Life is Sailing

A written thought a day keeps the worries at bay.

Today I instructed my boys to keep a journal every day. They can write whatever they want to in it and whenever they would like, but it is best to pick a certain time of day to write because then it can become a habit. My older son asked, “But what do you write about in a journal?”

“Anything,” I responded. Knowing that ambiguity is often the stifler of thoughts, I provided some examples. “A recap of the day, conversations you enjoyed, questions you ask yourself, thoughts for a story you would like to write, your response to political events, what makes you happy, what makes you sad…” My heart swells right now, just thinking about all the possibilities. “The point is to put your thoughts on paper, like putting meat on bones. Harnessing random flits of reactions and forming it into a unified thought.” They began nodding their heads as if it was starting to make sense. “But you must write in complete sentences,” I added. “Learn to think in complete sentences. It will help you become a stronger analytic and communicator.”

I have found that writing often eases stress. Journaling is a way to tease out the wound up strings of worry and insecurities. Writing in complete sentences helps lay the tracks for clearer, positive thinking, especially when we learn to talk to ourselves. Ask ourselves questions. “Why am I feeling the way I am? What can help me get through this tough time? What is it about sailing that makes me feel so happy? How can I share that with others? Who loves me most in the world? How can I help another person? Stand up and smile and extend a hand of friendship.”

So here is to building habits for strong futures.

P.S. I have been keeping up with jotting down some writings each day, but it has been on my phone and not on the computer. I will have to catch up posting another time.