The Journal Newsletter
Introduction
I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!
A new update of The Journal 5 was released this week. Check out “The Journal News” below for the details.
Sheryl A. Keen describes “The Benefits of Journaling” in a short article, and we have a new tip about using The Journal’s Back and Forward commands to navigate your entries.
Thank you for using The Journal!
The Journal News
The Journal 7 is the current release.
To see if you have the latest version of The Journal:
- Click on the “Help” menu in The Journal.
- Choose “Check for Update of The Journal”.
If you are using The Journal 6 (or an earlier version):
Tips & Tricks
TIP: The Back/Forward Buttons and Entry History
Like a Web browser, The Journal includes the ability to go “back” and “forward” through those entries you’ve recently viewed or edited.
Back (on the toolbar and Go menu)
Hot-key: Alt+Left (arrow)
Back takes you back to the last entry you were in. If you have opened a sequence of entries, Back will take you through each of those entries, in reverse order.
The Back button on the toolbar (white-on-green-left-arrow) includes a drop-down list of your entry browsing history, with the most recently visited entries at the top of the list.
Forward (on the toolbar and Go menu)
Hot-key: Alt+Right (arrow)
Forward does the opposite of Back. Once you have gone back to a previous entry, you can use Forward to retrace your steps.
The Forward button on the toolbar (white-on-green-right-arrow) also includes a drop-down list of the entries you have visited from (using Back).
If you find yourself switching between two or three entries, Back and Forward can provide a snappy way of going from one entry to the other.
Entry History
The Entry History form (“History…” on the Go menu) shows every entry you have opened at least once since you started The Journal. Double-clicking on an entry in the list will bring up that entry.
The Entry History form can be left open, helping you switch between any number of frequently used entries.
Article
The Benefits of Journaling
By Sheryl A. Keen
People have been journaling for a long time. The journals they have left behind give us an insight into the lives and times of these individuals. Obviously, not everyone’s journal will be famous but journal writing is not about that. It is essentially for and about the person who is recording his or her thoughts. It is a personal venture.
Journaling can be beneficial in so many ways. It can be a cathartic experience. The very act of writing can be a tool for the cleansing of the mind and body. It’s as if writing allows you to release whatever issue or tension that you may have and just leave it on the paper.
If you want an accurate depiction of what you were thinking about a particular event without the cloudy judgment of time, you can record this event in your journal. Now your journal becomes your own personal record that you can revisit at anytime. Not only does time cloud your memory, sometimes it takes it away completely. How many times does someone remind you of an incident that you cannot remember ever taking place? Whatever you record will always be there in black and white for you to return to.
Returning to your journal can be essential in your reflections. Have you had a change of perspective since this entry was written? Has your conviction about something become stronger; more emphatic? Maybe you can’t believe the gap in where you have been and where you are now. The time of writing and the time of reading can be so different.
Your journal not only allows you to reflect; you can also track your personal growth and everything else that you would ever need to track in your life. Do you want to track your workout progress? Do you want to keep track of your budget? Your journal is the tracking device allowing you to control and adjust the proceedings of your life. If you are off track in your goals, you can see where you began this diversion and then make amends. Your journal is your journey.
Your journal is a place where you can be brave. There is no one there to harm you, to criticize you or to judge you. It’s a place where you can be who you want to be or just be. And of course, it’s your opinion that matters. What opinions do you have; the ones that you have not shared with anyone, maybe because you are scared? This is the place where you can be wonder woman or superman. Perish the thought of kryptonite.
We could go on and on about the benefits of journaling because there are so many. The ones talked about here should be enough for you to want to run out and get pen and journal. Whether you do it the old fashioned way or you chose to use journaling software does not matter; as long as you just do it.
Sheryl A. Keen is an author and artist who lives in Canada. You can visit her website at www.sherylkeen.com to check out her blogs on journaling.
Submission Information
If you would like to contribute to the “How I Use The Journal”, “Writing Exercises”, or “Tips & Tricks” sections, or would like to submit an article about journaling, writing, or another The Journal-related topic, we would love to hear from you.
Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to: support@davidrm.com
If you are submitting for a particular section, please indicate which one. Try to limit your submissions to 500-1000 words. Submissions may be edited for length and content.
If you prefer to remain anonymous, please state this in the email. Otherwise your name (but not your email) will be used in the article heading.
As always, if you have any suggestions for, or bug reports about, The Journal, please feel free to email them. Both are always welcome.