The power of alphabetic letters into words. Shapes of 26 A to Z letters combining into billions of possibilities when bound together in different ways. You can even spell out numbers with letters. No essential need to put down a 1 to 9 and on to zero and beyond onto the page.

The power of words. Describe. Analyse. Tell stories. Self thoughts. Random sentences. A self penned poem. A shopping list. Day to day reflecting.

Journalling.

It is a cathartic exercise of putting down and opening up your inner thoughts using words. Your mind’s meanderings appearing before your very eyes in whatever ink colour or pencil lead or chalk dust, wax crayon, felt pen, etc. you choose. How you feel in a given moment of time. How you want to feel in a future given moment in time. It can be jolly nonsense driven. Or it can be those reflections of who you have been, who you are and who you want to be in the future. I have in past blogs naively expounded the value of self journalling for ‘well being’. Although, not naively really, because a nurse background still holds an inherent nature to research such matters properly. Journalling has become popular in helping mental health issues for men. Mindful journals, with specific questions inherently tailored for men, are getting popular. They are being advertised on Facebook. You also type it into search engines and it appears in every single advert that exists on every single site you visit afterwards. Prodding you’re mind to take notice. The power of words see!

A Journal for Men? I haven’t got one. So not sure regarding the format. Would I get one? Well…….yes. For the purpose of ‘I wonder what they include’ consideration. Writing in the diary of random day reflections, you still realise that even these lighter hearted inclusions still give simple purpose.

‘Be really nice to finish off such and such over the next few days. Fingers crossed for the weather then. If there’s a downpour there’s always that book to finish. Or maybe repair that Burnham pen. That Modigliani picture of La Femme au Chapeau bought at the charity shop the other day. Needs a bit of research on why he paints these blank eyes as he does. Who is the woman? And why the long thinly shaped nose is reminiscent of the tribal masks I saw in my Oceania Art book. Where is that book? Oh….. under the stairs’.

Words give you purpose. Writing in a gentle way. Meandering. Not always attempting to ensure that all your moments of putting down entries on paper are specifically driven to give healing. I don’t imagine that people generally sit and write thinking ‘Oh! This writing exercise is certainly helping me! How jolly useful it seems to be’. Well. Unless it’s a shopping list. Nowadays though it’s ‘Alexa. Put coffee on the shopping list’. I bet there will come a time when you type the word ‘Alexa’ and the ‘bing….How can I help’ will jump into action. It seems to have the ability to be invasive in all things but silent script pen to paper word writing presently. Even your thoughts are picked up it seems.

The health professional that was? Well yes. I love that those journal entries of Mindful nature certainly look inwards at healing. I bought one and was given one of those general Mindful journals. Bought in garden centres usually. Not tailored for men specifically. Yet still they gave questions and guidance to positivity and certainly sought to develop enlightenment through self realisations in my answers given. It is always interesting to think of Mindfulness as one of the more powerful complementary therapy practices to assist holistic well being. Aiding psychological healing and repair. Only been around about two and a half thousand years though! Can it be trusted? Well! I just typed that number out in words and not as 2,500. So yes…… it does. I elongated the moment.

Mindful nature. Thoughtfully exploring elongated considerations to stay longer in this present activity. Like focusing on making a cup of tea from kettle fill up, warming the teapot, choosing the drinking cup, the way the cup is made, it’s shape and pattern or design, the way the tea is made, the actual pouring sound, the drinking of it, the odour, the warmth affecting the body, then read the tea leave shapes. That last one is impossible with a tea bag though! My gosh……I’m back to rapid monkey chatter analytical thought. All hail the humble loose tea found in an ‘aromatic splendour that leaps out at you on opening the tin caddy’ scenario. Oh how special is Lapsang Souchong or Earl Grey in tugging at your olfactory uptake ability to jingle jangle your limbic system into pleasant activity.

I have found both blog writing and journalling a massive help in order to achieve calmer life status. They both give purpose to life. Answers to both milder considerations and rambling thoughts to deeper thoughts in seeking for answers to solve conundrums.

Also recently thinking about friendships. Social exchanges with others is a fantastic exercise too. Two way exchanges. Conversation to promote reflections of how old interests helped keep the mind alive and the body keen. The benefit of exciting expectations in new found interests too. After you chat, you then write it down. In a gentle way. You appreciate that words actually exist and you can use them for whatever you want to use them for. In a billion combining ways too.

A Mindful experiment.

Question to self. How has your life changed from youth to pensioner? Would you have done differently if you had known what you know now? Do you like who you have eventually become?

Short answer? Mindfulness says…..Not worth answering. You are who you are. You are here now. In this moment. Experience it. Enjoy it . Savour it. Therefore a meaningless and fruitless question to self.

And yet Journalling does involve and certainly allows reflection. So a Mindful journal has to be pretty tailored in its format.

Where the story goes? No one knows. Best borne from self promises. Not worn out wishes.