A) Why Write?

Why Write? is a Writing Through Life category that discusses the various intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits of journaling and life-writing on a regular basis.

Why Write? Journaling for Memoir

March 31, 2011
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When I want to write memoir, the first places I go for research (other than my memory) are my journals. They are my memory-keepers, containing more details of events and my responses to them than my feeble mind could ever hold. In addition to my perception of the facts (what happened), my journals contain descriptions [...]

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Why Write? Journaling to Achieve Your Goals

March 2, 2011
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IN addition to many other reasons for journaling, your journal can function as a kind of personal coach — essentially, someone who helps you identify and achieve goals. Modeled after sports coaching, a personal coach holds you accountable, pushes you a little harder than you might push yourself, and cheers you on. You can think [...]

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Journal Writing Improves Your Powers of Perception

January 11, 2011
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I attribute my increased perceptual powers to my journal writing practice. Why? Journaling helps me to:
* Think about physical descriptions — how things look, feel, taste, and sound.
* Be more aware of my emotional responses as they occur.
* Think about things in new ways (looking at things from different perspectives).
* Be more curious and interested in what is going on around me. …

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Why Write? Exercise Creativity

November 30, 2010
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Inside each of us is a deep well of creative energy, and writing is one way to pump this creativity to the surface. For example, we can use writing prompts to give our imagination a workout, for fun, or as exercises to warm up to our intended writing tasks. Once ideas begin to flow, they [...]

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Why Write? Personal Growth

October 26, 2010
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Journal writing helps you explore how your responses to events in the past affect your life in the present. Reflecting on how you have reacted to past experiences and the subsequent results can help you understand what is and is not working in your life. This understanding brings with it the opportunity to take future actions that are healthy rather than harmful, helping you to grow as an individual. To be who you want to be.

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Why Write? Making Meaning of the Meaningless

September 28, 2010
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SOMETIMES life just doesn’t seem to make sense. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to people who don’t seem to deserve them. Creative acts, such as journal writing and art, can help us uncover the personal value of every experience.

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Why Write? Journaling Helps You do Life Better

August 24, 2010
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If you’re like many of us, sometimes getting started with a new challenge can seem like the hardest thing in the world. Human beings don’t mind hard work or long journeys; we’re just terrified of getting started! We procrastinate, and make excuses, and stick our heads in the sand. We pretend that if we just [...]

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