Back when I was in college I received an assignment in one of my Communication classes on persuasive speech. I was supposed to pick a topic of choice and then deliver a speech to convince my class mates to agree with me. I decided to go with a topic that was close to my heart; writing personal journals. Recently, I was sorting the stuff on my laptop to clear up some space when I came across the outline of my speech assignment. I loved reading it again after years and decided to post it on my blog. So this entry is basically my speech's outline just as I wrote it back then. PS. I scored an A! Yayyy!
Imagine the girl/guy you considered your best friend deceived you.
Imagine you had an argument with your parents.
Imagine that you failed a quiz.
Imagine that you are heartbroken and depressed.
Horrible isn’t it?
You go to a friend and let your heart out, you complain and whine like anything.
You know what’s horrible?
Your secrets may not be yours the very next second.
What is the guarantee that your friend doesn’t spread the word?
What you could have done instead was write it all out.
Made a paper and pen replace your friend.
Writing not only helps you ease your stress, but also helps you frame your thoughts and maybe even commit to yourself over matters.
So what help will bringing pen and paper together bring to you?
You could write about everyday; what did you do, whom did you meet?
You could let out feelings, emotions and thoughts; liked someone? Maybe hated someone?
Write about your discomforts, fears and worries of the day.
Williams Wordsworth once said, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”
But you’re probably thinking it is foolish talking to paper. Yes?
An article I found [somewhere online during my research back then] broadly divided the positives of writing into three categories. Pragmatic, educational and emotional.
In the pragmatic sense, you have an alternative to verbal communication and you create permanent records of yourself. This is true to the quote, "Keep a diary and one day it’ll keep you." - Mae West
Educationally, writing will help you impart ideas and also practice your formal writing.
The most important benefits to me though are the emotional ones.
When you write you are clarifying your mind.
Lord Byron (famous poet) once said, ‘If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.’ Now I am sure none of us here would want to go mad.
So I encourage you to write!
When you will write you will work on your thoughts, some views will develop further, you may reject some of your past knowledge and maybe come up with a new set of thoughts!
Best of all, you are venting out your emotions which I guarantee will make you feel so much better.
I quote Franz Kafka (a german novelist), "Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself."
I know what you're thinking.
Picking up a pen and writing down your emotions; sounds too boring?
Now let me tell you this.
Technology has changed the whole meaning of ‘writing'.
For those of us who find a pen and paper a boring concept ... maintain a journal online.
There are many websites for blogging; Open diary [used to be working back then], Blogger, etc.
According to an article [which I found back then], "There are over 133 Million Blogs over the internet."
That many people blogging, that must mean it must be something very special?
No need to even go on the internet.
Simply maintain a folder of regular writings.
That is like maintaining a journal on our personal computers.
Why do I say writing is better than confiding in a friend?
Firstly and mainly because I have had friends leaking out my secrets, at times fabricating them so that I got to hear the most craziest rumors about myself and my life from others.
Your diary/journal is never going to grow feet and go around spreading your word.
You can write anything, without being scared of being judged by the paper you are talking to.
Your writing stays with you till whenever you want it to.
Its like writing your history; its being famous in your own world of writing.
You can always look back to your thoughts and always have memories stored with you.
A journal truly can be such a loyal friend!
During the worst of my days, and the best, I write, irrespective of whether I write daily or weekly.
Its not as if I freak out that OMG I didn’t write today, I write when I feel like it.
My journals have been so much more loyal and comforting to me than my friends have been.
Let me show you all a video of how journals help us figure out our lives
[I showed some video, duh!]
How difficult is it, really? All I ask of you today is to pick up a journal or create one online, vent yourself out and release whatever you feel and desire! What do you know; maybe you end up committing yourself to a better lifestyle, just the way she just did [the girl in the video!].
To conclude I will quote Ray Bradbury, “You must stay drunk on writing, so that reality cannot destroy you.”
I hope I've convinced you enough to consider keeping a journal and changing your lives!
So go ahead ... write right now!
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Imagine the girl/guy you considered your best friend deceived you.
Imagine you had an argument with your parents.
Imagine that you failed a quiz.
Imagine that you are heartbroken and depressed.
Horrible isn’t it?
You go to a friend and let your heart out, you complain and whine like anything.
You know what’s horrible?
Your secrets may not be yours the very next second.
What is the guarantee that your friend doesn’t spread the word?
What you could have done instead was write it all out.
Made a paper and pen replace your friend.
Writing not only helps you ease your stress, but also helps you frame your thoughts and maybe even commit to yourself over matters.
So what help will bringing pen and paper together bring to you?
You could write about everyday; what did you do, whom did you meet?
You could let out feelings, emotions and thoughts; liked someone? Maybe hated someone?
Write about your discomforts, fears and worries of the day.
Williams Wordsworth once said, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”
But you’re probably thinking it is foolish talking to paper. Yes?
An article I found [somewhere online during my research back then] broadly divided the positives of writing into three categories. Pragmatic, educational and emotional.
In the pragmatic sense, you have an alternative to verbal communication and you create permanent records of yourself. This is true to the quote, "Keep a diary and one day it’ll keep you." - Mae West
Educationally, writing will help you impart ideas and also practice your formal writing.
The most important benefits to me though are the emotional ones.
When you write you are clarifying your mind.
Lord Byron (famous poet) once said, ‘If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.’ Now I am sure none of us here would want to go mad.
So I encourage you to write!
When you will write you will work on your thoughts, some views will develop further, you may reject some of your past knowledge and maybe come up with a new set of thoughts!
Best of all, you are venting out your emotions which I guarantee will make you feel so much better.
I quote Franz Kafka (a german novelist), "Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself."
I know what you're thinking.
Picking up a pen and writing down your emotions; sounds too boring?
Now let me tell you this.
Technology has changed the whole meaning of ‘writing'.
For those of us who find a pen and paper a boring concept ... maintain a journal online.
There are many websites for blogging; Open diary [used to be working back then], Blogger, etc.
According to an article [which I found back then], "There are over 133 Million Blogs over the internet."
That many people blogging, that must mean it must be something very special?
No need to even go on the internet.
Simply maintain a folder of regular writings.
That is like maintaining a journal on our personal computers.
Why do I say writing is better than confiding in a friend?
Firstly and mainly because I have had friends leaking out my secrets, at times fabricating them so that I got to hear the most craziest rumors about myself and my life from others.
Your diary/journal is never going to grow feet and go around spreading your word.
You can write anything, without being scared of being judged by the paper you are talking to.
Your writing stays with you till whenever you want it to.
Its like writing your history; its being famous in your own world of writing.
You can always look back to your thoughts and always have memories stored with you.
A journal truly can be such a loyal friend!
During the worst of my days, and the best, I write, irrespective of whether I write daily or weekly.
Its not as if I freak out that OMG I didn’t write today, I write when I feel like it.
My journals have been so much more loyal and comforting to me than my friends have been.
Let me show you all a video of how journals help us figure out our lives
[I showed some video, duh!]
How difficult is it, really? All I ask of you today is to pick up a journal or create one online, vent yourself out and release whatever you feel and desire! What do you know; maybe you end up committing yourself to a better lifestyle, just the way she just did [the girl in the video!].
To conclude I will quote Ray Bradbury, “You must stay drunk on writing, so that reality cannot destroy you.”
I hope I've convinced you enough to consider keeping a journal and changing your lives!
So go ahead ... write right now!
You've convinced me, except for one thing: get a locking journal if you don't want other eyes perusing your most private thoughts. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, that is important! :D
Delete