Journaling as a Tool to Redemptive Living
By David L. Russell, PhD
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 PhD 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 follow-up 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 book 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 heartfelt 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 cliché "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. •
Copyright 2004 David L. Russell. All rights reserved.
About the Author
David Russell completed his MA in Philosophy from the University of Detroit,
and his PhD in History, Religion and
Philosophy at the Michigan State University. He currently serves as the CEO
of Westvon Publishing, dedicated to
providing unique educational products. He is the editor of JournalingLife.com,
a site dedicated to teaching everyone the
importance of journaling and is an accomplished bluegrass musician, playing
banjo with the Mike Adams Band in
Michigan. He currently resides in Livonia, Michigan where he oversees the operations
of Westvon Publishing north.
03/02/05
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