Types of journals and what they are best for- Day 3 (Journaling)

Welcome to day 3 of learning how to journal.  If this is your first time viewing this, please take this time to go back to day 1, which covers an introduction to journaling and day 2, which covers how to journal, where to journal, and when to journal.

Today covers what to journal and how that journaling impacts on your actual styling and so forth. 

There are so many different styles of journaling out there until I will start by saying that I will not be covering all of them, just the major ones that people tend to start.  There are journals for every mood known to mankind, and the very first thing is to figure out what your mood is and why you want to journal. 

Generalization Journaling:

If this journal is for you and you alone, find out what is it you want your future self to remember about you in the present.  Perhaps you want to grow from your situation.  Is this a teaching moment for you and your child?  What do you want the world to know about you?  These are all good journals to start, and they are a generalized journal.  The goal of this journal is to teach and learn from the past or the present in hopes for a better future for you and those who you want to teach.

The journal I write in almost every day is a generalized journal.  The end goal is for me and my child to learn and to grow from any situation that I have to throw out, including things such how I feel about my present situation, love life, having and adopting children, and financial matters.  I throw in a little spiritual because I am a Christian, and it must have that meaning for me to understand what God wants in my life.  I also throw in when I am angry because life is no bed of roses.  I want me and my future child to know that.   There was a portion of my journals where I mention my child specifically because I wanted to let her know that when she gets here, in my presence, that she was well loved before I even met her. In my last three incarnations of my journal, I am not so child-focused because I have not adopted my child yet.  Once I get the process going, I will start up again.  This is when I will have this type of journal:

Gratitude Journal

What is being grateful?  You are grateful for everything that has ever been given to you, allowed to see, and allowed to experience.  This is a daily journaling practice to show you just how lucky you truly are, no matter what you are going through.  You can combine it with Bible Journaling (description below) to get a real effect on your life.  The purpose if to find yourself in the gratefulness, and never complain.

Birth or adoption journal:

In this type of journal, it is focused on you and your child, and how you are doing before the child arrived.  It may start out with “the day I found out that I will be a mom/dad”. (yes, men, you can have this type of journal too.) It has an end date, and that end date can be anywhere from, “The day they placed you in my arms for the first time” to “The day you left for College”, “The day I gave you away in marriage”, “the day you had your first child”, or even, “the day I had to bury you” (sorry to morbid on the last title, but some parents do go through that).  The point is that it has a start date and an end date. 

This can apply to the day you decide to adopt. You can call it a life book.  This is a book that foster agencies give to kids when they move from house to house.  My foster sister had one.  It is a type of memory book, but you can easily adapt it to your birth child as well.

On my wedding Day:

You can journal about your wedding plans.  You can start with the proposal up to your wedding day.  Make this more of a creative-type of a journal.  You can place in things like a photo of your engagement ring, your china pattern, your colors for your wedding, a sample of your invitation, who you want to invite, and even receipts from the cater and other vendors.  Write about how you felt the day of your wedding and who was there to rally with your intended.  Go further to talk about your honeymoon, where was it, and how it felt to be newly wedded. Also, talk about your first place as a couple.  I am sure you have stories to tell.

Project journals:

Is there a specific project you want to work on?  Journal it.  Startup business, building a home, remodeling, even a trip all qualify as writing down how you felt when this event happened.  Write down your research if you are doing some.  Talk about the cost of the project, when you will start it, and when you plan on finishing it.  Talk about the setbacks, the problems, the headaches, and what happened when you had to start over and rethink it out. Even talk about if you had to abandon the project for some reason.

I have been planning a trip to Walt Disney World with the family for years.  I started journaling this trip because to me since we are not from Florida, but Ohio, it is no easy trip.  It takes money and time to go to Walt Disney World.  I started without journaling in 2010, and since I had so many setbacks, I decided to journal those setbacks and the “Yeah, I made the reservations”, and the “Oh, I have to cancel because of this problem and that person was pregnant, and this person did not want their child to experience Disney at this time”.  Yes, it was all there.  The “nail in the coffin” time was this year, when we had a family reunion in Orlando, and thought, “perfect timing”, but it was not for a couple of reasons, and I had to give up for a moment.  Now, I am back, journaling about this, but not in my everyday journal.  I have a new journal that I am starting and again will talk about the ups and downs of planning a trip for maybe 10-20 people (I will be asking my cousin if he and his family want to join us for 2019).

But the point I am making has this type of journal ready for anything, the good and the bad.

Food, weight, and other personal goals:

This next type of journaling determines how your health is affected.  Some doctors may ask you to keep a food journal of what you ate and how much.  This is good for weight loss, how certain foods react to your body in the case of diabetics, high blood pressure, or allergies.  You may do it yourself to figure out how much caloric intake your body needs to maintain a certain weight goal. 

While I am in the neighborhood, if you are hit with a specific diagnosis (i.e. MS, Lupus, Cancer), you may want to start a “This is how I feel today” journal.  Because you cannot predict how your day is going, you can hash it out in your journal.

A few years ago, I was going through some symptoms unknown to me and my body.  After self-diagnosing myself with an online medical guide, which I highly recommend that you do not attempt, even if you have a medical degree, I thought I had Lupus.  This was around 2003.  I talked to my doctor about it, and she determined that I might be stressed, but I before I talked to her, I documented it in my journal and my feelings on what would happen if I had the disease.  Years later, around 2013, I was sent to a kidney doctor by mine because the lab results showed that I had protein in my urine.  Another time to journal it. Then when he said one of the possibilities was Lupus, I freaked out, and again, I journaled it.  The test turned out to be negative, but each time I put it in my general journal.  No need for a special journal for it.    

Bible Journaling

The latest trend in journaling is bible journaling, or what I would like to call, “what your faith speaks to you about”.  This is a “find yourself” type journal.  This is inspirational passages, scriptures, and things you see God in.  I am covering the Christian version of this type of journaling, but I see any religious or spiritual person using this technique to get into the Koran, Torah, or any book you are studying at this time.  My suggestion is not to journal when you find yourself in a bad situation then write about it.  Do it when you are filled with joy and happiness.  Yesterday, in a group discussion after church, I told my group that I do journal when I am down, and I am not sure what to do. 

To me, journaling and when adding scripture to that journal, it helps you see things clearer, and it strengthens your faith as well.  You know what to do next because you found it through scripture.  Also, do not be afraid to mark up your bible.  Add notes to it so if you find yourself in the situation again, you know where to go, and how you got out of it.  It is the devotional you need in good times and bad.

Business Journaling

This is a specific type of journaling for your business.  It takes special care to do this type of journaling because you are documenting everything you do for your business.  If you are not planning to start a business, I would suggest that you have one for your job, or document anything that you have learned so you can get another job. 

What goes in this journal is your research for your type of industry, the start-up costs, the skills you need, the name of your business, a copy of your vendor’s license from the state and any other government documentation, such as your tax number to name a few.   You may want to put in your journal whenever you hire someone or do business with someone.   This also where you can put your ideas about a new product, service, or concept. 

My business journal is for the event that I start to hire employees and so I do not forget how I made a product. I am in the stationery design business, and my journal is one big folder on my computer on a cloud.  One day, when I have ½ of it finished, I will switch to a three-ringed binder.  For now, I am confident that my system will not go down.

Conclusion:

I know this section is long, and I have not even touched the surface of the plethora of journals a person can start.  Some are more like a list of things (bullet journaling which I have not touched on), while others are documenting lives, events, and projects, such as the examples I gave above. The constant theme I keep stressing is there is no wrong or right way of journaling.  This post if to give you ideas on what can you touch on without the journaling police coming after you.  Well, guess what, there is no journaling police to give you a written citation on the type of journal you can have.  I even heard of angry journals, where a person can journal about anything they are angry about.  I personally do not recommend it, but again, it is your journal, and if that is what you want to write about it, go ahead, but everyone needs a little happiness in their life.

If you have any questions at this point in the series, let me know by emailing me at plogan721@att.net, you can also make suggestions on what you want me to cover further. 

Next on our road to journaling:

I will cover the written journal in depth.  This is where you have to deal with your handwriting and love it or hate it, it is your handwriting.    I will also cover the types of notebooks to use, different sizes depending on what you are journaling, and even the type of pen you use makes a difference.  Until then, God bless you.

Am I nesting?

(c) 2015 P. Lynne Designs

Ok, this is sort of personal, so if you do not feel like getting a big dose of Patricia 101, you can skip this post, and I do not mind.

So, I am part organizer, part lazy person.  I hope you understand where I am coming from.  There are some days where I can look at my condo, my little humble abode, and work my business.  I do nothing but the bare essentials to the house and feel like the world could go suck on something if one person says anything about the house.  I mean it is my house, my life, I am a grown woman, single, and there is nothing you can do about it.  Trust me, I can leave a dish in the sink for a week if I wanted to.

Lately, I have had this burst of energy, and everything in my house has annoyed me.  What has me annoyed?  It is not organized, and I have been starting to toss things, planning for new things (for organizing), wanting to change the furniture, wanting new blinds, bed linens, Towels.  I want a new craft room, planning to redo the kitchen, you name it.  Oh, did I mention that I am preparing to have someone to look at my house?

I will have people looking in my house for two reasons:  the first is I am preparing for a baby/child.  In order for a social worker to deem you fit to welcome a child into

your home, it has to be a safe environment.  This means inspection.  Did I mention that the room that the baby will be sleeping in currently looks like a disaster zone?  It is supposed to be my craft room, and I have basically dedicated that task to my office downstairs, so I am now in the process of making it look like the bedroom it is supposed to be.

The second reason is when I find a new home, this one is going up for sale, which may happen before or after the baby gets here.  Once I move out, my father has to sell the condo and according to new association rules as of October 2015, an owner must live in the condo or sell it.  Well, my parents are perfectly happy in their home, and this home was bought with me in mind.  I no longer want to live here, and they could have my nephew move in, but there have been too many idiots making too many mistakes (like not paying the association fees).  So the condo association decided the “no more tenants” rule needs to be in effect for this condo complex.

So, like the title says, am I nesting?  In case you are wondering, nesting is what a woman in her third trimester does to prepare for birth.  She has a burst of energy to clean, do DIY projects around the house, decorate, and basically change things around.  In my case, I am not pregnant (or preggers as sometimes call it).  I cannot get pregnant.  I am adopting a baby, a child, who may be “in vitro” (womb) right now, newborn, toddler, preschooler, or school-age (up to age 12).  I have no idea until I see her (yes it is defiantly a girl).  I want to make sure that when this kid comes, rather it is in this house or my new one, that she is comfortable and happy. 

So is it wrong for me to prepare right now?  I know I have classes to take for this, make sure that I am financially stable, and that I am not going to go cra-cra on her if she defies me.  I want to make sure she is loved and I know that it is not going to be easy to be a parent.  Heck, it is not easy being an aunt, so why would I expect anything less as a mommy?  It is hard enough when you are raising someone you waited for 9 months to see, it is even harder when that child in not your biological child.  I am up for the challenge.

So, am I nesting?  You bet.  Adoptive mothers to be can nest too.  I may not be in my third trimester, but I have all the signs of a woman, who must prepare for a baby and move in one unfailing swoop.  “Lord, help my finances during this time because they need it.”  I am only in phase one, the “decluttering phase”.  Phase 2 is around the corner.  Happy  Nesting Everyone!!! 

What Drives your Happiness

(Photo credit: hbimedialibrary)

About a year ago, I have hit a dry spell.   In fact, I have hit a writer’s wall.   So I was sitting in bed a few minutes ago, when everything that I was upset about for the past couple of days just hit me like a ton of bricks.   Have you ever felt that way?  

At the age of 29, I was told that I would never have a baby.   I was not trying to conceive.   I had a fibroid tumor (actually 3 of them), they must come out, or I would die.   Well the doctor tried to shrink them to no avail.   In fact, my tumors look forward to their drug-induced dinner every month.  They grew instead of shrunk, and they grew into the size of a 5-month old inside the womb.   I had to go to the emergency room once during that time, and the doctor swore I looked like I was 6 months pregnant (I wish).   So November of 1993 was the last time I saw a period, ever.   I had partial hysterectomy (all but ovaries gone).   I was down, depressed, my part of the Logan legacy gone, and forgotten.  I was never going to be able to experience to find out the day after I get married, telling that lucky man that I was carrying his child, and then to go through a 36-hour labor process of pushing this kid out of my 5’ petite frame.   Beyoncé was lucky to rent out the entire maternity ward of the hospital where she had her Blue Ivy (who names their child Blue anyway?)

Finally, at the age of 30, I decided that I was not going to worry about it, even though still at the age of 47, it still bothers me when that blue moon hits.   So I made a conscience effort that I was going to have that child, without or without a man, and with no reservations whatsoever.  Now comes the whatsoever, family.   Yep, I believe sometimes these people are happy that I did not have a child.   First of all, I am a Christian and Christians do not do that.  So I was told.  We wait for that man or woman that God has deemed for us, and we listen with batted breath.  Well, in my opinion, He did not say sit on your hands, and He did not say that you could not date.  Next, there is adoption, but as I get older, I wonder if I can adopt a newborn baby girl.  I know that God places whoever in your life that you desire, but my desire is to adopt a baby girl. 

Since my initial decision of adopting, I found out that I can handle boys just as well as girls, so even though my desire is a baby girl, I will except a boy with open arms.     After all, I have three nephews.  One is a teen, typical teen.  He is the one I like to bounce things off of because he is so technical and he likes to analysis things.   The second one, my preschool nephew, is the same way, except he is now into asking me or figuring out in the “how does it work” stage.   He’s a talker, and just about ready for kindergarten.  The last one, the baby nephew at one is an explorer.  He like to open and close things and likes to get a feel for his surroundings.  Typical boy, typical baby.   While I am on the subject of my sibling’s children, I cannot forget my little girly girl niece.  Very hardheaded, as most girls are, and all girl.  She loves to dance in front of the mirror, sing, and put on jewelry.   Yes ladies, did you see yourself at the age of 3 doing this?  I did, and my niece is my sister’s child.  She likes to follow her brother, the preschool Einstein around.  The teen and the baby explorer are brothers.

I am going back to the topic at hand, which is what drives your happiness?  To keep my levels up (meaning keep me from going into that “I am not a mother” state), I immerse myself into my existing family, my businesses, and my faith.  I see my friends rarely outside of church, because I am so busy.  Besides that, most go to another church, another one recently moved to Atlanta for a new job, and the other one lives in Texas.  That should not stop us from getting together, but there are families to consider (husbands and children), and scheduling time that does not involves seeing each other except at an event or a funeral.  I would say dinner, but with the economy, I am sure they are just as strapped as I am.   I am planning on having a get together after I organize the place.  It is going to take two months for this process, because I am purging old stuff.  Besides, it is wintertime, and winters in Ohio can be brutal.

You may have things you love.  If not, I am suggesting these ideas:

1)      Find a hobby.  It does not have to be an expensive hobby.   My hobby/craft is scrapbooking.  I started it in 1997 after the teen nephew was born, and I started a scrapbook.  I plan on giving it to him for his graduation, as I plan on doing with the rest of the gang.  From there, I added making cards, and then journals.  I have added the tools of the trade that are costly (like a Cricut machine) and not so costly (paper).  My hobby is now part of my business line (I have three), but I still find time for others.  I will adjust my schedule as the businesses grow, but my mantra is God and family first.

2)      What is your passion?   It could be that hobby from #1, but it also could be a cause as well.  My passion is my direct selling business.   I have had it since 2001, and I love it.  I love meeting new friends, introducing people to the company who have not heard of the almost 40+ year old company.   I find it comforting, as well as rewarding.   Writing has become my new love.  I never thought I could do it, because I used to get red marks all over my papers in school (teachers, you know who you are.)  I found over the years that the red marks really helped me, even if I did not know it at the time. 

3)      Just be you.  No one is perfect, only God is and we are trying to do His job.  Do not worry what everyone is saying about what you want to do in life.  If it does not harm you or someone else, and you have thought or prayed about it, and it is in God’s plan for you, so be it.  That is still my biggest problem I have with myself.  I still worry that someone has a problem with the things I have chosen in my life.   One day, I was in my mood, worrying if I will ever adopt this one kid, and I posted on Facebook.  Rule number 1, if you do not want anyone to say anything, do not post it on Facebook.  A cousin, who I rarely hear from, blasted me, and said that I did not say anything about a man in my life.   I told her on her wall (and in texting from my phone), that I wanted a man too, but I have a better chance of the baby being adopted before marrying a man.   She blasted back saying that Christian women do not do that sort of thing, and that I need to be waiting on a “Kingdom Man” (whatever that means), who through God will provide everything I need.  Now if she was so godly, why did she get a divorce from the first marriage, and finally after 4 divorces, she has someone, and she is a year younger than me?   Other family members have said at different times in my life that I do not need a child, and none of it has to do with what happened on that operating table.  For that I say, if I want a child, I am getting a child, for I have prayed about it since the age of 12, and if God sends one, you have no say so in the matter.  Except your new niece or nephew or not at all.  I have listen to family members all my life with respect, now it is my turn to talk.

Overall, find your happiness and find it with God’s blessing.  Whatever your belief is, please take this advice at heart.  This is from a Christian woman’s prospective.   I am not going to leave you without ending it with a bible verse or two:   Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass (Psalms 37:4-5 KJV).  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles (Psalms 103:5 KJV).  We all need happiness in our life.  Make it so.

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