Did you know that today, October 20th, is National Writing Day? I have been asked a lot recently “Why do you write?”, “Why do you journal?”, “Why do you blog?”, why, why, why???
Journaling is something that I have done from a young age. It’s something that I would encourage any youngster to do as it allows you the ability to think thoughts to yourself without writing them down. It allows you the opportunity to practice your penmanship, your computer skills, your analytical thought streams that you learn in school all in a subject that we all find very intriguing; ourselves.
I started journaling in 2nd grade and although it mainly listed what I ate and how I was going to play in the WNBA, it was the start of something big. Reading past journals through middle school I had a realization that encouraged my journaling to a whole new level at the end of high school and start of college: Journaling was giving me the analytical ability to see past the current situation and understand the feelings and emotions of others within a given situation.
Writing down your hopes and your dreams leads you to write goals. It holds you accountable in this world as you see WHAT you want and figure out HOW you are going to get there. I may not have played in the WNBA but I DID get a full ride scholarship to my favorite University in the PAC-10/PAC-12 and that wouldn’t have been possible without my goals and determination to get there.
Journaling has also given me the comfort in my religion as I keep a religious journal as well. We all have hard times, we are human. Granted some people are going to have a much tougher go of it than others but we are all given times that challenge us both emotionally and physically. This is where journaling helps us out. Looking for solace and reflecting on the past, I have had the amazing ability to be reminded of the good times, reminded of when it has been wore, and how I can overcome these obstacles to become a stronger woman.
When you are in school you learn best from writing notes, this holds true for the rest of our life. Writing down the notes of your life will allow you the ability to reflect, analyze and create new goals for the future – just like we are taught in school.
Blogging is something that I have only started as recently as this year. I wasn’t sure how it would be taken, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a fun thing, a scary thing or something that would just die off! What I did know was that I didn’t want to treat my blog necessarily like a journal; I already do that! I wanted it to be a place where others could come and reflect, learn and grow. I hope that, through my writings on various subjects, others have had the ability to reach these new heights.
I think the scariest part for me was when I first started blogging about rodeo queens. It started as a furious rant and I wanted to set some people straight. Wrote my post, published it indiscreetly and then I went to bed. I woke up in the morning to 24,000 views and to say my anxiety went through the roof is an understatement! The things is, we all have something to say and sometimes, when we are fortunate enough and God has our timing down, those who need to hear what we have to say will hear it.
I can’t wait for this next year, my adventures are going to be numerous but I know that with that will come heartbreak and trying times. These all go hand in hand in the circle of life and I look forward for the opportunities to learn, grown and network through 2016. I know that by writing these things down, whether in my journal, in a book, or on my blog I will forever instill those morals and ideals that I learn on my adventures.
So “why do I write?” I write because it makes me a better person. I write because I believe that I have a story to tell and a new story that is only beginning. I hope that National Writing Day makes you think about your life and maybe your opportunity to step away from social media and grab a nice old fashioned journal and a pen and write down your thoughts. Or maybe you will quite simply realize that the power of your words is far greater than you could ever imagine!
Pacific North West Country Girl 