Did you ever reread your journal years later to find out if you are on track?

[sylvia]

Ive kept journals on and off for years, starting in my teen ramblings up through my first babies and now into my 40's. I found one from 2001 and curiously decided to read it. I realized that most of my yearnings was for living simpler with less stuff,, even then. So I decided to just read over the old words and answer my own questions like back to the future kind of thing. Almost a dual existence remembering the problems, questions regarding my existence and now answering them for myself. It really gave me incentive to fulfill like simple dreams of nice simple clutter free life, be the "Famous " artist or just "Travel the world". Next step is to collect them all into one safe place and also to preserve them maybe redo then -fulfill them in a way.Any similar experiences? It also helped me to those old mental recordings and outdated beliefs.

[Ultralight]

I have read old journals. It is usually a mix of silliness, pretentiousness, and sadness with a few nuggets of wisdom for my future self.

[ctg492]

I have never kept journals. After reading your post, I wish I had. I am very good at remembering how I felt at a very pin point in time. Sometimes I sit and attempt to put myself back to where my mind was at X number of years ago. That is interesting for me to do.

[catherine]

I've kept diaries/journals since 1964 (I was 12 at the time). Anne Frank was a HUGE inspiration. I do reread portions every blue moon, and what amazes me when I dust off my memories is how much I forget, or how much time has colored my perception of reality. I do have some of those "when I get older I want to.." entries, but I don't pay that much attention to whether or not I hit the bullseye because life itself is a moving target.

[nswef]

I have done journaling every morning for about 10 years- started with The artist's Way- but, I have gotten rid of nearly all of them. When I have a full notebook I go back and re read it, writing a list of observations and actions I might want to do that keep coming up. It has helped, but then I toss them. I did keep those from when my mom died and re read it, but then pitched it. No need to relive the pain for me.

[oldhat]

I did a lot of journaling when I was in my early to mid 20s, but only erratically after that. I had a box full of clip binders filled with typed pages that I schlepped around the country with me for years. I never looked at them, but I couldn't bring myself to toss them either.

Technology to the rescue! I scanned everything--hundreds of pages--earlier this year, saved it on a thumb drive, and then dumped the paper into the secure recycling bin at work. I'll likely never look at any of it again, but it's there if I want to.

I did finally reread most of the stuff while scanning it. It was a thoroughly embarrassing collection of adolescent maunderings. All that scribbling did help me learn how to write, though.

[TVRodriguez]

I do! I have kept a journal on and off since childhood, more regularly starting in my mid-twenties. I'm 41 now, and I have plenty of journals to look back on.

I keep them all in order, in my bottom dresser drawer, and I write the year on the top and bottom edges for easy reference. I go back now and then and review entries. I find them quite enlightening. I find it encouraging to realize how far I've come in different things--relationships, career, finances, lifetime goals, patience--and how much I haven't changed in other ways. I also find myself quite funny at times! There are some things I've completely forgotten, and I can read those entries nearly completely objectively, as if it were someone else, and I can evaluate myself with a new perspective and often a bit more compassion than I might have done at the time of writing.

Journaling is a joy for me. I'm grateful to my younger self for doing it. I don't do it daily, but I am so glad that I do it. It enriches my life.

[awakenedsoul]

Oh yeah. I love reading old journals. I threw most of mine away, but I read them first. It was really interesting. Sometimes it seems like I was a different person twenty five years ago. You really get a sense of yourself. The spirit comes through the work.

It makes me remember the challenges I was facing. My life has definitely gotten easier. I still journal every morning. I love it.

[Williamsmith]

I recall as a young teen having a journal. I recall hiding it from my family because of how embarrassing it would be to have them read it. And I recall one day throwing it away because I never wanted my thoughts to be known to anyone.

I also recall that John Boy of "The Waltons" had a journal he wrote in. Another reason I never had a journal again because in my family John Boy was a sissy.

I took up drawing as an acceptable human expression over journal keeping. I am recovering from a bacK injury and have a lot of time on my hands. I would not journal so I bought a new sketch pad and a new set of pencils. This forum is as close to journaling as I could get. Since it is a permanent public record......I do not really say anything revealing and certainly not personal like a journal would permit.

My drawings will have to do.

[Rogar]

I have never been much on journalling per se, but have kept notes on some of my travels and conversations with my family, many of whom are now gone. It's a great thing to dig out every now and then and revive some pleasant memories. I also went through a phase where I kept a notebook next to my bed and would write down my dreams when I would wake and they were fresh. That was an interesting effort.

[leslieann]

I am by turns amazed at my own brilliance and then mortified by my own asininity (is that a word?) in my journals. And some things I had forgotten, and some I should have forgotten. I alternate between delusions of grandeur where my journals are saved by my children and edited and published posthumously (to great acclaim of course....this is MY delusion) to a far more realistic hope that I remember to destroy them before my poor children have to pick through my belongings. But it is fun to write and also fun to read later. And mostly laugh at myself.

The only wisdom I think I have actually acquired is that dating the entry is pretty important and it is not okay to skip the year.

[Ultralight]

I am by turns amazed at my own brilliance and then mortified by my own asininity...


+1

[Zoe Girl]

I was cleaning journals a few months ago and found that a good 10 years ago I was talking about how I couldn't wait for my hair to turn gray! Now it is grown out silvery gray and I love it. Interesting that I always wanted it that way.

[nswef]

I do keep travel journals. I like rereading them as does my husband. We forget so many of the little things that were enjoyable on a trip.

[Float On]

I like to write...but I tend to toss as soon as I write. I think it's more about releasing my thoughts than keeping them.

[sylvia]

I love the replies, absolutely agree with everyone. I have kept some journals and thrown some away , it's true life is a moving object, we constantly change and evolve. I do feel my spirit shining through as I grew older, and some things still never change years later while other dreams were fulfilled , some faded away. This year since my baby was born at 40 really had me pause and reflect on being a parent again, the maturity I hope Ive acquired . This turning point I also feel more stability and happiness.I feel very blessed I think finally the fruits of my labor are showing up. It's called knowledge.At a young age I thought having money was everything but now it's all about knowledge and what you do with it. I want to live an efficient life, some of the old, some of the new. I think looking back at journals can give us most importantly closure and knowing that somethings should stay in the past and let them go. So it's liberating if you want that to be a learning experience.So I'm pretty much rounding them up and on a nasty cold december evening here in the midwest, I'm putting on my pajamas, getting some hot tea and just enjoying the experience.As I write more journal in todays times I usually leave a few pages blank in between entries or half pages empty because I tend to want to answer my own questions or write in the results of long awaited ideas. Did they really happen and how? Hopefully I can really go back in my golden days and reread it all.Just laugh or cry and have it all behind me.