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Journalise your Journey! 8th January 2005, today started out as a slow day. Woke up late, and spent just a few minutes in the bath, at least I arrived at work on time. Thought it was going to be slow at work as well, so organised bacon and eggs for brunch.... then of course things got crazy and everyone wanted help and attention, while I was trying to eat! Why does that always happen? As soon as I start eating at work, things get busy ....hmmmm 9th, January 2005, so I guess I was wrong about it being a slow week-end, cos today everyone wants help... my feet ache, my legs hurt, and I am sure it would be easier to run a marathon..... more, aching feet. 10th, January 2005, oh I do love my days off. *Giggle and Grin* Managed to get all the articles updated to the website today. Although, I am still busy with the article for ‘Insulin Resistance’... talk about confusing ....will keep working on it, and maybe publish next month. Organised pizza and munchies, and went with the family to the crystal pools.... only to discover that the walk would take more than an hour and since we were all wearing slops, had inappropriate shoes. Decided to go down to the gorge, the walk was tough, although short and well worth the effort. The Steenbras River was clean and clear and the view gorgeous. Kids climbed down the gorge and swam in the river entrance to the sea. Was a fun family trip. Feel a bit tired so am heading for bed early ;o) 11th, January 2005, although I went to work, only lasted a couple of hours before I came home feeling awful. My tummy is cramping and I have diarrhoea. Sometimes I forget how good and healthy I feel most of the time, in comparison to how sore I feel right now. Spent the afternoon in bed, something I seldom do so I must be sick. Watched videos with a wet cloth on my forehead.... Urrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh. 12th, January 2005, feel much better this morning, although a little weak and tired. Staying at home to catch up with myself. Think I’ll do just a little bit here and there. Maybe answer some email and help Dave with some stuff. Still a little sore so need to take it easy. Ten years ago, if anyone had ever suggested that I would love to write and even share what I write with anyone else, I probably would have laughed my head off. This would have been a natural reaction from someone who struggled to learn her ABC’s.... and then spent nearly two years trying to understand how a compilation of letters made words, and a combination of words made a sentence, and of course sentences - paragraphs, and paragraphs a story. Learning information by memory was far easier then trying to read anything. Writing was a different struggle altogether. It was only years later in high school, that a teacher suggested that I might be dyslexic, and when this was discovered to be true, learning in a different way became a blessing. Had, I kept a journal or a diary all those years ago, it would have made writing and sharing so much easier, more because I would have a record of the details and day to day facts that I sometimes lack to complete a story. Sometimes it takes me more time to remember if an experience spanned 2 weeks or 2 months, than the time it takes me to write a story or an article. Although, I believe the essence of sharing an experience is more important than whether all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted. Keeping a record of facts, figures and details are important when trying to reach a desired outcome and resolution. If you are trying to ‘get out of debt’ - recording your expenses, the balances owing and your income gives you a realistic picture of where you are. Then you can make adjustments to your spending, and keep a record of your payments, allowing you to monitor your progress. When trying to resolve your weight issue - making a record of your weight, your size and measurements, keeping a food diary and a record of what you eat and when you eat it, is important. However, more important is to record what you feel, the emotions you experience and the general day to day events you go through. Although, it may make little sense at the time, and even having read my diary entry’s from the 8th to 12th January, the recording of such inconsequential events might seem frivolous in the short term, what will emerge are the patterns of your life and the cycles you go through.... then the clarity you need to understand some of your behaviour, literally why you do certain things and when you eat in a certain way, will help you make changes and adjustments and give you a different perspective. The wonderful experience of journalising your life needs to make little sense to anyone else, except yourself. When I first started making a record about different aspects of my life, I know for certain, that had I allowed anyone else to read my shorthand notes and cryptic messages.... all they would have read was a confusing jumble of words... however, they made sense to me, even the misspelled words and misplaced letters. Sometimes, you might find that just one or two words are all you can record in a day, other times you might discover you can literally write a book. Sometimes you might find if you go back and read certain sections, and think ‘what was wrong with me that day’ or ‘Wow, that was such a great experience, I’m really pleased I wrote it down!’..... sometimes, it will make no sense at all, and other times just the art of writing will give you the depth of understanding you need as the words begin to make more and more sense, giving you access to a deeper view of yourself. I still find writing with a pen and pencil a challenge, and when I do use that form to make a record..... it’s usually just a scribble of ideas in the middle of the night. ‘Writing’ on my PC, the flow of ideas from my thoughts transformed to words on my monitor is one of the most fulfilling pastimes I could ever have imagined. Of course having a ‘backspace key’ and a ‘spell check’ makes correcting so easy and less frustrating that writing is almost always a pleasure. For all that I have written, some of it is deeply personal and I have never shared it with anyone, but me, myself and I! *Grin* Then some of what I write I only share with my hubby, or close friends. Some of what I write, I publish and basically share with anyone who is willing to read what I have written. Some of what I write, I ‘forget’ almost immediately (although it’s more like just filing it away ;o).... and then when I go back and read it at a later date, I learn something more. Sometimes when I write, the honesty and truth resounds within me and remains deeply etched on my soul. Then each time someone reads something I have written, and emails or writes to tell me about the understanding they gained, how much it meant to them or the difference it made to their lives.... then the gratitude I feel grows and the empathy of sharing fills my heart with passion and my life with purpose. Starting a diary or journal for the first time, is challenging at best and frustrating most of the time. And it does take time to learn to record the events and circumstances of your life and keep a record of your emotions, feelings and the experiences you have...... Try it and you might find that journalising your journey, will be one of the greatest blessings in your life too! © 2001 to 2007 Mands WhyWeight - All Rights Reserved |