By
Maria Ferrer
There is no right or wrong
time to start a Gratitude Journal or just journaling. The start of a new year,
a new month, even a new week is a good time to start.
Comadres are journaling
from coast to coast. From New York to California,
from Illinois to Texas.
We did a poll of how long
Comadres were journaling and found that more than 65% of you have been
journaling for 5 years or more. 10% just
started recently, less than a year ago.
For many, journaling brings
clarity, peace, and grounding.
For Aida Perez (TX) journaling helps her reflect on her day, her week,
her life.
For Lucy Recio (MD) journaling helps ground and heal her. It allows her to author her life’s story.
For Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa (NY) journaling centers her. Puts her
experiences into words, cements it in her mind and records it so she can
revisit at a later date.
Others like Julie Aponte (NY) journaling is
meditative. She writes down what she is grateful for to reshift her energy and
perspective in positive ways. For Lydia
Galvan (TX) it is a cognitive
behavioral therapy tool.
For Elsa Prado (IL) journaling is more spiritual. She uses it to talk to God. Many Comadres do
a Gratitude Journal specifically to list what they are grateful for and to keep
track of their many blessings. For example, Comadre Leonor Mendoza (TX) journals regardless of the day she’s had for
there is always something to be grateful for. Same with Mirna Merced-Reyes (MA), journaling keeps her hopeful about
overcoming Life’s challenges. For Amparo
Garcia-Crow (TX) it’s her mindfulness meditation practice.
For some it’s about the
positive. Veronica Hawkins (TX)
likes to start her day on a positive note. Julie
Anna Alvarez Rivera (NY) believes you attract to your life what you focus
on and she focuses on the good in her life. She has also read studies that have
found gratitude journaling linked to improved mental, emotional, physical, and
spiritual well-being.
For others like Silvia Patricia Solis (TX) journaling
helps preserve memories. Same with Christina
Guerra (TX), it helps chronicle her life.
While Hilda Rivas (TX) and Elsie Santana (CT) like to have a
record of what was going on in their life so they can go back and read it.
Journals come in all
colors, sizes and shapes. Some have pretty graphics, some are metallic, some
are leather bound with clouds and feathers. Their key feature is that they are
blank notebooks. Journals are personal so choose one that speaks to you. And if you can’t find a journal with a cover
you like, find a photo, postcard, quote or drawing that you like and paste that
to your new journal.
And sometimes blank
notebooks are best. Comadre Jacquelyn
Leon (NJ) is a blank notebook kind of journaler, and Bertha Magaňa (IL) uses any blank book to record her life.
The Big Question is how to
start. Ana Gonzalez (CT) recommends
starting slow, just write for 15 or 30 minutes.
How often should you write in your
journal?
Again, there is no right or
wrong answer. Amy Cobb (TX) and Anna
Reynoso (CA) journal as often as they can.
While others like Mona Chavez
(TX) journals once a week, or like Julie
Aponte (NY) who journals every other night. You choose a time at your convenience.
How to keep the momentum of journaling
going?
Many Comadres like Hilda Rivas (TX) recommend starting
with “Today, I am grateful for….” Or “I
am ….” Lydia Galvan (TX) likes to think of something beautiful that held
her in awe that day or something someone did for her. Johanna Moya Fabregas (TX) starts with listing the fun things her
daughter did that day that made her happy. The top favorite way to start is by
listing three things you are thankful/grateful for today. Or try: “Today, I honor myself by ….”.
Below
are some recommended books on journaling.
Good luck and Happy Journaling. #
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
●
THE MINDFULNESS JOURNAL by Scott & Davenport
●
THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin
●
CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD by Neale Donald Walsch
●
FIND A QUIET CORNER: INNER PEACE: ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE by Nancy
O’Hara
●
BULLET JOURNALING by Ryder Caroll
●
GOOD DAYS TO START WITH GRATITUDE by Pretty Simple Press
●
WRITING FOR SELF-DISCOVERY, PERSONAL
APPROACH TO CREATIVE WRITING by Mayra Schneider & John Killick
●
THE ARTIST WAY by Julia Cameron
**This article first appeared in the Winter/ Spring Comadres Connect Newsletter.**
