XXIV. The Power of Journaling
We’re bound to excel and rise to the heights of greatness in life, work, family, and relationships when we reflect.
Enhance your experience by listening to a detailed summary of this and yesterday’s entry on the podcast below.
“When the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit that’s now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” — Seneca
We walk around with lots of baggage.
There are some sensitive topics we like to drown from our minds with noise, movies, and intoxication.
These issues gnaw at us in the moments we're not on our guard and we come crushing down because we’re tired of running from them.
We can't dare talk to our friends or spouses about some of these problems because, as experience has proven, they might see us as lesser people or use our inadequacies against us.
There are some other destructive habits we might not be aware of, shielded by outward success and the bustle of life.
They give us the illusion of perfection in our inner lives and that's why we might be rude to someone we love, treat a waiter condescendingly, or do substandard work and not think too much about it until it's too late: the relationship is dead, we lose our friends or we miss our chance at success.
Other times we achieve a goal and never sit to acknowledge how disciplined, courageous, and wise we’ve been — the process we followed, and it’s not until months or years later that we realize we haven’t stopped to take in how far we’ve come, what we’ve won, how much strength we possess.
We haven’t slowed down to celebrate a milestone to bolster our confidence for whatever comes next.
To enjoy the mystic and perennial joy of gratitude we can call upon at any time.
Sometimes we experience canon life events, endure them gracefully, and overcome but we never really sit down to dust ourselves from the crazy ride and reflect while sipping some coffee, and so we miss out on some key lessons crucial for our growth and later we lack the confidence and skills necessary to take bolder risks, see opportunities in obstacles, or persevere another tragedy.
Robert Greene said,
“Events in life mean nothing if you do not reflect on them in a deep way, and ideas from books are pointless if they have no application to life as you live it.”
So, it’s prudent,
“Every day and night to keep thoughts like these at hand — write them, read them aloud, talk to yourself and others about them.” — Epictetus
Journaling also helps with the necessary detachment we need to make crucial decisions and to keep us from spiraling out of control when we lay down the facts of what’s happening and judge situations free from the force of excessive emotions.
We’re bound to excel and rise to the heights of greatness in life, work, family, and relationships when we reflect on: