The keeping of a personal journal has been a pursuit of human society for many hundreds of years. In times past men and women of learning, studiously kept a record of their days, their achievements and their dreams. We owe a great debt of gratitude to each one of them as we have gleaned much insight into the lives of those in times past from many of those journal entries.

For some people, the keeping of a journal is a natural extension of their everyday lives. How many of us have lifted the family Bible to discover small snippets cut from the newspaper, flowers pressed between the pages, envelopes with letters or pictures tucked away safely for future generations to discover? I certainly have found such treasures in the most ‘ordinary’ of books on the shelves of secondhand book shops and at garage sales. It always comes as a surprise and delight to discover them and then I feel a certain sadness that somehow these treasures have ended up in the hands of a stranger.

The unexpected gift of these objects has been a richer understanding of our desire to record and keep important memories and items and while tucking these treasures into the pages of a book isn’t exactly journaling, it is a component of this amazingly creative and satisfying pass-time.

There are a few basic skills when learning how to journal, some of them are:

* Make the time and space to do it on a regular basis. Whether you are keeping a dream journal, a garden journal, a baby journal, travel journal or a personal journal of any kind, this one step will make or break your experience. If you have to go so far as to make a ‘date’ with yourself – do it. At the very least, spend some time once a week to look through your calendar or diary and record the highlights or low lights of your week. Even after many years, I’m an irregular writer in my journal, but when I do write and commune with my wonderful companion, the value I receive from this is immense. It is always well worth the effort.

* Begin with something you are passionate about. This makes it so much easier to write regularly, the words and ideas can seem to flow without effort and you will enjoy reading back through the pages of you journal entries. I have more than one journal because I like to keep my gardening knowledge (successes and failures) separate from my personal and spiritual growth conversations. I’m sure you will develop a process and style that works for you.

* Use materials that Inspire and Motivate you: My journals are ALWAYS beautiful to look at and to use. Likewise my writing implement. I have a preference for a certain type of pen, a certain colour and a certain texture to the paper, This adds greatly to my enjoyment of the writing process and when looking back I can remember what it was about that particular book or pen that attracted me. Layers of enjoyment will build a strong relationship to your journaling process. Find out what you like, experiment with different things until you find the right combination of elements for you.

* Learn from others: So many times at the beginning of my journaling adventure I longed to peek inside the pages of other peoples journals. What did they do? How did they do it? I was fortunate that some of my friends were willing to share some of their pages with me and I was introduced to the idea of drawing and painting and collage and colour and doodles in addition to the words which I was writing. This immediately reminded me of the newspaper cuttings, pressed flowers and pictures I have always found inside the pages of old books and this idea of adding such visual texture to my journal was so enticing I began right away. I am so grateful to my dear friends for opening my eyes to these new possibilities.

There are many reasons to keep a journal. There are many ways to keep a journal. If you really are concerned that you don’t know how to journal, there are many sources of inspiration and motivation is only you will open your eyes and your heart to them.

There are so many ways that allow authors and writers to put their work online now that it seems we have entered a whole new era in self expression. Even folks who many not have even ever considered writing a book or anything of that nature are getting their starts blogging, posting poetry, participating on forums and even writing and posting articles online. Better yet with the increase ability of word processing programs folks are even considering self-publishing an eBook or two.

The best part about this is the cost is nominal and they can concentrate on creating their work or telling their story rather than trying to chase down a publisher or go between. And even if their work is not perfect, it’s a start and the more they do the better they get. Putting in pictures, formatting, and using templates is all something a new writer can learn quickly. Then they can publish in a .pdf file and post it onto the Internet for all to see.

In fact, there are websites online that allow authors and writers to post their poetry, articles, pictures, stories, essays, and even eBooks. Each sector has its niche players and some are quite substantial.

Improving your Language Skills isn’t that easy. If you really want to improve your language skills and want to beat others around you there are several ways to do that. I will be redefining some of the aspects that would really be helpful and useful to you. I will be writing a series of articles on this to help you on this facts.

The first of all. Start writing on any topic. You might not be good at this but, believe me ‘Failures are the Pillars of Success’. Write on any topic you wish. Write on anything you like, even about yourself. But, do not keep them on your Computer, write on the Internet. Let people read your writings. You might not get any benefit from your writing being published on the Internet. But, you get ratings from people. This helps you alot. This helps you to Judge every details about your article.

The main fact is to get yourself judged by others. You write for the Internet and the Internet gives you back your feedback. Another fact is that you should try writing on less popular websites. The reason behind this is that more popular websites have many popular Writers for them. It will be difficult to compete with these Writers in the beginning.

If you were to disregard all of the file folders, books and scribbled Post-It notes, one of the first things you’d notice about my office is my fondness for The Wizard of Oz. Along the walls and bookshelves are postcards of Dorothy and The Wicked Witch, a stuffed Scarecrow and a Cowardly Lion hand puppet. There’s also an 18-inch rainbow on my desk. It’s really a candleholder, a simple black ornamental bridge with small glass votives of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. To me it is a symbol of hope and inspiration, a reminder of how color became my muse.

The road to rainbows

Like many writers, there was a time when my words did not flow, flow, flow onto the paper, a time when I would have welcomed a pair of ruby slippers just so I could click myself three times out of the Writers Block Woods and into the Creative Light. Then one day I walked into a metaphysical shop and found my muse. There along one large, sunny window were over 100 square glass bottles, each containing two different-colored layers of liquid. They mesmerized me with their gem-like brilliance.

This was my introduction to Aura-Soma, an holistic therapy which uses the healing energies of colors, plants and crystals. Instinctively, I reached for “Gabriel”, the blue-over-violet bottle. By applying the oily contents to my throat and temple, my communication abilities would be greatly improved, it was explained. What’s this–a writer’s miracle in a bottle? Intrigued, I brought “Gabriel” home and after only a few applications, I found myself enjoying what I can only describe as a creative high.

An ancient method

Now that I have spent many years researching the benefits of color, I’m not surprised “Gabriel” worked so well. “Color is a powerful tool,” author Lori Reid wrote in ther book, Color Book: Use the healing powers of color to transform your life. “It acts on our bodies, minds, and emotions, triggering deep and subtle responses on a subconscious level.”

Within each of us are spinning wheels of energy called chakras which correspond to a specific color of the spectrum, as well as an emotional issue. Red (root chakra, located at the base of the spine) is used for energy, grounding and passion. Orange (sacral chakra, located two inches below the navel) promotes joy and sexuality. Yellow (solar plexus chakra, located below the breastbone) helps counteract depression and stimulates mental activity. Green (heart chakra, located at the center of the chest) represents compassion and healing. Blue (throat chakra, located at the throat) deals with peace, communication and artistic expression. Indigo (brow chakra, located at the third eye area, between the brows) activates intuition. Violet (crown chakra, located at the crown of the head) represents spirituality and inspiration.

Since ancient times, color has been used in physical, mental and emotional healing. It is said that Hippocrates applied his medicine in rooms painted in soothing colors and used different colored salves and ointments as treatment. In ancient Egypt, China and India, individuals were dipped in colored pigment or bathed in light that was filtered through colored-glass windows. Today color is introduced by using crystals and visualization, wearing a particular color clothing to absorb color physically, applying colored lights or oils to the skin, eating colored foods and drinking colored water. One can also receive different color vibrations through music.

Color your world

How would you describe green to your readers? Before you write, visualize your setting and try to see, feel and smell the green. Say you are writing a short story about a young girl living in an old country cottage in Ireland. Is the color of the grass and trees an emerald or Kelly green? Does the grass feel dry or wet? How do you convey the smell of the countryside? Is green an earthy, clean smell? Is it sweet and slightly minty or antiseptic-smelling like pine?

“Becoming aware of the effects of color means that we can make use of its positive benefits to lift our spirits, to unlock our creative imagination, to enhance our environment and to improve our image, our well-being, and our lives,” says Reid.

Did you know that if you write on a yellow note pad with blue ink, you can enhance both your communication and creative skills? Think about what you wish to communicate to your readers. Is it anger? Joy or pain?

Have you ever been faced with that tongue tied feeling of hopelessness? You most certainly are not alone. Most of the human race will have at some time become stuck for words.

How can you help to stop this from happening? Simply follow the easy steps below. This will help to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you again! Gain confidence and ensure you always know what to say.

Here are some great tips to stop that tongue tied feeling and loss of conversational skills:

1. Finish previous topics of conversation

That tongue tied feeling, more often than not can come from having a brain full of ideas, and not finishing previous topics of conversation. Make sure that you finish each and every conversation on your agenda.

Don’t leave it till your brain is a factory of unfinished topics of talk. This really doesn’t help you in making good conversation.

2. Observe before talking

Some of the more successful conversation makers are successful as they have the ability to listen, and not just to be listened to! So if you are feeling tongue tied and there’s a knot at the tip of your tongue trapping the words, sit back and watch how other people are talking!

It’s a short study period and will help you considerably in you method of approaching a conversation.

3. If it doesn’t make sense then don’t say it!

Half the time you get tongue tied, this feeling comes as you are talking nonsense that really is not relevant to express!

Make sure that the words are necessary and that the topic needs to be addressed. Just by following this simple method of untying your tongue you will maintain an audience of listeners.

4. Ignore those whose ears don’t tune in!

If their ears don’t listen then don’t be disheartened. The same way that you are struggling to be heard, there are people that struggle in the listening process! If your words are falling on deaf ears you can’t help it. Some people really are limited in thought and you can’t draw their attention span with your words.

5. Practice before you speak

Start putting in to practice the words that are in your head; perhaps you could ask a family member to sit down and listen to you before you decide to go public with the conversation.

By doing this you will have had a test run period, this will be a practice for the real thing (a stage rehearsal) helping you to focus and more importantly be focused on.

6. Before talking take a deep breath

A small thing such as taking a deep breath of fresh air before talking will help to maintain that you are able to focus and remain head strong on the topic of attention.

Half the time when you start to go off road in your thoughts and the speech starts to become difficult to come out, this is a result of not being relaxed. The process of breathing in helps to maintain that you feel more relaxed, enabling you to remain focused.

Being tongue tied and losing your words in conversation really is a result of carelessness. If you have the ability to stick to the above tips and methods of untying your tongue then you can help to make sure that you don’t get lost for words!

Do you feel your child’s speech is not what it could be?

Do you think there may be a problem with how they are learning to speak?

One of the most common questions we are asked about on a regular basis is speech development. Many parents can worry that their child may not be learning as fast as others and may have a concern that their child requires extra help and guidance. So, with this in mind we spoke to one of our experts about speech development and what you can do to help your child. Most of the questions asked were answered during this interview.

For this interview we spoke to Speech and Language therapist Lisa Haughton about children’s communication skills. Within this interview we asked Lisa, who has over 11 years experience of working within the UK’s NHS – How we can help our little ones with their speech development and whether dummies and watching television can hinder development.

The questions we asked Lisa are listed below:-

When would you expect to hear a baby start to make babbling noises?

You can communicate with a baby from day one. Babies love to see facial expressions and babbling starts very early.

How can we help them communicate?

Talk nonsense and tell them what you’re doing. They like to hear the pattern of languages.

When would you expect to hear first words?

As a general rule around 12 months you might start to see very early words like Mummy, Daddy. They may point to a drink and say “ahh ahh”. The speech sounds are the icing on the cake really. By two children begin to put little words together. Understanding language is far more important than expressive language so if you feel your child can understand you then that is good.

What should you do if you suspect a problem with your child’s communication?

Don’t sit at home worrying, just get a referral from your GP or health visitor.

Can television be detrimental to speech development?

Television does have its place as long as it’s not constantly on. The problem is if you have constant noise children can de-tune. So switch it on for a specific programme and then switch it off.