Keeping a Hand Written Journal

For several years my blog has been like a public journal.  In the past week, I felt like I needed some balance of things that I am willing to write out for public consumption and things that I write out because I need to proces them.  So I pulled out an old notebook.  And I pulled out a pen.  And much like the experience of writing hand written thank you notes transforming the experience of writing thank you notes, this did too.  It is different when I hand write.  I slow down.  I think more.  I try to make it neat (although having gotten C+'s for penmanship in elementary school it will only ever be so neat).  And it will mean more to me some day in all likelihood.  And if there are ever moments I want to share, I still can.

And after three days of just getting back into the swing of things, I have started a gratitude journal.  Things I am grateful for.  From today.  From years ago.  But all of which made me grateful and all of which made me into the person I am today.  What a bright outlook on how to begin.  Maybe at some point I will share what I have been grateful for.  But for now, it is all about processing what I think of and why I am grateful and how I can take all of that forward.

I don't know if everyone feels so empowered and inspired when they journal.  But I am glad to say I do.