Keep a Diary or a Journal

Keep a Diary or a Journal.     If someone where to ask me what book most influenced my life, the answer would be difficult. However, the book, which started my metamorphosis, I trace to “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” by, Michael J. Gelb.   The book convinced me of the merit of maintaining a record of my feelings and observations, while teaching me a different way to see.   If you could sum up Leonardo’s genius, “observation” would be the key. Observation and record keeping over a full life, created the tool Da Vinci used to stamp his creative imprint on the world of the Renaissance. His observations of how birds fly were not duplicated until the use of stop frame photography in the 20th century, a fact about his keen ability to observe that amazes me.   Okay it worked for Leonardo, but why should I bother?   Let me give you the words of Stephen R Covey author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”:   “Journaling is one of the most powerful forms of increasing self-awareness I know of, simply because you observe your own participation in life” Quoted from “Living the Seven Habits”     I use my journal to record my ideas, feelings, sudden flushes of inspiration, poems, thought fragments, and other bits and pieces. Later I refer to my journal to get ideas for articles or simply to observe the milestones along my journey. My journal also keeps me focused on the keys elements of my life.   Tips for Using a Journal   The journal itself is important. If you can find it, a journal with lines on one page and a black page opposite, is the best to use. I use a Blueline Journal with blank pages. You can find these at any Stapes Store. Let me show you why:     I am not an artist. However part of observation is to draw objects or scenes. By doing this you increase your ability to observe. Having the blank sheet of paper allows you to doodle and draw as well as record your feelings. The word in the square in a word I recorded to look up later in a dictionary.   Number your volumes and keep them in a safe place, you never know when you might want to refer to them.   Try to journal at a specific time of the day. I usually make and entry at the end of the day just before I go to bed.   Don’t force it. Let the process come naturally. I keep my journal close to me at all times now.   You might want to theme your journal, such as a record of your thoughts and experiences with each of your siblings as they grow up to give as a gift when they reach a certain age.   You can add photos and newspaper clippings as well.   Date all entries.   You can also journal electronically and use modern technology such as scanners to scan in photo’s and clippings.     Let the Writing Begin   Here are the words of Michael J. Gelb on keeping a Journal:   Busy lives and job responsibilities tend to drive us toward hard conclusions and measurable results, but the exploratory, free-flowing, unfinished, non-judgemental practice of keeping a Da Vincian notebook encourages freedom of thought and expansion of perspective. In the manner of the maestro, don’t worry about order and logical flow, just record.” From: “ How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci”.