Journaling Power

In our daily lives, it's very easy to lose ourselves, our emotions, and our goals. I've experienced something like this. We often focus on responsibilities and external factors, "whatever they may be," and one day we wake up to find that we've lost a large part of ourselves. You know that question asked in job interviews that most people consider silly: "Where do you see yourself in five years?" In reality, this question is fundamental and one of the most essential and profound questions there is.

With one question—"How do I want to see myself five years from now?"—and by focusing on it with deep thought and by realizing that I want this, this, and that, and that I want to stop doing this, the answer is simple. Even though this question seems very difficult when you focus on it and think about it, its answer is simple.

By grabbing any writing tool you use—whether it's a paper and a pen, a tablet and a stylus, or a screen and a keyboard—and writing the question, you will find the answers one after another. And this is where the journaling journey begins.

Well, some people start journaling their daily lives immediately without asking this question, and others reach a point in their journaling journey where they ask it. In both cases, journaling isn't just focused on the idea of five years from now; it's about our lives in general. Through writing, we see ourselves grow and evolve, and we somehow have control over what we might feel and for how long. Furthermore, journaling isn't something that's done for a few weeks or months. In fact, it's done for a lifetime. It helps us reconnect with our thoughts, our emotions, and our inner selves. It shows us that we have a flaw in this specific part and a strength in that other part.

The Dangers of Repressing Emotions

Many times, we face difficulties that we cannot tell our closest people about, and we keep them to ourselves. This can lead to repressing our feelings, and day after day, month after month, at one time or another, we explode, either externally (by getting into a big fight with others), which is an easier and better explosion than an internal explosion (either through illness, to the extent of having a stroke or a heart attack! And trust me, I'm not exaggerating).

Therefore, when we put our anger and happiness on paper with all the thoughts and events that happened with these feelings and the date they occurred, it first results in the most important thing: tranquility, and second, a record for the future. Because through this process, we begin to discover ourselves and find out if we are on the right path in life.

After a while, we reread what we wrote and find out how we were at that stage. If we are currently in a miserable state and we read how we were extremely happy before, we can reconnect and return to our old selves and improve our current state.

For example, a personal experience without going into detail: About five years ago, I wrote exactly what I was feeling at that stage. After writing it and forgetting what I had written due to the unstoppable passage of time, I faced a major problem and really needed something to lift my spirits. Suddenly, and without any intention other than checking old notebooks, I found what I had previously written, and I was so happy to reread it and aspire to feel as I did before again. Just focusing on that time.

And this isn't just about seeing how we were; it's also (in times of hardship and trouble) a way to develop ourselves and become better than before. A way to focus on the life we want to see ourselves in and be proud of.

Not to mention, it greatly relieves and reduces stress. Even psychiatrists encourage people who have faced problems in the past to write them down and express them in the best possible ways, just to remove the burden that weighs on them.

Also, when we write regularly, we keep what I can call a life record, where we observe how successful or poorly we performed during a specific period. It's a way to control and manage our goals and a way to enjoy the beautiful memories we had before.

Just as a camera captures a moment that lives forever, when we see the captured image, we remember that moment, and when we read our writings, we remember who we are.