The Storykeeper Odyssey Journaling Retreat

Journaling Retreat

This Journaling Retreat is the start of my 2013 Journaling Project: 

My Storykeeper Odyssey in 2013

This journaling retreat and next year for you can mean starting to get your entire life on the page. It's the start of leaving a legacy. It's the Introduction to your life. It will also be a good preparation if you want to write your memoirs one day. Your journaling entries are the first step. 

THE GOAL OF THIS JOURNALING RETREAT

The goal of the journaling retreat of 20-21 December is to get as many memories listed on the pages of our journals as possible. It can be in literal lists or however you want to do it. You can do a mind map, list, paragraph form, written on the page with no punctuation, other than bullet points or stars to set them off. You can number them or not. You can make each a different ink color. You can do each in a different font. Do whatever strikes your fancy and have fun with it. 

The goal is to get every single memory listed on the page that we can. We want to be thorough. If we take the next two days to do so, we have the potential of getting hundreds of memories listed.

We will not write more than a sentence to let us know enough to recall the memory when we return to the list later. For example:

My Golden Retriever Sunny, the log over the fence, when I was about 7 or 8. 

Or:

Visiting Mom at the hospital after her hernia operation. How old was I? Five? Ask Mom or Dad to verify.

You see, I am giving just enough information that if I do not return to the list for a year, I can still retrieve the memory and write more completely about it. This is the goal. 

WHY GET ALL OF OUR MEMORIES ON THE PAGE IN OUR JOURNALS?

The 14th of December 2012 was a good reminder to us all when there was the Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school. We, or our loved ones, could die tomorrow. This is a hard fact, but nevertheless is quite true. Needless to say, don't we want to write all of our stories, and our stories with them, while we still can? There is no time like the present.

Also, I come from a family with dementia  Do I need to say anything more? One day, I will forget my memories... Journaling will preserve them.

And, I know someone who suffered from amnesia and forgot several years in their life. They asked their spouse to be their memory and their spouse to be their memory.

Or, what about the parent who gets run over by a bus? What would their children have to remember them by? Or, what about a sickness or a stroke? 

Or, what about for your future or unborn child? 

Or, what about wanting to remember your life--because you are proud of every year you've lived and count yourself blessed?

Or, what about wanting to remember what God has done in your life? 

These are some of the reasons why we should get it all down on the page.

WHERE DO WE START?

I am going to list some suggestions below. Do them in whatever order you want, in whatever way you want. Do each of the below as often as necessary or as you want. Just remember the goal: Get as many memories listed in your journal as possible.

* Do a SOC (Stream of Consciousness)--where you write down whatever comes to mind, the moment it comes to mind, as fast as you can. 

* List the decades of your life and go through each decade and list as many memories as you can.

* List your most powerful memories.

* List your favorite memories.

* List the life challenges you've had.

* List the successes you've had.

* List when you've come up short.

* List all the places you've lived and memories associated with each.

* List all the jobs you've had and the memories associated with each.

* Do a mind-map.

* List all the people in your life and the memories associated with each.

* Go to each room in your house. List as many objects as you can see and write the memories associated with each.

* Think of what each home you've lived in looks like and the objects found there. List the memories associated with each.

* Where have you traveled? List the memories associated with each. 

* What are your favorite songs of all-time. List them and write the memories associated with each.

* TV shows? List them and write the memories associated with each.

* Movies? List them and write the memories associated with each.

* Books? List them and write the memories associated with each.

* Authors? List them and write the memories associated with each.

* Take out old photos. Write the memories associated with each.

* What photographs are missing or were never taken? List them and write the memories associated with each.

* When did you go... to the zoo? to the museum? to other touristy, cultural places  List them and write the memories associated with each.

* List all of your pets and write the memories associated with each.

* Anything else that comes to mind. Etc. Etc. Etc. 

~ Stacy Duplease