Stoics practised journalling as a philosophical act,
but not in a wafty woo-woo way.
It was to prepare for the day ahead, to reflect on the day that it happened, to remind themselves of new wisdom that they had learned;
from people,
from books,
from their own experiences.
The stoics knew that it’s often not enough to simply hear the lessons of the day once.
Instead, they took time to make sense of what happened, thinking things through clearly, most importantly, writing them down.
The journal then became a tool to build a wise, strong, ethical, virtuous character and a happier more resilient life.
Journalling in a robust reflective way is so much more than just jotting things down in your diary.
The writing becomes the final piece of a process of thinking, committing your life experience to paper.
You could call it a sacred personal text, an artefact, a cherished memento of a moment in time to look back on.
So a thought, imagine if people 2000 years in the future found your journal, what would you hope they learn from your life now?
Try some stoic journalling at the end of today.
- What kind of character you showed?
- What were your ethics?
- Who were your teachers?
- How disciplined were you?
- Did you respond with dignity if things didn’t go your way
- Were you fair?
And most importantly of all, how you’ll do things differently tomorrow based on what you’ve learned.
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