A new diary

Today I started a new diary, I've been filling up little notebooks with my brain dumps for years now and I find writing just to myself with no agenda is easily one of the best and freeing things I've done.

A famous quote from Anne Frank goes as follows:

"Paper has more patience than people"

Despite sounding a bit weird when you actually think about it, it makes a lot of sense. People come with all their judgment, bias' and complexity, yet the blank page has none of that. Consequently, it is 100% up to us what goes there, but the same cannot be said in other facets of life.

I think a lot of things we do in life are dictated by other people- consciously or subconsciously.

And don't get me wrong, that's good some of the time but it can be unhelpful when we bury our true honest emotions and opinions- especially for a prolonged period.

As the quote says, some people just don't have the patience for our words. Our problems are too vague, too difficult, or just too scary to take on for some people- so we hide them.

But then we end up crumbling under the weight of all our hidden issues- we can't do it alone.

So despite diaries not being a complete substitute, I have found them foundational to success in my personal, spiritual and professional life.

On and off since 2018, I've grabbed a pen, pencil, or marker and scribbled whatever has come to my head. It hasn't been scheduled rather just turning up. Sometimes that was a couple of times a day whilst other times it was maybe once a week. Whatever the case, I noticed that without it my mood went in a major decline.

It's a hard practice as writing things down makes them real somehow, and when that is about issues in your life that's hard to do. Yet, in doing this you alleviate the strain- the shackle of that problem seems lighter. It doesn't go away but you can see more sense; you objectively can look at it and work out ways to fix it.

The simple process of sharing genuine thoughts daily is a foreign idea to some if not all of us. When in life can we really share what we think without fear of rejection, judgment, or being cancelled.

But you can do it in daily practice.

It's a meditative kind of habit and it brings a certain sense of peace- one which you can take control of.

Writing things down means they don't live in your head as much. I find all thoughts and memories have a certain rent space and they take up that real estate in my brain and it almost takes a physical act to change that.

Writing definitely does that but speaking to someone, exercising, or actively tackling the issue are other ways I often get that new perspective.

I look back at the pages and I feel a sense of achievement because not only is it something I have stayed pretty consistent at but it enables me to see an obvious sense of progression in my life. It enables me to recognise when I hit rock bottom and when I am full of energy and see all future events with a great sense of gratitude, whatever the outcome.

Knowledge is power and no one can teach you more about yourself than you. Just take some time to be introspective on all the experiences you have gone through and fully receive the wisdom from all the good and bad you have gone through.

I promise you won't regret it.