Journals and Papers

Hope is something we conjure up in deep times of sadness and grief. Hope comes from within, an awakening, a desire, something to believe in. Hope moves us forward, gives us a sense of purpose. Hope is anticipation of a better time to come.

When we journal, we sometimes journal for hope, especially if we are going through a rough time. We journal to write words we believe in, words to give us comfort. A journal becomes a cane in times of hardship. We can lean on it; use it for support and strength.

If you have cancer, or know of someone who is suffering from the disease, or are survivors, the Hope Every Day Journal by Compendium is a delightful gift for the journal writer. It features uplifting, meaningful quotes on every two-page spread that give hope and inspiration.

With every cancer battle, there also come many success stories. Explain first steps taken, fears that are faced and conquered, healthcare workers who have helped. Write about friends and family who have stayed with you and provided support. This small gem of a journal is a wonderful tool for wellness and to track a powerful journey of hope.

Have you ever gone back and looked through some of your old journal entries? Sometimes it can be a real eye opener. If you have, do you find at times that you really feel like you don’t know the person who wrote the entries? That happened to me recently. I looked through a creative journal I had started in 2001. I had crayoned throughout, clipped magazine photos and added quotations and put little creative sayings in to match my journey of thoughts at that time. I didn’t do very many pages, but for the ones I did, the writing is very profound.

I am really amazed at some of the quotations I wrote, and wonder where they came from. Was that really me? It’s my hand writing, I put my signature below each one (I do that when I’m writing so that I know they are my words). Your past journals are but pieces of your heart and soul at a given point in time. We are forever changing and can’t expect that the things we write about will be the same things that affect us a few years from now. Don’t be afraid to go through your old writing journals. Your entries can reveal some things about you that you may have forgotten.

Here’s an entry from my Discovery Journal I’d like to share with you:

“Waves leave behind ripples in the sand,
like the tides of life
forever changing, always rearranging.
Enjoy the beauty of the ripple changes.
Study not for too long,
for tomorrow another tide comes,
which will change the surface of the sand once again.”
(2005  by Patricia L. Atchison)

I just attended a workshop on Pilgrimage Journal Writing - very in depth - but one of the tools we used to start journal writing was Meditation Cards. First we did a deep breathing exercise for about 5 minutes to relax and concentrate on our breathing only, then we were instructed to go to a table and pick out a card from a set of 3 boxes. One set was Tarot cards, the other Mother Teresa meditation cards, and a third set of spiritual cards. When I went to the table, I looked at the Mother Theresa cards, as I love the work she did. My eyes fell upon the ‘Joy” card, and I knew that was what I could journal about.

The card was Mother Theresa on “JOY“

Joy is prayer
Joy is strength
Joy is love
She who gives with joy gives most.

The following is an excerpt of what I wrote for my journal entry:

Joy

Joy fulfills me. It gives me peace. It enlightens my day. It uplifts me. It carries me away to brighter heights to a life worth living, to that which gives me hope.

Joy is that element of life we should strive for, that which we should ultimately attain. With joy comes peace, strength, love. When you have joy you can give of yourself. You are also open to love. Your light of joy shines from within to comfort others, to invite them into your bright world.

With joy you cannot have darkness, there is no room for it. Light is all that prevails. Joy. A simple word, so much happiness with it, so much to strive for, so much to feel, so much to give, so much to be, so much to have. JOY!