A journey into journaling

Young Chennaiites have clear goals and aspirations, and they have taken to practicing manifestations, journaling and affirmations. Here’s how it helps them.
Journaling involves writing down your thoughts and emotions
Journaling involves writing down your thoughts and emotions
Updated on
4 min read

As the clock strikes 11.11 — in the morning or night — some of us close our eyes and make a silent wish. Some take a screenshot of their mobile screen highlighting the “angel number” and upload it on their social media accounts, while others take their pens and paper out and write down their aspirations. While the non-believers may term it superstition, people practicing this call it manifestations. In this process of manifesting, there can be several constraints and confusions. To get a clear picture of how to achieve your wish or goal, you can write down your thoughts, emotions, worries and expectations. This is journaling. Together, they help create a roadmap to achieve the life individuals envision, and Chennaiites have adopted thes practices whole-heartedly.

“I have been manifesting even before it was a concept known to the world. It is a personal journey for me,” shares Chandini Agarwal, architect and interior designer. Manifestation, for her, is acknowledging what you have today to get what you want for tomorrow.

Building on the same principle, Revathy Raghavan, a senior analyst, points out, “Manifestation is believing strongly in things or events that I want to have or happen in life for me or the people around me. It is a process, where you believe in something impossible to come to life.” She also believes that working on rituals like trusting the universe without action, meditating or practising gratitude for certain acts or events to take shape is “superstitious.”

Intuition and intention

So, what is manifestation? P Vijayalakshmi, associate professor in psychology, says, “Manifestation is connected with reinforcement. It is repeatedly saying to the self ‘I strongly believe in a particular thought and I am repeatedly reinforcing that thought’ and train myself towards that goal.” Chandini concurs, “Manifestation is visualisation. I constantly think about my career growth, to be a part of a particular project, or finances and surrender to those thoughts.”

Completely giving in to your thoughts could result in a positive or negative outcome. Revathy suggests, “When life gets harder, when manifestation does not work, I believe in myself and make way by myself to achieve the goals. While manifestation is all about believing, the key is to wait and conquer slowly but steadily.”

For those who credit manifestation as the driving force behind their dreams becoming a reality, the experience can feel magical. Chandini shares, “It is surreal when it (manifestation) comes true. Do not dig in much, just enjoy the fruits of your manifestation.”

An art journal
An art journal

A journal journey

Is manifestation only about having a thought and working towards it? Is it a linear process without bumps of hardships? What are the other elements involved in the process? Is there any other means to practice this and achieve the end goal?

Journalist Sowmya Raju manifests in her journal. She writes down her thoughts and goals in her notebook and keeps repeating them. “But sometimes, I also tend to write paragraphs that are both creative — which I later use for my blog — and random thoughts that I want to get off my head, which is therapeutic,” she says.

This way, she explores her creative boundaries and addresses her emotions, which hinder her path to the end goal. Vijayalakshmi adds that it is easier to reach destiny if one understands the hurdles and manages to uproot them. She says, “Journaling and manifestation strongly influence changing one’s behaviour. They are connected with reinforcement and are repetitive — thinking of and writing down the same goal repeatedly in a similar or different way.”

Pen to progress

Mediaperson Divyashree experiments in a number of ways. She practises art journal (sketch the thoughts), junk journal (a creative project that uses recycled materials to create a diary), and gratitude journal (a practice of writing down things you are thankful for to cultivate a positive mindset). She says, “These habits keep my creative side happy and help clear my fogged thoughts. I think better and work efficiently.”

Journaling for three years now, Divyashree prefers writing down her feelings on paper using coloured pens. A different colour pops up for each emotion. “It makes me feel good. I use pink, red, violet and green when I am very happy, orange when I feel okay-ish and brown for sadness. Additionally, whenever I travel or meet friends, I like to collect tickets, flowers, bills, and colour paper and stick them in my journal, it is therapy for me.”

Vijayalakshmi notes that these practices have come as refreshing solutions in a post-pandemic world. “After Covid, mental health issues are at a high and we need solutions. People are waiting for that solution and are seeking ways to cope with their issues. And when psychologists recommend journaling and manifestation, it has more value.”

Sowmya finds solace in knowing that she is not the only one on this journey.

“I recently started a blog where I write about my pain. I also mention the habits and steps that helped me heal. Posting them on a public forum made me realise that I am not alone and several people are taking a journey with me,” she adds.

At the end of the day, everyone has emotions and hurdles to cope with. Amid these, practices like manifestation, journaling, affirmations or vision boards, make us feel closer to a brighter future. So, if you have to sit in a corner and “vent your emotions on paper”, “pray to the universe at 11.11” or “use colours to sketch your thoughts” do so. Some day, those sketches, wishes and expressions will be in front of you and you will be grinning. As most people say, “Trust the process.”

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