Journal Prompts 4 — Letters

Continuing on with this series, and my love-letters to journaling, Part 4’s offering reiterates why making journaling a habit creates so much power. Journaling is a beautiful and powerful facilitator of self-discovery. By journaling in the morning and/or evening, you’ll quickly see your life laid bare before you— in your own handwriting, in black white; with crystal-clear clarity. You’ll see what blocks or obstacles might potentially be removed, as well as what should continue to be included and further cultivated in your life.

Letter-writing (real and imaginary) has long been a tool for self-expression— the epistolary form is intimate in ways that even private conversations cannot capture.

I wrote letters with my high school English teacher Judy Chu for over 10 years (a relationship chronicled here and in my memoir), and one of the great joys was being able to “speak to” her with a level of intimacy we never had when sitting face to face in class. I could pour my soul into the pages and confess the truth to her, and thus, to myself, that was previously unavailable to me. I vividly recall our first face-to-face meeting in an outdoor Traverse City sidewalk cafe years later, when the first hour of our meeting was an energetic adjustment to this fact: all the extraordinary intimacies shared on paper, that had never been uttered face to face. We did so, of course, and remain close to this day. But the lesson is there: letters are magical portals, not to geographic places, but to unknown, shadowy caves within our souls. Write a letter and see where it takes you.

Sincerely Yours,

Al

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Prompt: Write a Letter

    •    Write a letter to someone you need to forgive.

    •    Write a letter to someone who believed in you even when you didn’t believe in yourself.

    •    Write a letter to be read by each of your loved ones after you’ve passed away.

    •    Write a fan letter to your favorite actor/actress.

    •    Write a letter to the editor of your favorite magazine telling them what features you would like to see included in the magazine.

    •    Is there something you’re reluctant to tell someone?  Write a letter to help y0u organize your thoughts.