"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." - Francis Bacon

A journal is a great place to explore your life lessons, express your deeply held beliefs and develop your opinions. As Francis Bacon observed, the act of writing brings clarity to the author. This might be a result of revisions, structure or simply the time available for expression, whatever the reason, its benefits are hard to dispute.

An added benefit to sharing and recording these thoughts is that they can be passed down as part of your legacy, to children and even grand children.

I've found this to be a very natural use of my journal, from my recent posts about passion and lifes choices to my first journal entry on September 12th, 2001. These ponderings have helped me clear my mind, understand myself better and free myself to move on.

If you are looking for inspiration, or a muse to get started, you might try reading famous quotes, reading others opinions, or simply waiting ... inspiration will find you.