The gifts of journaling.
I know journaling is not for everyone. I am a person who doesn’t find much joy in journaling. It just seems like something else I have to do, or something else on my to-do list. I hate to-do lists yet also feel great satisfaction when I get to see how many things I’ve accomplished in the day. Alternatively, it might disappoint me in how many things I did NOT get done in the day. It’s really a matter of perspective, isn’t it?
This weekend I went through some old papers when I was cleaning my office. I found a manilla envelope that I had filled with pages form my morning pages from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artists Way. Julia states you can go back and read them, but only if wait a few months from the time you wrote them. Since it had been 9 months, I was safe. During the time of morning pages, I was going through something really difficult that I thought would shape me and who I was forever. I was convinced I might be sad forever or that I would struggle with the difficult time forever. I read through the pages and although I could remember those strong feelings and how I felt, I was more impacted by how things are so different now. I laugh a lot. I feel more myself every day and through the experience I gained friends and a whole lot of confidence in myself. It made me see how important journaling is. It gave me a perspective I may not have had if I didn’t go through my morning pages.
I also went on a cruise last month with a boyband, if you’re curious who, I put at pic at the end of this blog. I have made so many friends from being a fan and I feel like I am in my happy place when I am at their concerts or on the cruise. It brings me back to my 13yo self that had no cares in the world and not worried about anything. Everyone on the ship was having the time of their life. I am rarely up until 10pm these days but on the cruise my friends and I were eating pizza in the cafeteria at 6:30am after a night of dancing. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I hugged my friends, we sang together, and basically it was the best 4 days of my life. I couldn’t believe this 47yo Drew could still dance like she didn’t have any cares in the world.
The thing is that right before I was to get on the cruise, my friend, who was also supposed to be my roommate, backed out. We had planned the cruise a whole year ago and she knew what kind of year I had and that it was so important for me to go on that cruise. She no-showed on the cruise and I was all by myself. I had other friends on there and many people who I had wanted to get to know in the past but didn’t because my friend wasn’t really interested in mingling with new people. I made more friends, spent more time with people I hadn’t been able to before, and had the time of my life. Plus having an entire balcony room to yourself is not a bad thing. I felt like I needed that space to have some time to myself too. I’ve been on 3 cruises with the boyband and this one was the best. I couldn’t imagine have had a better time than I did. It wasn’t until I was on the cruise by myself that I realized I had missed out in previous years because my friend was not open to getting to know others and I didn’t push back. Perspective. Also I realized that I was not going to tolerate my passive-aggressive friend any longer. Now I don’t have to because I have plenty of options for future roommates!
So, this is my way of saying, if you’re going through a hard time, find a way to document the way things are and revisit it in 6 months or more. I guarantee you will be amazed. The way we adapt and grow is incredible and so easy to miss if you don’t pay attention to it. So pay attention!
