Meta-Journal

This is a story of the lessons gratitude journaling taught me. Context matters. I started this journaling because I was going through a depressive time. I had experienced actual depression before and I didn't want to again and so, I decided to start gratitude journaling. Gratitude was inaccessible to me. I couldn't both feel that everything sucked and find space for appreciation. I met myself where I was at and chose to just journal about what didn't suck. I journaling about

If you're willing to ask about something, that's demonstrating bravery. Usually when we are afraid of something, we want nothing to do with it. We just decide it's threatening and that's it. We get avoidant, rather than inquisitive.

Reciprocity shows itself in journaling often. The beginning of my journaling practice was a trial and error stage. I made additions and subtractions, slowly creating my own journaling philosophy that cultivated an environment for authentic journaling. The changes I made to my journaling practice fed back into my journaling philosophy. Then, my journaling philosophy fed my journaling practice. This looping is the reciprocal effect. Why does this matter? Why isn't it just a fe

Language was here before you Language is one of many expressive vehicles. Language is thought, feeling, and perspective in an expressed form. It plays a role in establishing, changing, informing, and creating our belief systems, and we don't choose how our associations with particular words develop. Language was here before you. It was created by, maintained by, and evolved by all of humanity before you. — Connotation is made possible by cultural consensus. On an individual

What is language? Language is one of many expressive vehicles. I used to think of it as a "tool for expression", now, I see it as the grantor of expression. Before we speak or write, we check in with Language and ask it for the words we need. Language was here before you. It was created by, maintained by, and evolved by all of humanity before you. You're a part of its current evolution and when you're gone, others will take over. Connotation is made possible by cultural c