Problem: Article: Unless your journal is a blog that's open to the entire internet-browsing public, you should probably assume that no one will read it but you. If you choose to share it later, it'll be up to you to do so, but a journal is perfectly useful even if it's never shared. Try to consider your journal as a "safe haven" for your innermost thoughts. It's a place where you won't have to worry about being judged or embarrassed about the way you feel, so have no shame while you write. Most people have internal thoughts that they "filter" whenever they interact with other people. If you meet an ugly person on the street, for instance, you would never blurt out that you find them ugly - instead, you choose which thoughts to let out and which thoughts to keep in. The trick to good journal writing is to "turn down" or even "turn off" this filter. This can be tricky - often, its' something people don't have a lot of experience doing. If you're having trouble turning off your filter, try writing "free form" as an exercise - scrawling your thoughts down in a stream-of-consciousness form the moment they come to you, whether they make sense or not. While you'll want each journal entry to stand up on its own merits, you may find that your entries can be made better by explicitly referencing past entries. By searching for explanations of why you wrote the way you did previously, you can come to a greater understanding of your own emotions. For instance, were you in a miserable mood when you wrote yesterday, but are now feeling better? Comment on this! By doing so, you may start to understand why you felt this way in the first place. Not every day will be eventful. Writing won't always come easy. Instead of giving up for the day, try, instead, to answer any one of the hundreds (if not thousands) of journal prompts available online. Writing educators occasionally use journal-writing as an academic exercise - when they do, they sometimes share the writing prompts for the exercise online. A simple search engine query like "journal writing prompts" can yield dozens of interesting results. Use the tools at your disposal for consistent journal greatness! You may find that, by pursuing a prompt, your writing ventures into interesting new areas you might otherwise never have explored. Be adventurous and pursue these new topics to your heart's content! Many famous and highly influential books are either the actual journals of real people or works of fiction written in the form of a journal. Both can help you become a great journal writer. Below are just a few of the works you may want to consult for inspiration:  The diary of Samuel Pepys  The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank's diary) The diary of Jemima Conduct The diary of Franz Kafka Bridget Jones's Diary Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Color Purple Flowers for Algernon Dracula Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Summary: Think of your journal as a safe place to express yourself. Write what you think as soon as you think it. Comment on past journal entries. Use writing prompts when you're bereft of ideas. Learn from the greats!

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: No matter how you may feel in the moment, it's always best to reserve a serious conversation like this for a time and place when you can be alone. Collect your thoughts beforehand and invite your friend to a place that feels neutral, like a park (if it's nice out) or a coffee shop you can both get to easily.  Ask your friend's permission to have a serious talk. Say something like, "There's something that's been bothering me, and I was hoping we could sit down alone for a few minutes to talk. Is that okay?" Make sure you're not angry, hurt, or otherwise upset when you sit down to talk to your friend. Remember that this is supposed to be a meaningful conversation, not a chance to prove that you're right or your friend is wrong. Focus on honesty and straightforwardness, but remain grounded in compassion. Once you're sitting down and talking about the issue at hand, it's important to focus on specific incidents - preferably recent incidents so it doesn't feel like you're dredging up the past. As you recall each incident to your friend, let him or her know how it made you feel. Try to convey why you felt that way, and what it was about your friend's words/actions that affected you so strongly.  Use "I" statements. For example, instead of saying "You were mean to me," reframe it around your observations/feelings: "I felt like you didn't consider how it made me feel when you said _____." Don't use judgmental words, and don't make or convey any assumptions about your friend. Say something like, "The other day you said _______. That really hurt my feelings, and it really embarrassed me in front of everyone. It felt like you didn't care about me as a friend." Keep your emotions in check as you talk. Any time you feel tempted to say something out of anger, take a deep breath and think about how you can reframe the conversation without getting upset. Remember that the point of talking to your friend isn't to make him/her feel bad, nor is it to make you feel superior. You should be setting up a real, productive conversation about the nature of your friendship, so your friend will naturally have some input as well. Be open and willing to hear what your friend has to say.  Be alert and attentive. Resist the urge to plan out what you want to say in response, and instead focus on listening. Don't interrupt. Give your friend a chance to speak, and if there's anything you were unclear on you can address it once your friend has finished talking. When it's your turn to speak, acknowledge what your friend has said. Say something like, "I understand what you're saying. Here's where I'm coming from." Don't argue or try to invalidate what your friend has said, but accept it and ask for clarification if needed. Once you've had a back-and-forth dialogue about the problems you've been noticing, your friend might understand where you're coming from and vow to change. However, if that doesn't happen, you may need to offer a concrete plan of action on what you need your friend to change.  Let your friend know what you would like things to be different going forward. Be specific. Try to give concrete examples - for example, advise your friend on how things might have been said/done differently during an encounter that you felt was condescending. Reiterate to your friend that you care about him/her and value the friendship you have. Remind your friend that you're not trying to nitpick or cut off your friendship; rather, you're actually trying to strengthen your bond.
Summary:
Create a safe and open atmosphere to address the issue. Focus on conveying what happened and how it made you feel. Listen to your friend's response. Offer a concrete solution.