A few years ago, I found several journals I had lost track of and decided to read through some of them. I thought it would be an excellent way to see where I was when I wrote the entries and how far I had traveled in the intervening years. I was amazed by how much I knew at the time I wrote in the journals that I thought I had only recently incorporated into my life.

That was when I realized writing helped me integrate my learning all along. Writing revealed an understanding of my process and, ultimately, the change that I needed to make to improve my life. The realizations made through recording my thoughts, feelings, and memories helped me see expanded possibilities and unearth knowledge from my unconscious, higher conscious, and the collective conscious.

I now make it a point to reread my journals every few months. Every time I do, I see new and revealing perspectives on what I’m currently experiencing.

Writing is a powerful tool for self-discovery and healing. I believe your writing and what you are living right now are entwined. It’s not scientific; it’s only my theory, but there seems to be a chemical response that helps you know yourself better through the written word. 

Here’s a writing assignment: Go to a journal you wrote more than a year ago. Read it in its entirety, then write about what you discover. Explore what you knew then that you have only recently integrated into your life.