6 hours ago
1
A YouTuber I follow has been on a streak of bad luck, and it has been a tough road getting their life back on track. To help, they take walks, work on their house, attend physical therapy, and see a therapist.
One of the biggest helpers, they said, came from journaling, which is when a person writes down their thoughts, sets goals, and records experiences.
Of course, to the people who have read my prior articles, you know what happened next. Yes, this journaling thought rattled around my bonkers mind. And yes, it forced me to ask a writing-related question: “Are these articles journaling?”
While I sometimes express my distaste for certain elements of our society or share issues from my own life, for the most part, I go out of my way to keep my private life private. Thus, it would seem that my articles do not meet the definition of journaling. Well, like everyone, I have problems, and keeping a private journal might help. So, why not give it a try? It might even improve my writing.
Throughout my life, I have recorded my inner thoughts about five times. I suppose these could be called limited journaling or diary entries. The last one was over 15 years ago, and I have not had to make it six times.
I took a walk to ponder why and narrowed down my apprehension to four reasons. The first is data security. If I were to record inside information, it could be used as leverage or to inflict pain. I will not allow that to happen.
The second is that I find it difficult to admit and accept failure. Meaning, I do not have much motivation to record painful moments. Talk about focusing on the bad.
My third reason is that I have no desire to read a list of my failures. That would be like wanting to get a healthy tooth pulled without an anesthetic. No, thank you.
Well, you might say, “Hey, start by journaling the positives. Way to go, champ!” And my response (fourth reason) would be: What about the lousy days? Would I not write on those days? And how depressing would it be on a bad day to read about prior good days? Yikes!
Well, let’s look at this from a different angle. I write fictional books. Could those plots be my way of expressing my life’s problems and solving them? Call this wide journaling. I admit that writing fiction is a form of therapy because it helps me to relax and I enjoy being creative. And I will further admit that these articles have helped solve personal problems and led me to new insights.
Still, I did not start writing to solve personal problems or publish the details of my life. This is why the “about the author” chapter in my books contains few personal details.
Let’s put all those bad parts aside. How about doing it privately to improve my writing?
My answer is that my past is my past for a reason. Sure, I have had many fantastic days and some truly awful ones. Overall, I have a great life, and while not always happy, I do my best. My life goal is to focus on the positives and put the negatives to rest. For me, journaling does not fit that goal.
Still, I was impressed that my YouTuber is getting help through journaling, which leads me to believe that if I had a different personality, this activity would be a great benefit.
You’re the best -Bill
June 17, 2026
Hey, book lovers, I published five. Please check them out:
Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.
Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.
Cable Ties. A slow-burning political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.
Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.
Pushed to the Edge of Existence. Just when Kim, Gabe, and Emma’s lives start returning to normal, a mysterious government organization orders them to use their telepathic abilities, and then they travel to an alien planet.
These books are available in softcover and in eBook format.
