Journal entries from Pi Days past…
(It’s like the Ghost of Christmas Past from A Christmas Carol … but instead of a ghost taking me back in time to observe myself, I’m transported by my journal entries from March 14 over the past years. Disclaimer: none of them have anything to do with Pi Day, I just liked the alliteration.)
Like most apps these days, my trusty journaling app has a feature that reminds me of the journal entries I wrote “on this day” in previous years. One of my favorite things about my journaling practice is that I can look back on these old entries, an exercise that usually ends up one of two ways: me thinking to myself, “Wow, look how much I’ve changed!” or, equally (if not more) likely, me thinking to myself, “Wow, I am still the exact same person!” Either way, this benefit of journaling is something that motivates me to keeping writing things down, no matter how seemingly small or incomprehensible.
So: picture me this morning – sitting at my desk on an otherwise empty and dark office floor at 6:50am, with exactly 10 precious minutes of journaling/reflection time before my 7am meeting – chuckling out loud to myself like a weirdo as I read my previous entries from March 14 that confirm I am, in fact, the exact same person:
Was this a pointless post? Maybe, probably. At the very least, I’ve reminded myself that even 30 seconds of incoherent thoughts (typed on my phone while running through Golden Gate Park) can become gratifying notes that remind me of the small, often joyful moments in my life I might otherwise forget.