressed, I’m expressing myself and that’s all I really need to do.
You don’t have to consider yourself a “writer” in order to keep a journal. You can draw in it, write the lyrics to your favorite song, or tape sections of your favorite magazines all over the pages. It’s yours, so who cares how messy your handwriting gets or if you simply end up scribbling flowers in the margins.
The best part of it all is looking back. What may have been the worst day in January can turn into your biggest accomplishment in life thus far, in April. What you thought you loved in the Winter may be the ugliest thing in the world in the Summer. You get to witness your growth first hand.
Sometimes we forget that one of the main ways we manage to function on a daily basis is through expression. So pick up a journal, notebook, or diary, whichever you’re more comfortable with, and start expressing yourself.