Photo Collage shown above created on Cropdog.com.

Memory Don’t fail me now!

No matter how much we plead, memories fade. Once upon a time there was a solution to memory loss. Our parents and grandparents saved handwritten letters, documents, and journals. These items helped them to retain their personal history. Times have changed. Digital forms of communication have taken the place of handwritten notes. We e-mail, we text, we post updates to friends on social sites like facebook and twitter.

Modern communication is great. It is fast. It is convenient. But, what happens when we hit “delete”? Are these new paperless communications turning us into the “lost” generation? What will we do in 20 years when we want to remember how we got our first job, conversations with our friends, or how it felt to fall in love?

If you don’t tell your story, the things people remember, about you, will come from somebody else.  

I’ve kept a journal long enough to know that it has been greatly beneficial in my life. If you haven’t been convinced to keep a journal yet, I hope you will begin now. I hope you will be the one to tell your own story.

Over the years, my journals have taken many different forms, for example, I have folders filled with school work & art from my early grade school years. When I open the folders and look at the colorful math sheets it takes me back to the classroom. Memories of the teachers, the building, and the children, all come flooding back to my mind. It is amazing what a small memory “trigger” can provide.

I started a more “serious” writing habit after I was married. I filled many spiral bound notebooks with all kinds of random thoughts. I admit, most of what I’ve written is BORING – even to me. But, I am so glad I took the time to record the thoughts and struggles of being a new wife and eventually a new mother.

It is easy to look back and see the value of keeping a journal; but, what motivates journal keeping in the present? 

  • Regular writing feels good.
  • Journal keeping helps people “evaluate” the events they have experienced in a safe environment where they can be processed without stress or fear of judgement.
  • Counselors, social workers, and therapists often encourage their patients to keep journals because of the mental and emotional benefits.
  • Keeping a journal serves as a reminder of mistakes made, accomplishments to be proud of, and exciting moments in our lives.
  • As the owner of a creative business I find that keeping a journal is essential to the creative process. It allows me to sort out ideas and “release” thoughts that clutter my mind and inhibit inspiration.

Where do I begin? 

There are many ways to keep memories. I recommend a variety of different memory preservation methods: photographs, scrapbooks, and written journals are at the top of my list.

When it comes to journal keeping, keep in mind that not all journal options are equally beneficial. For example, I loved to keep handwritten journals; however, when I wanted to remember something specific, and I could not remember the specific time period, I’d have to spend hours of time skimming pages to find the desired entry. If they are to be truly beneficial in the years to come, memories need to be accessible.

That is why I created Journella.com.  Journella® makes it easy for me to:

  • Write about many different subjects in one place.
  • Keep everything organized by date and subject.
  • Find entries by date, key word, or subject.
  • Access my journal from any location (via the internet)
  • Store my memories. Journella® saves everything in the “Internet Cloud.” No more bulky boxes filled with books (after years of journal keeping, my old journals were really piling up).

Choose the forms of memory preservation that are best for you – hopefully you will enjoy more than one method. Be sure to consider how your thoughts and memories can be easily accessed and enjoyed in the future.