What's going to happen to your journals when you die. We write some pretty personal sometimes angry stuff in them. Are you worried the wrong person will read them and get the wrong impression? Be hurt? Remember you differently?

Are you taking any measures to make sure this doesn't happen or have not given it any thought.

Well...If you are inviting answers from anyone in general, and not laying any conditions down with regard to personal creed, belief or ethical living standards....

I am taught in the Practise of Buddhism that everything I think, say and do has a knock-on effect.... from the influence it has on the first person I interact with, to the next one they meet and interact with, and so on....
if I am writing specifically about an experience with another person, I try to consider how they would feel about themselves, and me, should they read my journal....Would my words be constructive and compassionate?
If I am writing about a general situation, I try to think whether my words would lift a person's spirit, or make them feel worse for the reading of it....

Poets, authors and writers all use their skills to move the emotions...Even journalists, writing articles in a dailynewspaper, write in such a way to exert an influence, and ellicit an opinion from their reader....try reading two different reports on the same subject, from two papers....
A rough story can really ruin your day.....
I work to avoid raising negativity, in any and everyone.

Simple.

Thank you for reading..... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Should this post not be what you are looking for, I will be glad to amend, or delete it.

I've actually have thought about this. And in fact, recently I dug out all my old journals while I was looking for something else.

A few years ago I sat down and read a couple of my journals from front to back, just like a novel. When I was done reading it, I did NOT feel good <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I thought "man, there is a lof of complaining in there LOL" I had gotten to the point where I was only complaining and not writing about any of the wonderful things that were happening in my life.

Since then I decided that if I really REALLY need to vent, I would write out my vent, then burn it in a releasing ceremony.

As for those old journals? I have no idea what I'll do with them. I will probably go through them again... one more time... and see what I can get out of them for myself.

I really do not know. I have journals from the last 4 years, a lot of very personal things are written in there. My husband has often told me that it may not be a good idea to keep a journal as if it gets in the wrong hands it might not be good, but I feel writing down my thoughts and feelings helps me sort them out at times.
I think I need to get them all together and put them in a shoe box or something like that. I should probably tell dh where they are because he is the only one I really wouldn't mind reading them

I willed my journals to a friend who will dispose of them for me, as I don't want my mom reading them. HOWEVER, I'm not sure I would trust her not to look before sending them on to him, and as they're not all in one place, she'd be coming across them and would have to read at least a bit to figure out that they actually were journals. I clearly need a better system. But I can't bring myself to get rid of them myself while I'm still alive...

If I did journals I would think there would be some where on the web you could put them where only you logged in. I think it would be safer than hand writing as most of us would not want any one reading our inner thoughts.

Yikes! Now that's something I havent' given much thought to...I have a friend who says she wrote "work orders" on her journals to keep them from prying eyes - but, when you're dead= people might look anyway...

I think I will go through journals as time passes (I have already done this with ones from when I was college age) and toss ones as I outgrow them...and then there's also the fact that my handwriting is so scary that sometimes even I can't read it - lol-

but - there's also the fact that, after I'm dead - maybe reading what i felt and thought would be edifying to people who knew me...Iknow that i like reading and hearing about other people's stories - even when there is grumbling or dark stuff involved - hearing more of the whole story..

so i'm not sure, but will be thinking about that now...

My 10yr old granddaughter has been taking away fr her mother (my daughter) now shes with her father who lost her befor because he was sexually abusing her after 2yrs he got her back, I have been keeping journals for her since she was born , She knows i have them for her. and when shes old enough she can have them. When shes sitting in a psychiatrist one day she'll know why she's there. i had custody of her brother when he was born hes 22yrs old now,Journals that i have for her will help her understand so much about her childhood,

I am also a diary person. Maybe your relatives will respect your privacy and have them all burned or kept super private. I remember this love story where the jenny and ric are childhood sweethearts turned teen lovers. At 18 Jenny died, Ric fingertips were found on the gun used to fire jenny on the head. Their families were neighbors and super close families. Both mothers were bestfriends. Ric was subject to trials and this led to damages on family relationship. Ric's mother did everything to recover the relationship but MAria, Jenny's mom had her heart hardened. Ric knew the reason behind her death. He was there with her, he tried to pull the gun away from Jenny but failed, his fingertips remained. Ric didnt tell Maria the real reason but he knew everything is in Jenny's diary. Finally before the final court hearing, Maria found Jenny's diary on the attic. She resisted so hard to read it but before the trial she decided to finally read it. She cant stop crying. She is the main feature of Jenny's writings. She was so sick of her mother's attitude. She hated her mother a lot and she hated her life cos of her mother. She wanted to die because of Maria. She will commit suicide.

Maria gave up the case.

Always enjoy a good question! Tells me a bit about yourself too!
Well, I own more journals than I truly know what to do with. I have them laying all around the house one is even in the wood shed in case my creative thought feels it needs to be purged. Some are in storage some in the closet some in my jeep. I am not concerned about who reads them after I am gone! Maybe at present I may be a tad off balanced but I cannot take ownership for another beings reaction to my words. As individual beings we are so completely complex and full of dualities and on a daily basis (speaking for myself) have differences of opinions on even my own opinions. I evolve daily. I wish for my journals as a woman to be read when I pass on. My music played and sung for as a woman my voice I believe had been self oppressed for along time. So I believe any and all I write is a work of art, creativity caught on paper,C.D,web site, blog or forum etc.
My connection to all beings puts me in a place at ease that my writtings will be understood by others as sometimes angry thoughts, peaceful ones, compassionate ones. You know riding with the emotions at the time. Our unique qualities give us each this divine purity that only we possess. So sharing the thought or moment on paper I believe is a gift.
No regrets!
Besides...300 years from now....what will any of this matter?
Now there's a thought!
Chia
Namaste'