Do Any Of You Keep A Journal?

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#16 [Permalink] Posted on 6th December 2015 20:53

Yep....there were so many things I wanted to do but kept getting forgotten or not focussed.....Just achievements, personal betterment. Bit like if you were to die today would you have achieved everything or even come near it.

Anyway made fairly long list....doing alot of mindfulness work, forgot about the list.Was reminded about the list 6months later by a friend, found I had already covered most of the things on the list, Alhamdulillah. Which meant more could be added.

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ربي زدني علما
(My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge)

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#17 [Permalink] Posted on 6th December 2015 22:46

Making a to-do-list having to deal with all the things youve told yourself that are impossible or your not capable of doing or accomplishing soon start becoming a reality. Regains your faith in yourself and builds your confidence, you begin to learn what it's like to be solely dependant on the creator on not the creation, because it is only through Allah's will that anything can be achieved.

Tell yourself their is no such thing as 'i can't do it' if you've already convinced yourself you can't do something then you'll never do it.

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ربي زدني علما
(My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge)

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#18 [Permalink] Posted on 7th December 2015 02:28

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السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

I usually keep a small notebook with me while out in khurooj to write important points from the talks and visitation of ulama but now, that habit transferred to my daily life.

It helps you remember important things and it's a big means of reflection and contemplation....

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الشكر قيد الموجود وصيد المفقود

Shukr binds the present (bounties) and traps the absent (bounties)

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#19 [Permalink] Posted on 23rd March 2016 20:01

“Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.” – Will Self

I think maybe its time to stop procrastinating and start keeping a journal, certainly reading from the experience of others it has plenty of benefits and zero drawbacks.

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#20 [Permalink] Posted on 27th April 2016 14:23

How Gratitude Changed My Life
07/07/2014 10:39 am ET | Updated Sep 06, 2014
260

Prasanna Ranganathan
Lawyer; writer;

For several years, inspired by Oprah Winfrey and The Oprah Winfrey Show, I have kept a gratitude journal and have been journaling every night, listing 3-5 things from each day for which I am grateful. At the outset, this process was difficult for me, because I had become accustomed to ruminating on the negative, to stewing in my sense of being unjustly aggrieved, and to letting small moments of difficulty overtake the tremendous pieces of light and love that had filled my heart and life.

Initially, my gratitude journal would often have a common theme — “I am happy that the worst case scenario didn’t happen.” If my bag broke on the way to the office, I would write in my journal that I was grateful that the papers in my bag didn’t blow away in the wind. If I spilled hot chocolate all over myself, I would say at least I wasn’t wearing my white pants. In time, however, I began to eschew this tendency and view the moments of my day and the gratitude they engendered as joyous gifts.

I was able to use the journal to take notice of the small pockets of light and love in my life, e.g., the kindness of a stranger in opening the door for me, the bus driver’s boisterous greeting when I got on the bus in the morning, the warm words of affection in a friend’s email, and the love of my parents’ voices on our daily telephone call.

One example of the gratitude journal’s impact on my life is particularly tangible. I am legally blind. I have been legally blind since 2005, and over the past few years, my eyesight has been further deteriorating. Despite the stresses associated with this decline, what this experience has taught me is that I must seize every precious moment and live life to the fullest. To this end, every single day, I take what I call “mental gratitude pictures” and write about these pictures in my gratitude journal. Usually, this process involves me 1) pausing; 2) taking notice of a particular moment, image or detail around me; 3) taking a deep breath; 4) closing my eyes; and 5) envisioning the moment, image, or detail in my mind.

For instance, when I see the sun reflect off a building, or the smile on someone’s face, or the color of a flower or scarf, or the billowy clouds, I take a moment, pause and take a mental picture. The literal images I see through my eyes are fuzzier now, and I know in time, my physical eyesight will worsen. These mental gratitude pictures remind me to live in the moment and to treasure the world around me.

2014-07-02-PrairiePhoto.jpg

One day, should my ability to experience the world through my eyes be completely limited, I know that my heart will be filled with these mental gratitude pictures amassed over years of conscious observation of the blessings around me. As author, spiritual teacher, and thought leader Marianne Williamson wrote on her Facebook page on Monday, June 15, 2014:

At least once a day, stop long enough to allow yourself to be truly amazed by a tree, or a flower, or the sunlight dancing on land or sea. That is the sacred space, the place within us where we are witness to the ongoing miracles of life. And the more we are open to truly seeing them around us, the more we are able to truly feel them within us. Miracles are everywhere, all the time, waiting to be plucked by our awareness into the makings of a happy life.
Keeping a gratitude journal and taking these mental gratitude pictures have made me more conscious, every moment of every day, of the many miracles life has to offer, if I simply take the time to notice them.

Source...Huffington Post.

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#21 [Permalink] Posted on 27th April 2016 14:28

Prasanna Ranganathan wrote:

I have kept a gratitude journal and have been journaling every night, listing 3-5 things from each day for which I am grateful.

SubhanAllah. Only 3-5 things!

Personally, if she did what she says, she would find Allah. (Allah guides whom He wills)

Think like a Muslim, behave like a Muslim, act upon the Quran and Sunnah and one would write volumes of each time they were grateful to Allah, daily.

But what a shame, many of us don't even know what to be grateful for.

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Actions are judged by intentions, so each man will have what he intended.
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#22 [Permalink] Posted on 27th April 2016 15:42

abu mohammed wrote:

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I think writing down 3-5 things daily is prescribed for consistency, by psychologists... whilst at the same time it is recommended that you express non-stop gratitude in your thoughts through out the day . Apparently writing something down has a greater impact and helps engrave things on the mind, and Allah knows best.

The above article was just one out of many I came across. A couple of things that caught my attention were, that the teachings of our predecessors were centuries ahead of modern behaviourial science yet we seem to pay no heed to them. Secondly that how vast the Rahmah of ALLAH is that he even bestows an abundance of peace and tranquility upon those who do not truly recognise him, imagine the blessings for the muslim's, but we are to lazy to express gratitude.

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#23 [Permalink] Posted on 27th April 2016 16:52

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

An excerpt related to the topic of discussion, from Shaikh Abdul Fattāh Abu Ghuddah ra's sharh of Imām al-Muhāsibī's Risālatul Mustarshidīn (translated into English with the title, The Sunnah Way of the Sufis).

When you know who said what, it has a greater effect on the heart

You will see that I attribute each statement to its source and the person who made that statement. This, I did even if it was short or small. The reason for this is that if the source of the statement is known and it is attributed to the person who made it, its meaning is more perfectly and completely exposed. It has a great effect on the hearts and is accepted bearing in mind that the person who is quoting it is certain of what he is saying, the truthfulness of the person who said it, or that his sincerity, religiosity, knowledge, piety, asceticism or abstentiousness is well known. Therefore, knowing the person who made the statement entail conveying the meaning of it more perfectly, or understanding the intended meaning to perfection.

While talking about the merit of attributing a statement to the person who said it and the effect of not attributing a statement to the person who said it, Abu 'Amr al-Jahīz writes:

"And then there are statements whose beauty can never be perfect and complete unless the person who made that statement is known. And unless they are connected to their original sources. By severing them from their sources and places of origin, half the beauty of those statements fall off and the rare half disappears."

"if you were to produce a speech on asceticism and admonishing people, and then you say: 'This is from the statements of Bakr bin 'Abdillāh al-Muzanī, 'Amr bin 'Abd Ways al-'Anbārī, Mu'arriq al-'Ijlī, Yazīd ar-Raqāshī - all these personalities who are well known for their righteousness and asceticism - then the beauty of your speech will multiply several times. Attributing your statements to these people would cause a splendor and elevated position that was not found previously. But, if in this speech on admonishment and asceticism, you said: 'This is what Abu Ka'b as-Sūfi said - a person who was a clown and jester - or the poet Abu Nuwās said this, or Husayn al-Khalī said this, it will not raise the value of what you said in any way. In fact, it is more likely that it will reduce its importance and decrease its significance." ¹

Attributing a statement to the person who said it thus raise its value or decrease it, expand the extent of it or constrict it. This is something that is firmly embedded in the temperaments and hearts of people.

1 Abu 'Amr al-Jahīz: al-Bukhalā', p. 6.

The Sunnah Way of the Sufis: p. 33

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الشكر قيد الموجود وصيد المفقود

Shukr binds the present (bounties) and traps the absent (bounties)

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#24 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2016 18:02

The Following has been extracted from The Fajr Literary Blog.... fajr-literary.com/

Life is interesting when dreams come true
by Fajr-Literary | Dec 12, 2012 |
As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

It was a cool Autumn evening a few years ago, when I decided to give one of my friends a random visit at her West London home. I didn’t know just how inspirational this little visit would be. We sat about, munched on good food, and talked for an awfully long time since we hadn’t seen each other for ages. It’s not every day I get personal with you guys on the blog, but I’ve wanted to share this for a while now, in the hopes that it helps at least one person out there…

I had recently returned from my first trip to Egypt, but I was a bit down as I had left unexpectedly and didn’t get to complete my studies.

On top of that, it was rainy and gloomy in London which was the perfect weather for my mood (!) So, I decided to tell her everything from my self-diagnosed ‘depression’ which I claimed was a result of my return to London, to my fear of not progressing very far with Arabic.

Turns out we were in similar boats…

Friend: “Well, I’m currently doing an Arabic crash course… Why don’t you come to class with me?”
Me: “Really?”
Friend: “Yeah! They’re currently planning the next level, so maybe you can talk to the teacher and see if they can help you.”
Me: “Alright, when are you starting?”
Friend: “Tomorrow…”

I literally slept over that night and attended class with her. I borrowed her pens, helped myself to some writing paper from the living room and walked right into the institute, as random as can be. I didn’t even have the funds to enrol. Alhamdulillah they allowed me to take a higher class, and as they say, the rest is history. But this is not what this post is about and it’s not what inspired me that week…
On one of the evenings, we retired to bed but for some reason I couldn’t fall asleep straight away. I just stared at the ceiling and reflected over many things, not knowing that my friend couldn’t sleep either.

Friend: “Are you awake?”
Me: O my God, yeah. I thought you were fast asleep.”
Friend: “Nope.”
Me: “Hmm. What are you thinking about?”
Friend: “I can’t believe we’re 20 years old.”
Me: “Subhan’Allah, yeah. We’re so old… Hey, we should do something.
Friend: “Like what? You know, I have this passion to do great things, but there’s so little time with our uni, work, family… At this rate, life will probably just pass us by and we’ll have achieved absolutely nothing.”
Me: “I know, subhan’Allah… But you know, maybe it doesn’t have to be like that. Maybe we should force ourselves to make time for what we wanna do, y’know?”
Friend: “How?”
Me: “Not sure…”

From the conversation we sound like a pair of grannies. But after some pauses, ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, half sentences and moments of talking at the same time, we both came to the same conclusion…
“We should plan out the next few years!”

… And that’s how it all started. The beginning of great changes in our lives (ok, I do make it sound dramatic). But anyway, that night we didn’t really sleep, the both of us. Instead we spent it in some planning. We chatted and chatted, thought and thought, and we encouraged each other a lot.
Dawn came and we tied a promise: each of us was to draw up an A4 piece of paper with our personal 5 year plan. It was to include short term goals, long term goals, and ultimate goals. It had to be what we really wanted to achieve. It had to be feasible but at the same time it had to be high goals (no point in aiming low), and of course it had to be something beneficial. So, we broke down every aspect of our lives quite rigorously and then we rebuilt it into the form we wanted. We tried to project our vision into the future and then worked our way back. Quitting wasn’t an option.

This was a truly life changing moment.
I love planning. It’s one of those things that really disciplines a person and at the same time paves the way for success. It gives life, form and structure to your years and brings time-wasting down to an absolute minimum. If you don’t believe me, try it out. Plan the next week out and see how it goes.

I remember once giving a lecture on ‘Time Management’ to a group of sisters and the number of times I had to refer back to ‘planning’ and one’s ‘To-do lists’ was incredible; there’s a strong positive correlation between the two and as they say, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’ – I couldn’t put it better.
A lot of the time, we fail to realise the Islamic aspect of planning. Some people might even feel uneasy about planning out the next whole 5 or 10 years because they believe it’s a form of ‘long hope’ (طول الأمل) and failing to remember death. But actually, it’s the exact opposite. The worst thing a Muslim can do is waste his/her time and fail to work towards death and the Hereafter. Perhaps the statement of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (radhiallahu `anhuma) is apt here when he said: “Work for your worldly life as if you shall live forever and work for your Hereafter as if you will die tomorrow.”

When a person puts together a plan, they are effectively putting their intentions down on paper. Think about it. If you sincerely want to achieve something and you write it among your goals, is it not an intention you just made? Bearing in mind the hadith of kitabat al-a’mal (writing down of deeds), what happens if your good intention fails to materialise as you wished? Yep, you got it: Allah `azza wa jall still rewards you for it. A 5 year plan is basically a collection of some of your intentions for the next 5 years. Even if you die before accomplishing them, Allah `azza wa jall will still reward you for each of those points because you made the intention and you had the firm resolve to do it. Reminds me of what one of the righteous before us said: “You attain by your intention what you cannot attain by your mere actions.”

I recently finished reading ‘The Alchemist’ and there was one quote from the book which stuck with me for a long time. It’s when the alchemist tells the boy, “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I realised that this was actually a deeply-rooted Islamic concept. See, when a person makes a resolve to achieve something and is sincere in that, more often than not, Allah `azza wa jall helps them in their endeavour. He helps them realise their dream and it materialises as they start to put in the work.

So, dear reader, make a resolve to plan your life. Get a notepad and jot everything down.
It’s completely up to you how you decide to go about it; you can do a weekly plan, a monthly plan etc, but always make sure you have long term goals and aims. List the things you want to achieve in the next 5 years, the next 10 years and go for it.

You want to memorise Qur’an and learn Arabic/’ilm? Write it down.
You want to travel? Write it down.
You want to get married and raise children to the best of your ability? Write it down.
You want to get out of debt, sort out your finances, and gain stability? Write it down.
You want to turn a new leaf in your life, make a fresh start, and spring clean out all the rubbish?
Write, write, and write…
And when you write, be sincere. Begin in the Name of Allah, and finish it with a du’a and it doesn’t hurt offering 2 raka’ah of nafl prayer. Ask Allah to grant you tawfiq (guidance/success) and help you. You will soon see results.

To note: From experience I’ve noticed that there are various patterns which occur in a person’s life when they make a decision like this. You might go through emotional ups and downs (you’ll be excited, skeptical, happy, sad, motivated, disheartened etc), and sometimes it may feel like you’re taking 2 steps forward only to fall back a step. There’ll be days when you actually see your goals materialising but there’ll also be days when nothing seems to be happening. It’s unpredictable but yet at the same time, it’s pretty predictable like that.

When you plan, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems or that life won’t throw you about… no, that could happen. But the great thing about having a plan is that you get to see through the mist. Your vision is fixed on a certain goal and it acts as a rope which pulls you through whatever obstacle comes your way; you just gotta make sure not to let go…

Insha’Allah with some good planning, you can really turn your life around and actually achieve what may seem very distant now. You will snap out of laziness and lethargy, and you will find a new drive in life. You’ll gain confidence, motivation and you’ll always be busy (doing good things). These are the type of people Allah grants success to because their sincere intention was followed up with action.

Sometimes, you will feel that you’re not reaching your goal. The secret here is to keep going. When Allah sees a firm resolve from you, He will allow the heavens and the earth to fall at your service, and in one way or another, He will take you to your goal. This is called ‘taskhir’ in Arabic and many verses reflect how Allah has done this for us, out of His Kindness:

“And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth – all from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” [al-Jathiyah: 13]
“Do you not see that Allah has made subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and unapparent?” [Luqman: 20]
I actually lost the sheet of my set of goals, just 2 years after writing it. I thought it was gone for good until last year when I was cleaning out old stuff in my house, I stumbled across a fragile and faint piece of folded-up paper. Subhan’Allah, it was my aims list. More than 5 years had passed since I wrote it… I sat down and began to read it. As I read each of the points, I realised that in one way or another, the 5-year plan had all materialised. One by one, the goals were either achieved in totality or a huge aspect of them had come to be. I was stunned. It felt like even though I lost the paper, faced many many obstacles along the road, it felt as if in the end Allah `azza wa jall took it upon Himself to complete my journey. I still shiver when I remember how I found my paper… just lying there by itself, old but intact, as if Allah wanted me to see it, and read for myself the fulfillment of His Promise.

Plan; and you will see that indeed, you can reach by your intentions what you cannot reach by your deeds alone. Everyone who plans and strives, reaps this at the end.

Some tips:
The greatest secret when making a plan is knowing the Greatness of Allah. I cannot stress this point enough. Know Allah, trust His Capabilities, Know the amazing ways He works, and let Him be with you as you embark on your journey. Wallahi amazing things will happen for you.

Sit with yourself and think about what you really really want to achieve. Yes, it can be worldly, but be smart and make sure that it also counts in the Hereafter (a believer always knows how to turn a mundane act into something rewardable).

Be sincere. If you’re not, the only person you end up cheating is yourself.
Be feasible and realistic about your plans. If you want to complete your education, count how many years you need and create enough space for that. We’re human so we cannot fly, but soaring through the sky does not require you to have wings, does it? Think logically but allow inspiration to work too.

Be flexible in your planning. Give yourself enough room to deal with setbacks, problems and failed attempts. Don’t make your timeline so rigid and compact that any small fallback will mess everything up.
Go easy on yourself. If something doesn’t work out, love yourself at that point and work with your strengths and weaknesses. Include moments when you can relax, and reward yourself if you feel that will help you to keep going.

At the same time, don’t be too lenient on yourself that it throws you off your course. Know when to be strict and when to be easygoing.

Stick to your plan. Don’t fall into the trap of throwing out your plan halfway or revising it so much that it no longer reflects your dreams. Stick to what your heart wants you to achieve.
Keep your focus on the goal, but keep your wider focus on Allah and the Hereafter.

Having a plan is a great stress-buster! You know why? Because you will not be mentally overwhelmed by things. Planning helps you put everything into its place and you can stand back and visualise your day, week, year etc. You’ll be one step ahead of yourself and this will bring you some ease and confidence. You will feel good and you will achieve more than you think.
Wa billahi al-tawfiq :)

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – The Alchemist

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#25 [Permalink] Posted on 30th September 2016 22:02

Sulaiman84 wrote:

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Okay Hazrat here goes... The report in the Scientific American mentioning research studies on the Benefits of Gratitude www.scientificamerican.com/article/gratitude-map-invites-...

Here is an Extract from the book of assistance on blessings of Gratitude.

On Gratitude

You must thank God for all that he has favoured you with. you have no good thing, whether outward or inward religious or worldly, but that it comes from Him.
He has said Exalted is he: Whatever good thing you have is from God.(XVI:53), Gods favours upon you are more than you can number or be aware of, let alone adequately thank Him for. If you would count the favours of God you cannot number them. (XIV:34) .

If the poor and sick among the people of monotheism reflected on God’s favours upon them they would become too intoxicated by giving thanks to feel the hardship of patient endurance. you should do as much as you can to thank your Lord and confess your total incapacity to do so adequately.

Know that thankfulness leads to the perpetuation of favours already received and to the obtaining of others that are desired. God the Exalted has said: If you give thanks, I shall surely increase you (XIV:7) He is, Exalted is He, too Generous to take away a favour from someone who is thanking him. He has said, Exalted is He: That is because God never changes a blessing he has bestowed on any people until they first change what is in themselves, ( VIII:51) that is their neglecting to give thanks………..

Imam Abdallah Ibn Alawi Al Hadad (May Allah bless him abundantly and confer His Mercy upon him)* Taken from ‘The Book of Assistance’

Here is a personal Testimony on Benefits of Shukr and the benefits of following the advice given by Imam Abdallah ibn Alawi Al Hadad رحمة الله عليه

www.muftisays.com/forums/27-sharing-portal/9956-start-wit...

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#26 [Permalink] Posted on 24th April 2017 22:01

Bismillah.

Although I still have not overcome my Phobia of Journalling and Paranoia of other people finding or reading it.

It Has been interesting looking at the kind of Journals and notebooks people keep... Or rather used to keep (it seems to be fast becoming a dying art) perhaps explains the mental lethargy and lack of productivity many of us now adays have

(1) Recipes A journal recording recipes for various dishes usually passed down from mother to daughter.

(2) Time management and Productivity A journal keeping a daily record of the amount of time you spent in various tasks and to measure progress whether its exercise, Studies work or worship.

(3) Notes from Audio lectures It seems a bit odd why bother taking notes from an audio lecture when you can just listen to the audio again Some people even transcribe the entire lectures. From what I read it has a greater psychological benefit helps in memory retention and also helps you mentally focus whilst you are listening to the lecture and also helps writing skills. Probably a good way to get Teenage children to fully benefit from lectures by getting them too transcribe them.

(4) Book Reviews. A journal listing and reviewing the books you read and points of inspiration.

(5) Inspirational stories and Quotes A Journal registering inspiring stories and quotes makes a great travel companion and I suppose something to inspire you when you are feeling depressed.

(6) A Journal of Advice. A Journal of Advice for your children in which you address them directly with pieces of advice and present it as a gift once they reach their Teenage Years, from spiritual advices, too manners behaviour and including all the various challenges and temptations they may face in life, from applying for jobs, dealing with interviews, how to budget finances, how to deal with difficult people, importance of marriage etc...So that you will continue to be of benefit to them long after your gone.

(7) A Quran Journal In which people record the translation and tafseer of Ayaats that really touched them and had an impact on them etc. www.soundvision.com/article/the-quranic-journal-why-to-ke...

(8) Charity Goals. Listing various lifetime goals in charitable acts that you intend to do in the future when you have resources... Donate to a Widow, Help an Orphan, Build a well, Help someone who is blind, build a masjid, medical clinic, help homeless etc. and keep adding to the list. If the persons Intentions are sincere then they will by any Shadow of a doubt be rewarded for what they intended for ALLAHسبحانه وتعالى is indeed most Generous.

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#27 [Permalink] Posted on 12th July 2018 16:36

Dear Diary... The surprising health benefits of journaling

By Marianne Power
21 July 2017 • 10:12am

Oscar Wilde wrote: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." World leaders, great thinkers and film stars have always kept journals, usually with the knowledge that one day they will be read by a shocked, amused and adoring public.

But a growing body of research is suggesting that we could all benefit from keeping a journal, if not for posterity, then for sanity and good health. Studies show that writing about your day, your feelings and your worries may not only clear your head - helping you to sleep, feel more relaxed and solve problems - it could even improve your physical health.

Researchers at the University of Arizona found that keeping a journal after a divorce not only helped people make sense of the experience emotionally and move forward, but also resulted in lower heart rate and higher heart rate variability - associated with better health. This builds on existing research being gathered by Dr James Pennebaker, author of Opening Up by Writing It Down, who has found that as well as lowering depression and anxiety, journaling strengthens immune cells called T-lymphocytes.

The theory is that by writing, you express and impose structure on anxious feelings, which in turn reduces stress and its physical impact on your body. And while many of us associate keeping a diary with our teenage years, research by the University of Lancaster suggests writing down your experiences helps you remember them later, so journals could be a useful tool to keep memory sharp as you age.
So should we all end every day with the words "Dear Diary"? "I recommend it to all my clients," says psychologist Dr Jane McCartney (drjane.co.uk). "Writing something down stops things from going around and around in our heads. This puts things in perspective, it stops you from obsessing and can help us make sense of our jumble of thoughts and feelings. It's particularly useful for people who have problems sleeping. If you wake at 3am worrying about problems, just get them out on the page."

And if you're not a writer, don't worry, adds Dr McCartney. "You can doodle, do mind maps or lists. It doesn't have to be formal."

She is also a fan of the growing number of structured journals on sale that prompt reflection by asking questions, and giving you goals to fill in for the week, month or year. The Mind Journal (mindjournals.com, £9.99) is filled with questions and tasks, and is aimed specifically at men who find it hard to express their emotions.

Gretchen Rubin, meanwhile, author of The Happiness Project, has championed the idea of the one-sentence journal. Each night she writes at least one sentence about what happened that day in order to appreciate the little moments in her life.

Which brings us to another benefit of journaling, says psychotherapist Dr Lucy Beresford. "It can be a way of paying attention to life - a form of mindfulness," she says. "Life is so busy and it can go in a blur. Spending a few minutes taking a note of the little things can be very therapeutic."

Dr Beresford has personal experience of the benefits. "Four years ago, a friend gave me a blank book and on the first page she'd written, 'Things you're grateful for'. I started writing down little things. It gave me a different perspective; the chance to see that my life is great. I now do it every night."

And so, in the past three weeks, I have followed Dr Beresford's lead. I have always been one to fill notebooks with self-indulgent musings, which has been a great way to purge emotions. But I'm ringing the changes with a new, briefer form of journaling. First I'm listing three things I'm grateful for at the end of the day. Last night's trio: gorgeous sunshine, ice cream with maple syrup and a good hair day - "curls, not frizz!".

I've also started writing down the specifics, such as: "Made weird avocado and mint thing for dinner. Sent my first book out to publishers - terrifying and exciting."

And that is the joy of the journal - it can help you make sense of the big things and help you to savour the little. All of which makes for a full, rich life.

*Source.... Telegraph.

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#28 [Permalink] Posted on 23rd July 2018 08:45

(1) I kept my journal for years. Positive and negative things included. Then the habit got left out some where in the humdrum of life. But not before doing its due - both positively as well as negatively. On the positive side it helps a lot in keeping the life organized and in order and on purpose.

But it is the negative side that takes the cake. The possible negative outcomes outstrip the positive ones. Because of that I shall not record any of those here.

I am not using my real name here at MS or even at the Facebook where many of my friends know my personal identity. Basically this anonymity helps in keeping the traffic of interaction at low levels.

Same goes about a diary or a journal that is personal. By not keeping it you save yourself the trouble of negative consequences. We can always do with less trouble in our life than we already have.

(2) A Hindu teacher of mine was a spiritual personal even in those days when he taught us. Today he has become a Swamy. I still keep in touch with him. I was always impressed with his sincerity and his piety - piety in the sense that is available to the majority community in our country.

Somehow I ended up, long ago, with an old diary that belonged to him. In my silliness born out of tender age I read it all. It was full of personal details that usually would not be share even with personal friends. When I think of it this was a real case of Khayanah on my part.

But the effect of it was completely different. Having known his human side i not only love him more but respect him more. I pray for his Hidayah more than any one else amongst my Hindu friends and well wishers.

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#29 [Permalink] Posted on 24th July 2018 02:02

I always save ideas worth saving in a register or on the system. They come in handy for dawah purposes later on. Also they help me monitoring how my thinking and knowledge about different aspects of deen and dunia has changed.

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#30 [Permalink] Posted on 26th September 2022 11:43

Bismillah.

Get a pen and notebook Write down a list of all the difficulties you are going through all the challenges you are facing. All the goals and aspirations you have.

Keep that list with you and regularly make dua asking ALLAHs, help and assistance concerning everything you have written down...!

InshaAllah if you consistently make Dua for all your needs and worries. You will start seeing your duas being answered. And things that you thought were impossible become possible.

And ALLAH knows best.

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Do Any Of You Keep A Journal?

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