journaling class: lesson 6

Journaling for Self-Discovery

I found this first part of the lesson interesting:
Why is it important to discover who you really are? There are no doubt many reasons for doing so, but I'd like to offer you three reasons that I believe are central to journaling:


Being an authentic person requires self-knowledge. As Pierre Corneille, a French playwright, says in his play, Titus and Berenice, "Self-love is the source of all our other loves." Without awareness of who we are, we will always struggle with how to be who we really are, and we will always struggle with how to love others for who they really are. Hence, to discover who you are is to take steps toward becoming who you were meant to be. How well do you love yourself? How well do you love others? What do you value most in life? How well do you use your values to help you make everyday decisions?


Quantum physics, the scientific study of matter at subatomic levels, proves that thought is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, because at subatomic levels, thought becomes reality. All of existence as we know it is based on this tendency of awareness—of thought itself—to create its own reality. Thus, to marshal the power of your own life and to achieve your dreams requires harnessing the power of your own thoughts and intentions so that you can invite them to work with you rather than against you. What realities do your thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes help you to create daily? Are you your own best friend or your own worst enemy? What fears have you helped to create by focusing on them too intently?


U.S. sociologist Charles Horton Cooley said in his seminal work, Human Nature and Social Order, that "The self . . . might be regarded as a sort of citadel of the mind, fortified without and containing selected treasures within." In our last lesson, I referred to a writing technique that I call inner archaeology, or the process of digging within to discover who you really are. Cooley is suggesting that if you're willing to persist past the fortifications, or defenses of your mind, you may at long last claim something precious deep within you. What selected treasures lay within you, awaiting discovery? Which of your unique treasures were you born to share with the world? What is unique about your treasures? How are yours unlike anyone else's?

An update:

Me: I'm down 7 lbs. so far. SBD is going pretty well. I've had a couple "treats" that were definately not on program but I've been able to limit it to a special occasion and stay on the other days. I'm not doing as well with the exercising. I need to work harder on that.

The kids: All is well for the most part. Trying to keep them busy to keep arguing to a minimum. Some days are better than others. I can't believe Michael will be turning 13 soon. We have his family party this weekend. We got a pinata that says "you're how old?" This year has been one of big change for him. He has gotten so much taller and his shoulders are more broad. His feet are huge. LOL! He is becoming more resposible and more mouthy. He had a great school year - honor roll all year. All A's and B's except for band - he's not enjoying that much anymore and you can see it in his grades.

Vin is just Vin. He is such a character. I brought him to work at the LSS with me the other day. I was filling in for someone and Mike wouldn't be home in time. He loved it. We got a shipment in and had to price and sort it. He helped me put things away. He counted down the change in the register.

Ally is such a smarty. She punched in all the numbers to call Mike last night. I just told her what to hit and she found the number with no problem. great number letter recognition. even though she is the youngest, she is becoming a bit of a mother hen to the boys. it cracks me up except when she tries to do it to me! i've been trying to explain to her NICELY that it is not nice to correct adults too much and it's okay if I do something different than I usually do or if I make a mistake, everyone makes mistakes. Anyway, the other day she says to me "I was going to tell you that you're supposed to do it this way but it's not nice to correct you so I won't tell you and let you do it wrong." OY! She's 4...I'm doomed.

Scrapping: I completed a few more layouts of our trip to FL last year and did some organzing/sorting the other day. I'm itching to scrap but I'm too behind on things I have to get done for this weekend.

Books: I finished reading Something Blue a couple days ago. It was such a fast ead. It's was a fun book and after my sister's keeper that's what I needed. It was sort of a sequel to Something Borrowed which I read not to long ago. I went to the library and got about 6 books - a little much I know. I started The Secret Life of Bees yesterday. I've heard good things about it and finally picked it up. I also got: Vanishing acts by Picoult, Jodi, The tall pine polka and Oh my stars by Landvik, Lorna. I read Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons a few months ago by her. It was awesome. I recommend this book to everyone. It's such a silly title but the story is great. It's about a group of women who form a book club and it spans over 30 years of their lives.

I am no one you know by Oates, Joyce Carol
Lucia, Lucia by Trigiani, Adriana

So a little bit of fluff, a little bit of serious, just like I like it. I still have a few books I picked up at Borders to read as well. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, Diary by ( I can't remember), Weekend in the City (can't remember the author here either) and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Lots of reading to catch up on.

More later...

Books: My Sister's Keeper

I finished this book last night. Wow! It was really good, very thought provoking. The subject kept me thinking long after I had put it down to attend to other things. The ending had me in shock and tears. The book was so interesting because each chapter changed point of view. I felt like I was on an emotional rollar coaster. I have never read one of her books before and may have to pick up some of the others. I would be completing understanding Anna's feelings and thoughts and then I would read Sara's (her monther) and identify completely with her and her reasons for doing what she did. She wasn't a perfect mother. But she wanted to do everything she could for her daughter. Who wouldn't? It's such a hard subject. Was what she did right? She had said that her family was complete with just 2 children. Then when Kate was diagnosed with Leukemia, Anna was "created" as a genetic match for Kate. It was only supposed to be the umbilical cord that they needed. But because of Kate's rare cancer and complications/relapses, Anna endured countless medical procedures to keep her sister alive. How could they do that to a little girl? But then again, if the possiblity is there how could they not? Oh, the heartache I feel for Sara, for Anna, for Kate and for the men in the family.

A few things noted as I read:

there are widows and orphans but no name for a parent who has lost a child.

when kate sees a picture of herself as a small baby, she says, "She was beautiful" and her mom continues to say that she stroked the picture of the cheek of the little girl none of them got to know.

Each character in the book has their own font. I thought that the prologue at the beginning of the book was said by Anna but I realize now that it is Kate speaking. I don't understand why she would wan to kill her sister. I don't know why she would say that she killed herself.

This book was amazing. Did you like it? What were your thoughts on the ending?