Startin' With Me

     Have you ever been driving along when a song came on the radio that just spoke directly to your heart?  I had one of those moments driving home from work one evening last week.  Jake Owen has a song out titled "Startin' With Me."  Most of the song seems like it was written just for me, but the verse " If only I'd've known, that later on down the road, I'd look back and not like what I see I'd've changed a lot of things startin' with me."  That is a powerful verse that probably speaks to many hearts when they hear it.

     I know I wrote last week that I would be discussing journaling this week and you are probably thinking what does any of this have to do with journaling.  I truly believe it has much to do with it.  I think we all hear songs, read books, watch movies, or just hear conversations that touches our hearts.  The feelings, or thoughts, we get from these experiences are a very important part of our personal development and us writing them down helps us clarify them.

     Through the years I have known several engineers that keep logs on every activity they participate in every day of their lives.  Journaling is a much different process.  Journaling is the practice of keeping a diary or journal of our thoughts and feelings about what is happening in our lives.  Journaling helps us gain clarity about life's situations.  It is the first step in every problem solving method in existence.

     If you're thinking that Journaling is just too much work think about the fact that another great benefit of practicing this art is Stress Management.  I wonder how many reading this have stress in their lives?  I bet the answer would be close to 100%!  There is strong research out there that shows journaling has the following health benefits:

1. Decreases the symptoms of asthma.
2. Reduces negative effects of stress.
3. Boosts the immune system.
4. Improves cognitive functioning.

     Journaling is also an effective tool to use when trying to change a pattern of negative self-talk, but I will save that for another day.  Like the song says "I'd've changed a lot of things startin' with me." I have vowed to write those things down each day so I can start changing them now.  I forget who told me that we can't change others and we can only change ourselves, but that is so true.  I think to be effective leaders, in our spheres of influence, we have to change ourselves and that is one of the basic pillars of Leading From Within.

May God bless you and I hope you have a great rest of your week.