Joyful Journaling

Fellow Sojourners,

I commend your interest in giving your thoughts form. May our words teach us how to live more fully into the moment that has been given today.

God is not only to be found on the mountain tops; he is at the shore, in the fishing boat, walking the market with us, sharing our meal. By writing about the everyday, about the seemingly mundane thoughts in our head as we wait in line at the grocery store or watch our children on the playground, we are better able to see the beauty in the simple moments of our lives.

As writers it is easy to set the trap of trying to dig too deep into personal sorrow for a story we deem interesting or to feel that each time we write should be a private therapy session. When that happens we can quickly end up stranded, lost in a dark sea of thoughts with no light, no direction, and no enrichment. This leads to frustration that can cause the pen and paper to be stuffed in a drawer, forgotten for years to come. Imagine all of the beautiful thoughts that were not allowed to surface when this has happened.

Do not snuff out the light in your heart by creating for yourself an imagined obligation to divulge all of your pain and all of your struggles with each time you sit to write. Instead, allow yourself to stay close to shore, riding exciting waves as they bring you towards land and pull you out into the unknown with comforting rhythm.

Be willing to write in short bursts, on sticky notes and in margins, in a small notebook or at the edge of a doodle. Do not feel obligated to purge your thoughts or fill the page. Not everything written must be worthy of the next gut-wrenching memoir for the ages.

Have faith in the spiritual being that you are. You do not have to perform a literary autopsy on yourself or your past experiences for your words to have depth and meaning.

Allow a space for beauty in your heart and on your paper and the story will come. It will come gently like a wild bird being coaxed first by the suet on the tree and eventually to the seeds in your hand.

Best regards,
Eryn Duffee-Braun