THE DIARY - A TRUSTWORTHY FRIEND. FROM MR. JOSEPH AGWU OGBAJIE, @johanjahb.

HELLO DEAR FELLOW ESTEEMED STEEMALIVE MEMBERS AND ALL STEEMIT COMMUNITIES, ACCEPT MY HUMBLE GREETINGS!

            AN INTRODUCTION

WRITING AND POSTING OF OUR TEXT HAS BEEN A REGULAR FEATURES IN STEEMALIVE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF STEEMIT WORLD. WE GET PAID AS WE DO THIS, THAT IS SO, ISN'T IT?
MOST OF US INCLUDING MY VERY GOODSALF WRITE DIARY POST ALMOST EVERYDAY AND WE GET PAID. SO IN THIS WRITE UP, I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DIARY AND IT'S TRUSTWORTHINESS.

     WHAT PURPOSE DOES A DIARY SERVE?

DIARY can be a trusted companion, an empathic friend in an unsympathetic world. A diary " allows us to leave a collection of still lifes that record our personal journey," says writer Christina Baldwin. Like a photo album that virtually chronicles our past, a diary provides us with written "snapshot" that reveal and preserve the passage of our lives.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DIARY KEEPING
The Greeks developed a type of almanac called " ephemerides," meaning " lasting for one day," where they recorded the daily movements of the Stars and Planets. The Romans, who conquered Greec, adopted the use of these journals but, with characteristic practically, enhanced their value by adding daily events of community and public interest. They called them ' diarium,' which comes from the Latin dies, meaning ' day.' It was not until the 17th century, however, with the writing of the journal of Englishman Samuel Pepys, that diary as a repository of private everyday event became popular in Western lands.

WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF THE DIARY?

Writing in a journal seems to address a fundamental human desire - self expression. Whether recording our joy at a baby's first words or the growth of a loving relationship, a diary permits us to reflect on the events that shape our lives. Reading the entries later allows us to relieve those precious moments and the feelings they engendered. One of the diary's greatest advantage is its ability to help us to know ourselves. It is a practical psychological tool that enables you to express feelings without inhibition. If a person is reluctant to talk about his problems with someone, expressing himself in writing may be an alternative.

Journal writing is thus often suggested as a helpful tool in dealing with emotional pain. A diary can become a place to reflect on ones life, set goals, and perhaps work out solutions to problems. Writing about one's problems and feelings can help one to focus on the real issues and put them in perspective.

Furthermore, keeping a diary can also be an educational tool. Parents has been advised to " Encourage Your Children to keep a diary. Writing in a journal develops writing skills and creativity." This is true, I have personally observed and can testify to this fact. Some persons that joined STEEMALIVE and other STEEMIT COMMUNITIES, when writing their diary posts, at least in their first few months, made a lot of mistakes both in spelling, grammar and punctuations. After some personal help they received from their mentor and from some other persons, they have made a lot of improvement in their writing skills.

                           HOW TO GET STARTED

Of course, many of us in STEEMALIVE Community might think that this area have anything to do with them because they are already writing diary almost every day. Yes that may be true. But have you ever failed to write you post for some days and by the time you want to write it you find it hard to comprehend or set the days events in their proper order because you can't remember exactly what happened, how it happened and when they happened. In this case, have you not been tempted to write whatever comes up instead of putting the events as in their orders, time wise?

So, because of this and many more, " to get started may benefits you not withstanding the fact that you are already writing diary as a STEEMALIVE MEMBER.

FIRSTLY, find a quiet place and a journal or a notebook that you are comfortable with. Admittedly, an empty page waiting for you to write something can be quite intimidating. But the main thing is to be honest, spontaneous, and simple. Do not try to use big words when a simple one will do. Ask yourself these simple questions, as you supply the answers your diary is almost completed.
So ask yourself:

√ WHAT DID I DO TODAY?

√ HOW DID IT AFFECT ME?

√ WHAT DID I EAT?

√ WHOM DID I SEE?

√ WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHOM I CARE ABOUT?

Or, you might begin with the present moment, ask yourself :

¶ WHERE AM I IN LIFE RIGHT NOW?

¶ WHAT ARE MY GOALS?

¶ WHAT ARE MY DREAMS?

With these questions in mind, let the writing begin.

Write as much or as little as you like if you are keeping the diary for yourself, write as often or as seldom as you like. Be open and candid. For your personal diary, do not worry about your grammar or spelling because no one will see your work. However, if you are writing to get paid, just as we do in STEEMALIVE and other STEEMIT COMMUNITIES, you should be ready to check your grammar, spelling, etc
Write as much as to cover the points you are trying to make in your diary. Your words should not be less than 250 words
You should target to cover up to 500 words in your diary or any other post. This is very important. Still on " Getting Started,' you might try pasting in photos or anything else that is important to you.
IN CONCLUSION
Tips On Getting Started,
Find a quiet time and place where you can be a lone.

If you miss a few days, do not panic, just pick up where you left out.

Be free, and let the words flow. Record details - DO NOT JUST GENERALIZE.