I started journaling a few months after we were married. I started primarily because I was confused about how in the world this latest argument started. And then when we tried to talk about what happened, we couldn’t even agree on what was said or why it started. “That’s not what I said,” she would say. “Yes it is,” I would insist. “No it’s not!” and another argument was underway. We would argue about arguments.
At first I journaled to see if there was something I was doing. Was there something wrong with me or something wrong with what I was doing? And I journaled to remember. And to try to make sense of everything. And then I discovered that journaling served many purposes for me. By journaling immediately after (and sometimes even during) an argument, it allowed me to keep a record of what really did happen. It gave me a tool to compare incidents to see if there were patterns and to help me keep my sanity, that I wasn’t losing my mind, and that what I think happened really did happen the way I think it happened.
Now, more than two years later, I have been able to go back through my journal entries and understand where I was, where I’ve been, and where I am today. It has helped me identify themes, and solutions, if not for my marriage, at least for myself to be ok.
If you’re struggling with anything in your life, I strongly encourage you to journal. If you’re like me, you will discover that in the pages of your own writing are answers to questions you didn’t even know to ask, solutions to problems you weren’t even aware you had, and a clarity of thought and heart that is hard to achieve any other way.
This blog is my journal. Perhaps not every detail but enough of it that I hope it helps you… and encourages you to find value in your own life through journaling.
David
Punched in the Nose 