Life goes by quickly. Today we are young and energetic, but when we wake up one day, we realize that the former “charge” is no longer there. The most important things are our experiences caused by certain events occurring in our lives.
Don't let your life simply pass by as a stream of experiences that you won't remember. It's never too late to stop to understand their meaning. Keeping a diary will help you with this.
Journal now so you don't forget later
Because life moves so quickly, it is important to record how it goes. There are so many little things that happen to us every day that shape us as individuals. Taking stock of these experiences and how they happen can show us how we come to important decisions later in life.
Journal for Processing Feelings
Another interesting practice of journaling is processing your emotions to help you move forward in life. For example, if there is someone close to you who hurt you, or even if someone died, you didn't have a chance to tell them what you wanted. Writing a “letter” in a journal addressed to them instead of keeping feelings inside can be a great thing to do to process your emotions.
It is not at all necessary to store such works. Some people write them in order to transfer their feelings from their heads to paper, in order to burn or destroy them.
Diary of your successes
Another fun thing to write down in a journal is all your progress. When setbacks occur, it is nice to go back through your records and see that you are not a complete failure and that you have something to offer humanity. We can be very hard on ourselves, especially if we fail at something, feel misunderstood by others, or don't live up to our own expectations. Having a detailed account of our progress helps us get out of a negative rut and move forward in life.
Journal to understand your mistakes
Keeping a journal of your failures is just as important as keeping a journal of your successes. First, we can learn from our failures. It is a manifestation of insanity to do the same thing and hope for a different result. Recording your failures and learning from them is extremely important. This will prevent us from going crazy and making the same mistakes over and over again.
Secondly, it's important to understand that we can't all be amazing and amazing every second of every day. Understanding what you can and cannot do keeps you balanced and realistic. It also gives permission to make mistakes sometimes without being extremely hard on yourself.
How to keep a diary
Now that you know the benefits of journaling, here are some tips on how to keep one.
Write at least once a week. Ideally, of course, if you take notes daily. You can even write a few small notes throughout the day. But if you write once a week, every week, then that's great.
In order to take notes, you can use special programs like Day One, a regular text file, or just pen and paper. The classic option, of course, is a diary in the form of a beautiful notebook. If you don't want to write, you can make audio or video recordings. Storage costs are getting cheaper and cheaper, so keeping your life story in audio or visual form is now more doable than ever. There is something special about speaking your thoughts out loud. It may seem crazy to talk to yourself, but before you give up on the idea, it's at least worth a try, especially if you don't like to sit and squeak over text.
A personal diary is a great psychotherapist. There is no price for it if you need to understand yourself, make difficult choices, cope with emotions or find a solution to some problem. Fill in the blank pages with your thoughts, describe events and people, and use your imagination. So you can:
- reach the heights of self-knowledge,
- learn to understand others better,
- heal from inner pain,
- develop creativity,
- increase self-esteem,
- develop a positive outlook on life.
Don't take our word for it, just try it! If you think that keeping a diary is boring, then you are unknown. We’re sharing five cool methods that you should definitely take note of.
Dialogue
Imaginary conversation with someone or something is an incredibly useful thing. You can have a dialogue not only with a person, but also with some object, emotion, situation, character from a dream, work, your own body... Yes, with almost anything! For example, psychotherapist Kathleen Adams talked about her book:
“Me: We are at the final stage.
Book: You're doing a great job. You can be proud of yourself.
Me: Will I be able to finish you by Monday?
Book: I trust you will complete. But next week you need to start eating better and walking more. You forget about yourself.
Me: I love you so much. Talk later".
In any case, you are destined for unexpected discoveries and insights. The main thing is to bring the conversation to the end. Even if it seems that there is nothing more to discuss, just in case, ask your opponent: “Is there anything else?”
Come up with a bright image for your interlocutor. This in itself affects the development of dialogue. For example, if you imagine grief as a wild animal stuck in a trap, then it might say to you: “Trust me, I don’t want to kill you. But the more of me accumulates in you, the less space there is for anything else. Let me out! Let me go!
Trust the process. Write down the answers that come from your subconscious, even if they seem strange. It's okay if you feel stupid talking to your left big toe at first. Discomfort is felt only at first; later you will gain respect for this method.
Sketches of images
Describe people you know and yourself (character traits, way of thinking, behavior). The method will be very useful when you have a conflict with someone, you want to better understand the other person, or you want to see different sides of your personality more clearly.
Even by describing someone else, you are essentially understanding yourself. When you love or hate certain qualities in someone you know, you are likely to feel the same feelings about similar traits in your own character. The people around you are mirrors in which you can see your own reflection if you look closely.
Another great use of this method is to sketch your image from someone else's point of view. Perhaps someone with whom you have a difficult relationship. How does this person perceive you? What does he like about you? How are you annoying him? How did you two meet? Sometimes it is very useful to look at yourself through someone else's eyes.
Thanks to the practice “Image Sketches”, you can also become better acquainted with your own subpersonalities (Perfectionist, Comedian, Hero, Supermom, Vamp, Obedient Daughter, Helpless Woman, Breadwinner, Casanova, Knight in Armor, and so on). It is very important to get to know yourself from different sides in order to get closer to a deeper understanding of your self.
When describing one of your subpersonalities, give it a name and personify it, as in the following example:
“Gorgo is a crackling, snorting creature. He suddenly looks out from behind the door and looks at how scared I am. He shows me his red tongue and at the same time, snorting, jumps up and down. His life consists of having fun, having fun, fooling around, catching those who are too clever or arrogant. He gives me the opportunity to laugh and play. I turn to him in my inner life when I am too immersed in experiences or I need to find peace ... "
Lists of 100 items
Diary lists are great when you need to identify problems and causes, penetrate beyond the obvious, discover what is hidden in the subconscious, understand your desires and fears, or come up with a non-standard solution.
There should be exactly one hundred points. If you allow yourself to ignore repetitions, literacy, logic and handwriting, then half an hour will be enough for you to complete the task. You can choose absolutely any topic:
A hundred things that I need (I want) to do;
- a hundred of my fears;
- a hundred things I like (dislike) about myself;
- a hundred things that cause me stress;
- a hundred things that I lack;
- a hundred reasons to marry (not to marry);
- one hundred ideas for my business;
- a hundred important things that I don’t have enough time for;
- one hundred distractions;
- my hundred ways to help others...
When you choose a topic, start writing whatever comes to mind, as quickly as you can. Don't think too long or take breaks until you reach the last point. It's okay if there are repetitions on the list - their presence may mean that some idea is especially important to you.
When you're done, analyze the list. Try to highlight the main topics and combine all points into 4-6 categories. If you have exactly one hundred records, you will automatically get a percentage. Interesting discoveries await you. For example, you may find that 45% of your stress is caused by procrastination.
Pay special attention to the last third of the list - this is where your subconscious can run wild. And this is where the most valuable information often ends up.
Unsent emails
This method allows you to put your thoughts in order, sort out your feelings and throw out negative emotions without consequences. The whole trick of such letters lies in one phrase: “Don’t even think about sending them!” By using this practice, you can speak freely without the risk or fear of offending anyone.
Try creating unsent emails for those who literally piss you off. Let it all out. Write the most incredible rudeness that you can imagine and which in reality you would never allow yourself.
Then you can take a page out of the diary and tear up the letter. Or burn it, tear it with your teeth, trample it. Allow yourself to grumble (or scream at the top of your lungs) while you do all this. Take your breath away and you will immediately feel relief or collapse on the floor laughing.
Unsent letters are also a great way to end a relationship. If you are troubled by a feeling of incompleteness, write to those who left you or whom you yourself left. Say whatever you think these people need to hear from you. You can also address messages to the deceased person to make it easier to cope with the loss.
Dream analysis
There is always some kind of relationship between dreams (even the most absurd ones) and daily life. Dream images can provide valuable information about your inner world, feelings, fears, desires, and unresolved problems.
Listen to the voice of your subconscious. Some dreams point the way to inner growth. Others help to understand difficult situations, relationships, character traits that require attention. And sometimes dreams can lead you to make decisions that will change your life.
Dreams are elusive and easily slip away. To help you remember them, keep a notepad, pen, and small flashlight on your bedside table. When you wake up, do not immediately jump out of bed, but try to remember the dream without changing your position. Write down everything that comes to mind: a fragment, a symbol, an episode, a feeling, a mood, an image. Think about how this relates to you and your life.
The beauty of working with dreams is that there are no “right” or “wrong” interpretations. Any interpretation of a dream is “correct” if it suits you.
Journaling is a great way to analyze your thoughts and emotions. It will also help you remember your life experiences. If you're ready to get started, decide what type of journal you want to keep. Then express your thoughts, impressions and ideas in journal entries. To maintain this habit, challenge yourself to take notes every day.
Steps
Part 1
Start keeping a diary- For a budget-friendly option, look in the school supplies department for a spiral-bound or thick notebook.
- If you want a fashion journal, visit a bookstore or the stationery department at your local mall.
- For example, you can create a new document every month. And the folder can store files under the headings “January 2020”, “February 2020”, “March 2020” and so on.
- Any text editor will do. For example, Word, Pages or Notepad.
- If you chose Google Drive, share your diary from all your gadgets. Thanks to this, you can take notes from your computer, tablet or phone.
- If you don't mind expressing your thoughts publicly, try blogging.
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Decide what kind of diary you would like to keep. Make it your assistant by setting a goal. Think about why you want to keep a journal and how it might benefit you. Then choose the type of diary. Here are some common options:
- Personal diary to write about everyday life, your thoughts and feelings about what is happening to you;
- gratitude journal to record the things you are grateful for every day;
- therapy diary to work through problems or find support for recovery;
- travel diary, to document the places you visit, your travel activities, and your experiences;
- creative diary, where you can add images, sometimes along with text. Draw, paint and/or make collages.
Advice: There's nothing wrong with being creative and experimenting with your journal. For example, you could include a mix of personal notes, gratitude lists, and creative works.
Choose a topic to write about. It's so sad to look at a blank page without any ideas! Luckily, it's easy to find inspiration to write in your journal. Write down the first thing that comes to your mind. If your head is completely blank, use one of the following ideas to get started:
- Describe what is happening in your life. For example, you could write about a party you attended or a conversation you had.
- Reflect on the memory. For example, write about a wonderful day you spent with your grandparents, or a time when you lost a friend you still miss.
- Explore your emotions or feelings. If you are going through a difficult time, write about how sad you are and how you hope to change it.
- Write down your dreams. Let's say you dreamed that you were flying. You can describe the plot of the dream, your feelings during the flight, and also think about what this dream could mean.
- List what you are grateful for. For example, you could include your cat, your family, your singing voice, and your group of friends.
- Explore what scares you. For example, you can write about your fear of closed spaces.
- Use writing prompts that you can find online. Try prompts like: “explain what your favorite movie means to you,” “describe your reaction if you see a ghost,” “write about your dream vacation.”
Part 2
Make an entry-
Write the date and location at the top of the page. Chances are you'll go back and re-read some old posts in the future, and having the date and location will help you make sense of them. Place the month, day and year at the top corner of the page. And below them indicate your location.
- For example: “March 10, 2020, in a coffee shop.”
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If desired, start with an address (for example, “Dear Diary” or “Dear Me”). This is not necessary, but it may help you establish a rhythm to your writing. If you will use the address, write it in the upper left corner on the first line of the entry.
- For example: “Dear Diary.”
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Use the first person pronoun (“I”) throughout your journaling. You may be in the habit of avoiding the pronoun “I” because it is frowned upon in academic writing. However, you can do whatever you want in your journal and in your writing. Use "I" to talk about yourself in your journal.
- For example: “I finally visited this new coffee shop today.”
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Write in free form without editing your entries. When journaling, write down thoughts as they arise. Don't worry about making sense of the story, using the right sentences, or making mistakes. Focus on what you need to say and don't re-read what you've already written. Keep writing until you feel like you've spoken.
- For example, don't stop and re-read what you've already written. It doesn't matter if you made a mistake or got lost in the narrative. Your journal entry should have no meaning to anyone but you.
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Get creative with the format if you wish. Journaling is a great opportunity to get creative. Experiment with your writing to try different ways of expressing yourself. Here are some ideas:
- write a poem;
- draw pictures along with text;
- make a list of thoughts instead of describing them;
- turn a memory into a story;
- write down the lyrics to songs that are meaningful to you now;
- Glue in or include mementos of the day, such as a movie or bus ticket, flyer, or receipt.
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Ignore grammar and spelling rules when journaling. There is no need to worry about grammatical or punctuation errors here. In fact, it's even okay to ignore punctuation completely! Likewise, don't stop to check your spelling. Allow yourself to write freely without worrying about spelling rules.
- For example, perhaps you decide to write in a stream of consciousness manner. In other words, write down all your thoughts as they come to mind, without worrying about whether they are complete sentences.
Advice: There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep your journal neat and edited. The main thing is to finish writing first, and then come back and make changes.
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Include interesting sensory details to bring your recordings to life. Sensory details awaken the 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Adding these details will make your notes more interesting and help you remember the event more clearly. Look for opportunities to include these details when describing events or memories from your life.
- For example, let's say you went to the beach. You can include details such as: “The wind was cool when it touched my face,” “I tasted the salt on my tongue,” “I smelled the seaweed that had washed ashore,” “A gray mist hung over the ocean, but I could still see the boat in the distance,” “The crash of the waves lulled me into an afternoon sleep.”
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Don't worry about the length of your posts. Of course, you can set a goal to make notes of a certain length. However, allow yourself to write as briefly or as extensively as possible. A few sentences every day are better than a full page written every now and then. Write down what comes to mind, but allow yourself to stop if you feel like you have nothing more to say.
- For example, some days you can just jot down short lists. On other days, you can write several pages. Allow yourself to be flexible.
Part 3
Get into the habit of journaling-
Set a goal Write in your diary every day, even if it’s very short. The best way to form a habit is to do it every day. This can be very difficult at first, so there will likely be days when you forget about your journal. Challenge yourself to write every day, whether it's a short list or a long entry. Over time, this will become a habit.
- If some day is very busy, just write down 3 things that happened. For example: “1) I worked a lot today; 2) I visited a new Italian restaurant - it was delicious; 3) I had a nice walk after dinner.”
- It's okay if the entries are different from each other every day.
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Find a convenient time to write so that you can make it part of your daily routine. Chances are, you already have a lot on your plate, and finding time to journal can be difficult. To stick with your habit, choose a time when journaling fits naturally into your schedule. Then try taking notes during these moments. Here are some ideas:
- Keep a journal while you drink your morning coffee;
- take notes on the way to or from work if you are not driving;
- write during lunch;
- journal while you cook dinner;
- write while watching TV in the evening;
- take notes right before bed.
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Carry your journal with you wherever you can. You may find it easier to stick to your habit if you always have your journal with you. This way you can pull it out and record whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Carry a notebook in your bag or use a text editor that allows you to journal from your phone or tablet.
- For example, you can take notes while in line at the doctor's office or while waiting for someone who is running late.
- If you keep an electronic diary, you can try this option: print your entries as an email on your phone and send the letter to yourself. Then copy and paste the entry into the created diary.
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Review past records when the time comes. One of the great things about journaling is how therapeutic it is. However, it works best if you re-read old posts and reflect on them. Choose a time when you feel ready to deal with past issues and how they still affect you.
- For example, let's say you had a hard time recovering from your layoff. After you find a new job, you can look back at your old posts to realize that your worries were in vain. This may help you remain more positive and resilient when you face rejection again.
- Be careful with your diary if you are worried that someone might read it. Hide it or use a password if you keep it electronically.
Choose a notebook if you want to write by hand. When you think about journaling, you probably think of a notebook and pen. You can use any notebook that you like and enjoy writing in. Get a plain notebook if you want to decorate it, or a pretty one if you want something more stylish.
Advice: Journaling in a notebook is a great option if you want to personalize it with drawings, stickers, and collages. You can even put memorabilia in there, like theater tickets!
Choose a text editor if you prefer to journal on your computer. This may make it easier for you to take notes. Use your preferred text editor to journal. Create a new document at set intervals, such as every month or year. Then save all the entries in one folder.
Keeping a personal diary is characteristic not only of teenage girls experiencing a crisis of adolescence, but also of adults who intend to understand themselves. A diary is a physically existing corner of the human soul, carefully storing the thoughts, ideas and emotions of its owner. If you're thinking about starting a dialogue with yourself, you'll want to learn how to keep a personal journal for your own benefit.
Why do you need a diary?
A personal diary is a great way to understand your feelings and experiences, calm and organize your mind, and discover the root of your problems. By transferring emotions to paper, you can, as it were, look at this or that situation from the outside, rethink something and, perhaps, change your point of view on some life events. Keeping entries in a diary and then re-reading them is one of the best ways for self-analysis, reflection and introspection. Written visualization of your fears, desires, hidden thoughts and true feelings will help you find inner harmony.
A diary can become an outlet for a lonely person. If you don't have a close friend to bare your soul to and to whom you can safely share your secrets, a journal will be a great silent substitute. Of course, communication in this case will be one-sided, but the main thing is to speak out. It is also very useful to keep a personal diary for hot-tempered people prone to aggression, or those who are prone to sadness and sadness - they will be able to leave their negative emotions on paper and not carry them into real life.
Diary type
If you want to start keeping a personal diary, first decide which one you need. Will it be just a chaotic repository of your thoughts and reflections, or a thematic collection? If you settled on the first option, then write on a whim, by inspiration, everything that comes to mind, from describing dreams and thinking about the meaning of all life in the Universe and ending with a reminder to go to the doctor and a sketch of the desired dress. If you want to make a thematic diary, then think carefully about its focus. So, for example, it can be of the following types: a gratitude diary, a relaxation diary, a diary of ideas, a diary of raising a child, or a diary of transformations.
In your gratitude journal, write down the things you want to say thank you to the world for. For example, today you are grateful to life for a successful transaction, yesterday you thanked fate for the smile of a handsome stranger on the subway, and on a global scale you say thank you to the world for the good health of your parents.
A personal diary can be thematic: a gratitude diary, an idea diary, a relaxation diary, etc.
A holiday diary is needed to store travel impressions. Write in it what interesting places you visited, what nice people you met and what unusual dishes you tried.
In the diary of ideas write down any ideas that come to your mind. These could be ideas about renovating your apartment or a new hairstyle, apt observations for your future book, or ideas for improving your workflow. In addition, you can write down ideas for any inventions, including fantastic ones. And let the invention remain only on paper and never be created - such exercises perfectly develop imagination and train creative thinking.
In your child's diary, you can record the times and dates of your children's first achievements, steps and words, their curious and funny statements, their successes in school or creativity. Then, many years later, they themselves will be very interested in learning how they developed and learned about the world.
In your transformation diary, record what you plan to change. For example, find a new job, get a job in a dance class, make peace with a friend whose relationship has gone wrong. This type of diary will help you track changes in your life and analyze how much time it takes you to decide on something new. In addition, the transformation diary is an excellent way to raise self-esteem - visual confirmation that you are not sitting still, but are actively moving towards your goals and achieving them, strengthens self-confidence.
Place and time
Frank conversation with yourself requires a certain atmosphere. It is difficult to be truly sincere, even with a piece of paper, on public transport or in the workplace surrounded by colleagues. It is best to choose a calm and quiet environment for recording. It is best to be completely alone at this moment so that you can focus on yourself and your feelings. For example, you can write in the evening after work, sitting on the couch under a cozy blanket, or in the morning, sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. The place and time of creating an entry in your personal diary may vary depending on your mood. The main thing is that you feel as comfortable, safe and relaxed as possible.
Cover and page design
A personal diary is a purely intimate thing, so its design depends solely on your preferences. You can buy a bright and colorful large notebook with a beautiful ornament at a stationery store, or you can buy a simple notebook and decorate it yourself. To design an elegant cover with your own hands, you will need colored pencils, felt-tip pens or watercolor paint, self-adhesive colored paper, various ribbons and other decorations. On the first page of your diary you can leave information about the owner - name, date of birth, interests and other data that you consider necessary. Subsequent pages of your personal diary can be decorated with colorful stickers, interesting sketches and pictures.
Storage space
Before you start keeping a personal diary, you need to seriously think about where to store it. Do you have a place in your home where you can safely leave a notebook whose pages contain information that is not intended for others? Most often, personal diaries are kept in a drawer with linen, on the bed under the pillow, or in the farthest corner of the closet. For greater reliability, you can purchase a diary with a lock - even if someone finds it, there is no way to get to the contents without a key.
An alternative option is to carry a diary with you. This way, your treasured notebook will always be at your side, and you will know for sure that it did not fall into the wrong hands. In addition, you can make a recording at any time as soon as inspiration strikes you.
In order for keeping a personal diary to have a beneficial psychotherapeutic effect on you and actually help you resolve your internal conflicts, you need to follow some simple rules.
- Write only if you really want to. Don't force yourself to describe the events of each day that has passed. Journaling should be fun.
- Be honest. There is no point in keeping a lie in your diary, deceiving yourself or hiding anything. A personal diary should know everything about you, even what you yourself would not want to know about yourself. Imagine that the piece of paper in front of you is a doctor. If you convey to him incorrect information about the state of your health, the treatment will not give the desired result. It’s the same here: if you write only thoughts that please yourself and sweep away everything bad that you don’t like about yourself (for example, envy of a work colleague or resentment towards a loved one), you won’t have to wait for the healing of your soul. Don't be afraid to admit to yourself even the worst things.
- When writing, do not pay attention to syntax, punctuation and spelling. Correcting mistakes and typos can interfere with the flow of your thoughts and dampen your mood.
- Re-read your notes periodically. This will help you understand how you and your opinions and judgments change over time.
A notebook set up on time will save not only nerves, but also money. Keeping a personal diary is like talking with an attentive psychologist. With the help of a diary, you can get to know yourself better, set life priorities and make plans for the future.
What associations arise in your head when you hear the word “diary”?
I’m sure it’s either something to do with school, or with romantic girls furtively writing poems in a notebook under their pillow. Meanwhile, keeping a personal diary can be useful not only for schoolchildren and writers, but also for you. Moreover, it can really . Below you will find six reasons why you should start journaling your life daily.
In our digital times, when the tools for recording information are undergoing a real revolution, the forms of keeping a diary can be very different and largely depend on your preferences. Someone may want to record video or audio clips for this, others will prefer to use one of the many special programs or, others will remain faithful to a good paper diary and pen.
No matter what tools you use, the main thing is strict adherence to two principles that have remained unchanged since the days of candles and goose feathers. Firstly, the diary must be personal, that is, inaccessible to a wide circle of people, and secondly, you must be extremely honest with yourself, otherwise it all loses all meaning.
So, how can you benefit from journaling?
How do you really feel?
A journal can help you recognize and articulate your feelings that are usually hidden deep inside. Modern life often has such a pace that a person rushes like a horse at a race, ignoring his emotions and sensations. As a result, we have constant stress and mental breakdowns. You will now have legitimate time for self-reflection, giving you a deeper and more realistic view of yourself, your life and your work.
Point of view
We are bombarded with a barrage of information from all sides, which contains dozens of very different opinions on various topics. The only trouble is that these are all other people's opinions. What do you personally think? Do you have time to articulate your views on the important topics of the day?
Let off some steam
Sometimes there really are difficult days. You are frustrated, embarrassed, defeated, angry, confused. It may even be that you cannot talk to someone close to you about it. Keeping everything inside will drive you crazy. Get your emotions out on paper. Then read it and smile.
Life is a great thing!
We read and hear many fascinating stories about different people. Why not write a best-selling book called The Story of My Life? Imagine that your diary will be published after... well, sometime later, and try to fill it with such events that future readers cannot tear themselves away. This is a great way to make your life more interesting and deep.
Hello my Name Is…
Yes, do you really know who you are? Are you sure of your desires and goals? Get to know your real self. Many people are so intertwined with job and family obligations that for them submitting an annual report and buying a fur coat for their wife can overshadow their actual dreams. It's time to sit down and think (and be sure to write down) about your actual aspirations. And a lot, a lot, carefully, but strictly, erase from your life.
Message
Imagine that you were rummaging through the attic and found your father's personal diary. You drop everything and, unable to tear yourself away, flip through page after page until the evening. Here he is meeting your mother... here is your birth... now he is worried about work... complaining about his health... Can you imagine?
So why are you depriving your children of these sensations? They need to know about you and what you really were like.
Do you keep a diary?
