In my book A Hundred Little Flames Gopal Shanker keeps a diary. I have based him on my own grandfather who used to keep diaries.

I too have kept journals and diaries ever since I was a child. This year, I am happy that I managed to write a page, every single day. In addition to my personal diary, I also kept an illustrated journal this year. I found it was great fun. I am sharing three pages from my illusrated journal, to give you an idea of what my journal is like.





You can see the date stamp on the top right corner of each page, and you can see how I have drawn something from my day. Often there is nothing dramatic in my day. They are just ordinary days. But what I like is to find something 'worthy' from that day, and draw it in the journal.
I follow just one rule for my journal--no recording negativity of any kind. I focus only on the positives.

In my personal diary, I write my thoughts--my goals, what I have to do in the future, and generally I record whatever happened that day.

If you wish to keep an illustrated journal, you can watch this very useful video.

Often we give up writing a diary as we get bored, because we record the same thing almost every day. But if you keep an illlustrated journal, you would look forward to it, as you would try and focus on that part of the day, which could go into the journal. This automatically makes you look at the bright side of life.

I think it's a great practice to keep a journal. And if it's been a while since you made a drawing, then you could put your drawing skills to use.
That's all for now. More tomorrow.
Love
Preeti
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