What you do you remember about yourself as a kid? 

I remember I was the kind of kid who was always thinking – and writing. I always had thoughts in my head and things on my mind. I was just that kind of kid - and I’m glad I was - because I learned early on the benefits of journaling; the simple satisfaction of getting it out, the emotional relief, the exhilaration, the grounding force, the feeling of accomplishment, the joy of renewal, the practical act of catharsis (surely a word I did not know as a kid, but certainly grew to understand).

The dictionary defines catharsis as “…the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. through certain kinds of art…” and in doing so we can release, relief, let-go-of painful, negative, pent-up emotions and thoughts in a socially acceptable way. I would also add not only does journal writing present the opportunity for relief from distressful feelings and thoughts, medical studies confirm journal writing can even transform unpleasant thoughts and feelings.

A process I now call “write to peace” - I discovered long before I became a journaling advocate that the simple practice of putting pen to paper - journaling - can bring peace to mind, body, and spirit.

Keeping a journal will change your life in ways you’d never imagine.
Oprah Winfrey

The above is one of the most powerful and empowering quotes I’ve ever read - and of course it’s so very true! I, like Oprah started journal writing as a young girl and I’m convinced it was one of the best ways (possibly the only way) to deal with the “stuff” going on in my life which forced me to become a “grown-up-little-girl” faster than I wanted to or should have in order to deal with stressful and the distressing realities of a challenging world. For this I know…journal writing has both saved and changed my life.

A veteran writer of more than 20 years, journaling has pulled me through and paved the path as I was growing up, attending school, being on my own, in and out of jobs, going through the highs and lows of love, complicated relationships, and health issues.

For me journaling is my “write to peace” – and has been (and will always be) the portal and a priceless gift, which supports my mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual balance.

Although, my personal experiences convey the truth of how journal writing can change your life, there are those universal and far-reaching stories about journaling that provide a multi-cultural, transcendent, planetary perspectives on how journal writing can change your life.

Indeed, by the experience(s) of these "journal writers" -  it is no small thing to say that journaling can help change your life in ways you would never imagine.

Journaling has many times changed my life - and dare I say - more than once saved my life. Journaling is at the core of my being, through and beyond all/any ups and downs, highs and lows, good and bad. Journaling has been the one safe, dependable, consistent and a precious reminder of my “write to peace” no matter what.

Journal Writing has helped me:

So it is with great pleasure, pride, and joy I invite you to begin (or continue) your “write to peace” and hope that you will take advantage of the support services, tools, workshops, and resources specifically designed to help you journal your path to peace.

A. D. Moreau is a veteran “Journalist” of 20 years, jewelry maker, and author of The Lotus Approach, piece of mind essays on living, loving, letting go. She is an Artist-in-Residence with Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts, which “engage patients in the creative arts activities as part of the healing process.” A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she is a native of Brooklyn, NY who loves to travel and is always writing.