JournalsEver since we were kids, some of us used to keep journals. Back then journals were cool, they were fun and their basic characteristic, which lives on, was that they were top secret.

On a short journey to the past I tried to remember how journals looked like and what was their exact purpose back then on those hard teenage days, while the whole world was against us and still we used to rule the world.

I remember that journals were colored and full of pictures and very popular, especially among little ladies. There was a lot of pink involved and the main purpose we used to keep them was that they were our secret confidents. We needed to deal with our social lives and things we didn’t know how to ask and how to say. And “Dear Diary” was our closest secret friend, in whose carton covers were hidden our emotions, thoughts and fears.

We grew up but our journals remained the same. They are the only ones who know who we really are and what we’re up to.
And since we’re talking about diaries and secrets, I’m going to share one of my personal secrets with you, in which I found the importance of keeping a journal.

On my first year of college, after moving to a different city and facing the unknown, I was, as most of us are, a bit lost. As excited as I was, all the new around me, new place to live, new school, new friends, new places to hang out, was pretty confusing. And one day, this teacher who would teach a Basic Sociology class, gave us an interesting homework.

We had to keep a journal for 14 days where we would write all that we would do and think and feel during each day. It was mandatory that the journal was as real as possible so, no lies and no omissions. It had to show the real us.

I don’t actually remember what happened to that diary and today I don’t really care. The main idea, and also the reason why I told you this story, is that it helped me find myself.

And it wasn’t hard al all. It gave me the opportunity to express my real feelings and face my real fears. There were no more secrets anymore between me and myself. I realized that putting it all on paper is the most personal way to introduce you to your emotions. Furthermore, organizing your feelings, same as organizing your daily agenda (see Time Management on how to do that efficiently) helps you identify the strength in yourself you have to use. The key to life improvement is always in you. And keeping a journal makes you face your problems and deal with your feelings. And that is because of the fact that having it written stops you from ignoring the real you, the real part of you that you don’t like and want to hide. It makes you take the matter in your hands, undertake it and look for a proper way of handling it.

The journal I had during those 14 days didn’t make me completely sure of myself or happy. At the beginning it seemed pretty childish, but it helped me get in touch with the real feelings I tried to ignore.

And also, it made me understand that it is completely normal to be scared sometimes. But by being honest with yourself, you can get over it in no time and face the new and real you.