Ever since I was about 11 years old, I kept a journal. I am not certifying that all these years, I have been carefully writing in journals and recording everything I see, hear, or feel. No. The point of this statement was just that, I started writing pretty young. One thing I can attest to is that my writing has definitely improved. Whenever I go back and read my journal from when I was in high school or even when I was in college, I am awed and surprised by how much my view in this world has changed, and particularly, how much my writing has improved. In a way, this blog is meant to be my journal nowadays. In this way, I am glad that I have made a pact to write in it everyday as I did with my first journal.
Additionally, I was listening to an old audio program by Jim Rohn, who talked about keeping a journal. Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, talks about success and how one of the first steps towards personal development and success is being a "collector of good ideas". Where do you keep these good ideas? In a journal! He starts by describing how his own mentor told him to "never trust his memory". If a good idea comes along, whether this is business-related or not, write it down. And you can't just borrow napkin pieces in the restaurant or fold up old bills here and there to write these "good ideas" because how are you going to find them later on? No, you must keep a journal of good ideas.
Then, Jim Rohn went on to explain that journals can also be a place to write about your observations about the world, what did you see? What did you hear? And how did all that make you feel? Rohn explains that by doing so, as humans, we will be able to stay connected to our inner souls and be able to make sense of the world. Consequently, this will benefit us immensely because it will also improve our communication skills. In order to communicate with people, not just people that are in the same educational level as us or in the same age, but also people who are from different walks of life. No matter where a person may be from, he or she must have experienced a broken heart, a betrayal, a joy, etc. In conclusion, if we become experts in validating our own observations of this world, we will be able to validate others in their journeys; this is the key to excellent communication.
In my case, I keep a few journals. I have this particular digital journal where I record my thoughts, my life events, and my observations about other things I see, listen to or read. (In a way, I am using this tool to practice my writing but in doing so I am also fulfilling the personal journey part of Jim Rohn's philosophy). In addition, I keep a small journal that I (try) to carry with me everywhere so I can record "ideas" from different sources. I may take notes at a lecture I attend or jot down a quote I read somewhere or hear. And now very recently, I have a new journal that is hard cover and bigger than my tiny one, and I re-write the notes I wrote in my little journal. In this way, I don't have to carry around this much bigger journal with me because let's face it, most of the times, I can't even fit it into my hand bag. In addition, though, I am able to genuinely review my notes and make sense of them before I "transfer" them over to my bigger, nicer, and more complete journal. I learned this technique from another mentor of mine and I think though a bit tedious, it is definitely a winner!
As Jim Rohn stated, "throughout your life, you may experiment with different journals, journals of all sizes and colors, journals with lines and journals with no lines, journals that are small and journals that are big, journals that are expensive and journals that are not."
Additionally, I was listening to an old audio program by Jim Rohn, who talked about keeping a journal. Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, talks about success and how one of the first steps towards personal development and success is being a "collector of good ideas". Where do you keep these good ideas? In a journal! He starts by describing how his own mentor told him to "never trust his memory". If a good idea comes along, whether this is business-related or not, write it down. And you can't just borrow napkin pieces in the restaurant or fold up old bills here and there to write these "good ideas" because how are you going to find them later on? No, you must keep a journal of good ideas.
Then, Jim Rohn went on to explain that journals can also be a place to write about your observations about the world, what did you see? What did you hear? And how did all that make you feel? Rohn explains that by doing so, as humans, we will be able to stay connected to our inner souls and be able to make sense of the world. Consequently, this will benefit us immensely because it will also improve our communication skills. In order to communicate with people, not just people that are in the same educational level as us or in the same age, but also people who are from different walks of life. No matter where a person may be from, he or she must have experienced a broken heart, a betrayal, a joy, etc. In conclusion, if we become experts in validating our own observations of this world, we will be able to validate others in their journeys; this is the key to excellent communication.
In my case, I keep a few journals. I have this particular digital journal where I record my thoughts, my life events, and my observations about other things I see, listen to or read. (In a way, I am using this tool to practice my writing but in doing so I am also fulfilling the personal journey part of Jim Rohn's philosophy). In addition, I keep a small journal that I (try) to carry with me everywhere so I can record "ideas" from different sources. I may take notes at a lecture I attend or jot down a quote I read somewhere or hear. And now very recently, I have a new journal that is hard cover and bigger than my tiny one, and I re-write the notes I wrote in my little journal. In this way, I don't have to carry around this much bigger journal with me because let's face it, most of the times, I can't even fit it into my hand bag. In addition, though, I am able to genuinely review my notes and make sense of them before I "transfer" them over to my bigger, nicer, and more complete journal. I learned this technique from another mentor of mine and I think though a bit tedious, it is definitely a winner!
As Jim Rohn stated, "throughout your life, you may experiment with different journals, journals of all sizes and colors, journals with lines and journals with no lines, journals that are small and journals that are big, journals that are expensive and journals that are not."
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