The Captain's Log: A Journey to the 7 Ends of the World

NO DIARY NO JOURNAL

- Tigger words

- Diary

- Personal meaning

- 

For some people, their trigger word is school, taxes, racisim, whatever, but for me my trigger word is diary *shiver in spine.*

A tool you can use to grow through writing. Don't downplay that reality, because when you downplay it, you undervalue it. It takes a whole lot of courage to let other people know your drinking the self-improvement Kool-aid. 

It takes courage to take the first step, break away from trendy fashions, and make a life altering decision, because that's what self-improvement is. Whether the intention be for ourselves or for others, I believe the best step to start off on is identifying the words you use to describe writing. The second step, seek to re-frame them. Words, and specifically names hold power, and that power will subconsciously affect the level of importance you ascribe to them.

For the past 2 years I have been learning how to use my imagination through writing, and before anyone was able to believe in the power of my writing, I had to do so myself. For the first year and a half, I did not write with intention for others to see. I solely wrote for myself. It wasn't until I was able to believe in the power of my writing, I could start believing in the power of my thinking.

Writing for my eyes only, was the preparation for my journey, in the same way writing for your eyes only is the preparation for yours. What did I write about in that preparation phase? Anything.

No, literally anything that popped into my head.

They have a technique in writing used to describe this, called free write. However, the writing I was doing was not the normal free write. It was free write with intention to grow in thought. Now you might be thinking to yourself, "Hey Supagenki doesn't that defeat the purpose of calling it free write in the first place? It doesn't sound very free."

In theory yes, but only via the definition of free write that we have been taught to use in school. The definition in question having nothing to do with the value of writing for ourselves. To shift writings view into a tool. A tool that through specification of intention, can lead to self-improvement.

I didn't see writing in this light from the beginning though. It took initially around 7 months of writing everyday, just for me to overcome a break up I had with my Japanese girlfriend, and then another 6 for months of feeling based writing to see any change in the writing process. What that change amounted to, in one word, at the most fundamental level was, focus.

Understanding your origins as a writer will become a valuable asset in the future, so I recommend taking note of them, wherever you're at now in the writing process. The reason I mentioned my origins, was not to ask for pity (ewww I don't like saying that word,) but to summarize the preparation I had to take to gain focus. Only by addressing the thoughts and experiences I had built up prior, was I able to take my first step as a writer.

Many people rush head first into writing, overlooking the importance of the preparation phrase under the premise of, "Writing? I know how to do that!" but this creates the biggest short coming for all young writers. Because its the preparation phase that helps you learn to develop writing as a tool. If skipped over in the beginning you'll be starting your journey without any tools to work with, hence heighten the chances of having it turn up short.

Just another fair warning! You could say that this journey isn't for you. You could say that you don't need to use writing as a tool for personal development. You could say that you don't need to change. However, let me dispel some of this doubt. What matters most is not what is said, but what is done.

Be warned, lots of people, whether it be friends, parents, teachers, or even other writers will attempt categorize the way you perceive the value of writing. They did to me, im sure they will do it to you. They will use there influence to attempt to frame the level of importance ascribed to the value of writing for the self. Influence captured in the name, specifically speaking either journal or diary.

EWWW. NO NO NO NO. STOP UGHHHH! I HATE THOSE WORDS SO MUCH! MY MOM TOLD ME I WAS WRITING A DIARY THE OTHER DAY AND I FLIPPED ON HER! In fact, when I tell people that I write everyday, they always cast it in this frame of mind. Why?

Because this is how they have been taught to view writing for the self. However, young writers, please throw these words out of your mind as soon as possible, because they are wimpy and don't assign any importance to the art of writing as a tool for personal-development. I say as soon as possible, because it will take time to develop an alternative.

At first, I started with a journal (eww but its not as bad as diary, NEVER REFER TO THE WRITING YOU DO AS A DIARY!) Then I moved into calling it the daily logs. Finally, I settled on The Captains Log. It took around 7 months (all of writing about that relationship) to reach this conclusion, and the conclusion is what allowed me to start preparing for the journey.

Everyone on this earth, whether they choose to see it this way or not, is writing their own lives into existence through action or the absence of it. Hence, the captains of their own ship. However, do you think a captain refers to his writing as a journal or a diary *shivers*?

No of course not, they refer to it as a Captain's Log, and that's where the importance lies. In the frame of mind set for the writing. In the name.

Writers have to play for the long haul. Its just not realistic to expect that you can put in minimal effort in this game, and come out victorious. Become a Captain, because we all learn how to write, yet are we all the Captains of our own lives? There's no short-term success in this business. It may take you a couple of months, before you can gain focus in your writing, really become the captain of your own ship, however, in those dark times, please remember: NEVER REFER TO YOUR WRITING AS A DIARY *shivers*!

If there was only one take away from this chapter, its that.

A journal is ok, im still not happy about it, but its ok for a start. Its not the writing that's going to change your life dear writer.

It's the thinking. Writing is just a tool you can use to hone your thinking, and by changing the frame of mind you use to view it, you can really have a chance to positively impact that change.

CAN YOU FEEL THE GENKI?!