One of the most beneficial things I learned to do in 12-step programs has been journaling. When I first started attending 12-step meetings I was really sick emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.
As I started learning a new way of thinking and behaving, I realized I had some really big decisions in front of me and I didn’t know how to make the decisions I needed to make. I’d always believed I was a decisive person. I was immobilized by fear. I didn’t want to make the wrong decisions.
My sponsor had me journal through it. Now, I’d heard of journal-writing before, and I loved to read and write. However, I always thought there were more important things pressing for my time. Writing was a luxury.
I wanted to improve my life and what I’d done previously hadn’t turned out well. So, I followed my sponsor’s advice and wrote about the topic until my last line was “I have nothing more to say about this subject.”
She told me the answers to my questions were inside my head, I just needed to sort through all the thoughts and information to get to it. She was right.
I started making decisions with confidence and didn’t look back.
I completed an inventory and shared it with someone I trusted. I asked God to remove my character defects. I made amends to people I’d harmed, as appropriate.
I’ve continued to journal each day. I reflect on the last 24 hours and write down a few things of note, so that later I can review my entries to determine if there are any new areas I need to ask God to help me with; and if I’ve harmed anyone, I can make immediate amends instead of waiting for my next inventory.
I’ve realized that this blog is a type of journaling. The big difference is that I’m sharing some very intimate thoughts with whoever decides to read this.
Do you journal? Have you ever used journaling to work through a problem to find your solution?
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