This weeks Friday Spark is from Journaling the Journey – Meeting Yourself on the Page with a Writing Practice by Deb Cooperman
I moved recently, and in the process of packing I discovered all sorts of hidden treasures– things hiding in the back of a closet, a receipt from a special dinner that had fallen behind my desk (i don’t move it to vacuum, i admit it …), photos I’d forgotten about, a playbill, a matchbook from a hotel where I’d had a luscious get-away. Over the years, I’ve learned to build extra time into the packing process because I know I’ll want to sift through the old treasures, soaking up memories and seeing what insight I can draw from the physical evidence of my life.
It’s the same with old writing. If you’re already a journaler, then I don’t have to tell you about the treasures you can uncover when you look back at your old writing. But if you’re just toying with the idea or you’re pretty new to writing, try this experiment: get some paper, put the date on it, and then write a note to yourself by finishing the following sentences:
The things that most concern me …
The things I’m proudest of …
The challenges I face …
The things that delight me …
Don’t think about it too much as you write – don’t worry about composing perfect sentences; lists or phrases are perfectly OK … you might even want to time it to about 10 or 15 minutes. When you’re done, put the page(s) into a stamped, self-addressed envelope and give it to a friend. Ask them to hold onto the envelope for at least a month, but no more than four … and then have them drop it in a mailbox.
When you receive your letter you’ll discover what we journalers have at our fingertips all the time: a record of what matters … what was on our minds, what was in our hearts and what was challenging and supporting us at various times in our lives.
I do this exercise with the women in my writing group a couple of times a year. It’s always a hit. Give it a try; you might find that it’s a habit worth getting into. (or if you’d prefer: email your note to me and i’ll email it back to you down the road: info@debcooperman.com …)
… and enjoy meeting yourself on the page,
Deb
Find more Sparkers by Deb at www.coachingtoys.com/journalingthejourney.html
Visit Debs blog at www.debcooperman.blogs.com/entertaininginfinity
Sparkers – Journaling the Journey © 2006 Deb Cooperman for Coaching Toys Inc – Sparkers, all rights reserved.
We’d love to hear your response to this Sparker – What role does writing serve in your personal journey?
