Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Yesterday I ran the second day of the Management Training programme I am now running for people in the Aged Care Industry. I have to say it really well. This time we looked at learning styles, personality styles and communication.

It was a great day and everyone went away with some useful tools to help them communicate better with staff and residents alike.

I hope people enjoyed the article on Journalling. In a world where we tend to spend a lot of time in isolation, having your own friend on hand all the time, whenever you need it, is very comforting. Great insominia buster too.

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Joy of Remembering

Recently I received a magazine from a friend on Journal writing. Now, I am an avid journal writer. It is a way of understanding myself more and what is going on in my life. I came to journaling late, and have thus missed some opportunities for keeping a record of what has happened in life and have had to resort to my memory.

Now I don’t know if your memory is like mine, but if I was asked to recall a time and date when something happened, unless it was hugely significant (like the day my marriage broke up), then it will take a while, if ever, for me to recall it. I was reminded the other day when my daughter asked what time of the day she was born. Having had 3 children, for some reason I do not remember the exact time she was born, and as she and her older brother were born at similar times, I tend to get their birth times mixed up. So, here is a tip. If you have young children, start a journal for them now. Put into it all the little events that happened in their life, and include some photos if you wish. There is a craft called Scrapbooking that provides acid free paper that will not harm photos. One of the greatest gifts you could give to your child is a history of their life. If you are too busy to do it, ask a grand parent who may have more time than you.

Another way to use a journal is for self-healing. As I said, I use my journal to get some understanding for myself of what is going on in my life, but it is also a record of what is happening around me. DO NOT THINK THAT YOUR LIFE IS OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. It is an amazing existence, a great life, a history of you. There is no one on this earth that is going to have the same life as you. If you don’t believe this, just take yourself back to sitting on your grandparent's knee and remember how enjoyable it was to hear about what happened in the “old days”. (Sorry you young folk, but one day you will also have “old days”.)

A third way to use a journal is to record your dreams for dream analysis. We all dream. Some of us remember our dreams and others don’t, but if you want to figure out some meaning to your dreams, immediately you wake up start writing. You may be surprised at what comes up for you.

So to recap, there are many ways to journal. Find the way that works for you. It can be in writing, it can be pictures, it can be in a book, it can be on the computer and it can be on the internet - yes, there are sites where you can journal for to the whole world to see. People who write on the internet do not give any personal details away about where they live or how they can be contacted. For more information check www.webring.com or www.suite101.com or www.journals.about.com.

Remember, there is no right way to record your life, self-heal, analyze your dreams or keep a record of your child’s life. It can be done in words, collage, pictures, poetry or a mixture. Neither is it a gender thing. So explore. One day, someone may pick up your journal and say “what a fascinating life you have had” and turn it into a best selling book!