January 24, 2026

On Journaling by Brenda J Wood




Somewhere in the early seventies, I heard that journaling helped a person overcome abuse and I thought, that is for me! I gathered up notebooks and several pens. Then I warned my family never to touch those scribblers. I left them in plain view on the coffee table and trusted they'd never open them. That’s many years and sixty plus notebooks ago.

This is what I have learned.

Just get all your thoughts out of you and onto the page; everything from joys to jealous and juicy gossip. Getting words down on the page somehow makes the life they represent more manageable. Some people like to organize their overwhelming thoughts. I just pour mine out and deal with them face-to-face.

Who else is better qualified?

Those sentences help you understand the real you. There is no pretense when you face your regrets and reality.

Be a Velveteen Rabbit. Find that true happiness means accepting yourself as who you really are. Of course, by necessity, we write the good, the bad, and the ugly. How do we experience joy if we haven’t experienced its opposite?

Write on and expose your hidden attitudes and prejudice and deal them a heavy blow of correction.

The lessons you learn? Invaluable. Let your words lead you—through loneliness, leisure and life in general.
J - just
O - organize
U - understand
R - be real, record
N - necessary
A - attitudes and
L - life lessons
You might never write a best seller or publish your memoir, but your journals are a fine second.




Brenda J Wood has authored more than fifty books. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, who declares the Word of God with wisdom, humour, and common sense.







6 comments:

  1. Hello Brenda. Thank you for your post. I especially like the idea that "Getting words down on the page somehow makes the life they represent more manageable," as I, too, have found that setting things down in blue ink helps break down overwhelming thoughts and emotions. Have a good day.

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  2. Another gem from you, Brenda, set among those other InScribers have shared! I like your acronym. I'm making a bookmark with this handy reminder, and will use it in my growing pile of notebook journals!

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  3. Enjoyed this post, Brenda. Every bit of it. I appreciate the honesty of just writing it all out with abandon. After reading many of these posts I realize I need to be a little more earnest in my attempts at journaling. Thanks for the encouragement to do just that.

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  4. Good advice from a well-seasoned author. This line resonates: "Getting words down on the page somehow makes the life they represent more manageable." I have found that to be true in my own life. Thanks, Brenda, for sharing today.

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  5. What wise advice, Brenda!! These words rang true to me: "The lessons you learn? Invaluable. Let your words lead you—through loneliness, leisure and life in general." Thank you.

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