Journaling as a Spiritual Path

Journaling reveals the meaning in our lives.

"There are many opportunities in any given day to journal what we notice. Yet, we don't just journal - we live life - and then return to the pages to capture all that we are learning and all that is being given for our continued growth. Through the practice of journaling, we can explore, reframe and deeply savor our experiences, thus integrating them more fully into our lives. We listen for the still small voice as we explore our dreams, longings, and values. A journaling practice ultimately stretches us beyond our known limitations and capabilities. We become more vulnerable and honest. Using the journaling process as a spiritual tool, we come to be more in touch with our true self - the part of us that is willing to grow and be changed. This practice can aid in the transformation of our negative traits, or wounded ego, to a place where our true self, with the help of the healthy ego, can be recognized and lived into more fully. Our true self, always ready to be awakened, ultimately reflects the Universal Light in each of us."

  ~ From the Introduction, Chapter 3, Journaling the Depths

Jo-Ellen Darling was asked in her thirties: What is stopping you from having a friendship with God?" She was stunned - a friendship with God? Her heart had trouble connecting with religion and her life was caught in the briars of addiction. But in hearing that question, she suddenly found hope. Not knowing where it would lead, she picked up a pen and began to journal daily. Now in her sixties, Darling is still amazed at how journaling - and this simple timely question - changed the trajectory of her life, as each had arrived in a moment of spiritual bankruptcy - and a door through which she escaped a meaningless future.

Jo-Ellen Darling's career includes technical writing for large corporations, newspaper reporting and editing, and 10 years of freelance journalism while working in social services. She co-edited On The Journey for the Kairos School of Spiritual Formation in 2016 and occasionally leads contemplative writing retreats. Darling received a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and an M.S. in Communications Management from Simmons University. Journaling as a Spiritual Path is her first book.