A Journey Within: Describe The Road You Are Currently Traveling

    This road I travel is often bumpy and rocky. I frequently find myself wrong footed, twisting an ankle here, tweaking my back there. Some days the road is highly visible under clear skies, making it easier to traverse despite the challenging conditions. Other days the road is shrouded in fog and I stumble along not knowing which direction I am headed. Sometimes I crawl on hands and knees groping for a helping hand. Sunshine is often followed by rain, hail, and wind. However, the sun inevitably shines again, bringing with it clarity. Unfortunately, the cycle of sun, rain, hail, and wind is never ending, and the clarity is fleeting. It is a long and twisted road. Traversing this road often leaves me mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted, bruised, and battered. Sometimes I grieve my inability to see the end.

A Journey Within

    About 3 months ago, while perusing our local bookstore, I came across a journal titled “A Journey Within: An Introspective Activity Journal To Help You Get To Know Yourself Better”. Each page of the journal asks a question meant to help you examine yourself and your life. When I purchased the journal, I set myself the goal of answering one question a day, not only in an attempt to keep up my writing, but also in an attempt to better know my wants, needs, desires, and passions.  I hoped that by filling out a page a day I could enact necessary changes to reduce my anxiety and depression. Since purchasing the journal three months ago, I have answered one question. Filled out one page. I have picked the journal up several times over the past three months, flipped through the pages, browsed and pondered the questions, and ultimately closed the journal without adding any thoughts. Tonight, with a burning desire to write, I picked up the journal again with the intention of answering another question. However, none of the questions produced answers. I felt stuck. Instead, I picked up my computer and began this piece as an explanation of my current goal; to write answers to the questions in my journal and to publish them on my blog. I hope that in doing so I can not only share the gunk inside my brain (the whole purpose of my blog), but also motivate myself to actively engage with my journal in a positive and productive manner.