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Journaling Life.com's Monthly
Newsletter
July 2004
Issue Two -
Volume One
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Journaling as
a Tool to Redemptive Living
by David L. Russell, Ph.D
I trust you all had a great Fourth
of July this year. My apologies for the
tardiness of this month's newsletter. Things have been very
busy around
the Westvon Publishing Empire, and getting busier by the day.
Turning
forty-four on the fifth of July was not traumatic like a friend
of mine
suggested, however. I'm feeling younger every year, LOL.
The main focus for most of us when it comes to journaling is
self-reflection
or self-analysis. No surprise here since the starting point
is always with
the individual. Regardless of whether you're a journaler or
not, everyone
should be actively involved in a healthy dose of self-analysis.
It
certainly doesn't take a Ph.D in Philosophy to ask those sixty-four
dollar
questions like, "Who am I?", "Where am I going?",
"Does life have meaning?",
etc. I certainly encourage everyone to engage in this kind of
deep
reflective analysis. That being said, I would like to encourage
us all to
journal beyond the scope of mere self-reflection. I am not suggesting
an
either or approach, but rather a both/and. We begin with self-analysis
and
then, through clarification, we can turn our attention to affecting
the
world around us.
After wading through a myriad of
books on journaling, I have found that the
overwhelming focus has been on "Self." Suggestions
and topics such as,
"finding the real you" and "writing about yourself"
are typical
self-centered topics that often seem to have little followup
to them. What
good does it do for any of us to journal our way into self-realization
if we
then fail to take it to the world around us? This brings me
to the topic of
this month's newsletter, "Redemptive Living."
I began thinking about this in
great detail after reading a heart breaking
book by Thomas Debaggio, Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at
Life with
Alzheimer's (Free Press, 2003). It's a very well written book
in a
journaling style that combines self-reflection and words of
redemption for
the reader. Debaggio gives us a glimpse into the inner world
of his torment
as he begins the nightmare journey into the world of this crippling
disease.
What you find in his self-analysis is an admonition for the
reader to never
again take for granted even the simple things in life. In the
following
example of Debaggio's writing, we find him lamenting the fact
that there
were things he wished he had told his parents before they passed
away.
"I am sorry it took so long to find myself and understand
how much I loved them. All I have left are a few weak memories,
and now it is too late for their boy...Memories tell us who
we are
and where we have been and they warm us and provide direction.
In later years, the old memories remain to offer familiar anecdotes
and the safety of the past...My memories are slowly disappearing
from places inhabited for so long...Our immortality, such as
it
may be, is not contained in what we dreamed or the secrets
we kept; it is how our friends and loved ones remember us.
Thomas Debaggio (pp. 206-207).
The last line, pertaining to how we will be remembered by friends
and loved
ones, gets to the heart of this month's newsletter. Think of
the impact our
written words can have on generations to come. When I speak
to older people
about the value of journaling, insofar as they can leave a piece
of
themselves behind, I try to convey the kind of positive impact
it can have.
Throughout the Debaggio is challenging the reader to seek wisdom
and to pay
close attention to the finer details of life. This wisdom comes
from the
cost of a man who is losing his ability to reflect on these
things. What a
wonderful gift Thomas Debaggio has given to the world. An autobiographical
yet redemptive work that could help change the lives of so many.
The question we all need to keep
in mind, is how our own lives can be used
to effect positive change in those around us. I look at journaling
as an
excellent opportunity to develop character and integrity. Yes,
of course
this begins with self-analysis, but as I look deep into my soul
and assess
who I am, I continually ask questions regarding the kind of
person I will be
remembered as and whether or not I am contributing to the cultivation
of the
part of the world I have been given.
I recently found a big box in my
parent's basement that contained diaries
and letters from my mother's parents and relatives. As I read
the content
of my Grandma's diary, it was as if she was sitting next to
me telling me
about life. I never knew her since she died when I was less
than a year
old. There were insights about her daily experiences and ideas
on how to
live well that have contributed greatly to my life. She died
a painful
death, but in her writing, she spoke of her faith in the Lord
and how he
would come at night to comfort her. She reflected a great deal
on the Bible
verse that speaks about God giving us a song in the night (Job
35:10).
I also found a stash of letters
my uncle Clell had written to my
Grandparents during World War II. Some of these letters contained
accounts
of the D-Day Invasion, and the Battle of the Bulge. He speaks
of his fears
and the horrors of war accompanied by heart felt comments of
how he missed
his wife and family. Many of his insights in these letters are
centered
around his concerns for the kind of world in which his children
would have
to grow up. Sure, these were letters and not journal entries,
but the
writing is exactly the same as a journal. He wrote words of
redemption that
the rest of my family now cherishes.
If we keep in mind the people to
whom we are accountable and to whom we are
responsible, journaling takes on a new perspective. We begin
to see that
it's not only about "me," but about others. Redemptive
journaling enables us
to give of ourselves to greater things and to other's needs.
In my own
opinion, it boils down to gaining wisdom, and in wisdom we find
the source
of virtue and goodness that makes our lives fuller. If we wish
to be
remembered fondly and with affection and to be remembered as
virtuous people
of character, we have the maximum opportunity to use our skills
and love for
journaling to help accomplish this goal. Of course, it will
take more than
mere words to change our lives. Putting the things we learn
through
self-analysis to use is a necessity. You've heard the old cliche'
"talk is
cheap"? How true it is. Seeking truth and wisdom as we
journal our
journeys will keep us on the road to redemptive living.
Please feel free to share this
newsletter with all of the people in your
life that you feel might benefit from learning about journaling.
Invite
them to come and visit our website and we will strive to offer
you a
wonderful visit as you explore the wonderful world of journaling.
http://www.JournalingLife.com
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Journaling Life
Email: Dave@westvon.com
Phone Contact: (419) 250-1096
P.O. Box 501 - Maumee, OH 43551
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2004 by Westvon Publishing, LLC.. All right reserved. You may
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