Am I Ben Franklin-ing Right Now? A Journal Entry Turned Manifesto
I started a journal here, and I think I just did what Ben Franklin did when he took over a paper and made it a voice for his generation. Maybe that’s dramatic. But maybe not. After all, what is a journal if not a printing press for the soul? His shoes are big , founding-father, kite-flying big, but maybe I’m not trying to wear them. Maybe I’m just stepping into my own voice.
Journal cover reads:Trust the Process. I mean this online journal, but I also keep a written journal
One curious mind. One blank page. One accidental tribute to a Founding Father.
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Today I think I might've accidentally started a journal the same way Ben Franklin started a newspaper. Or… maybe not exactly the same way. I looked it up, Franklin didn’t launch one from scratch, he bought The Pennsylvania Gazette, which was floundering, and turned it into something iconic. But the energy I felt today? It was giving Founding-Father-meets-modern-day-scribbler.
I wasn’t just journaling. I was declaring something. Documenting the moment like it might matter, not just for me, but maybe even for someone else. It didn’t feel like writing for the sake of writing. It felt like carving space for thought. For clarity. For mischief. For adventure. For meaning. Is that dramatic? Yes. Well…probably. But let’s be honest, Franklin was dramatic too, in the most brilliant way.
He didn’t just print the news. He printed questions, satire, provocations. He gave people a way to think for themselves. He published his alter ego (Mrs. Silence Dogood) and offered up almanacs full of cheeky wisdom. He was always 3 steps ahead, and 5 puns deep. He was funny and open-minded! And of course, he was flawed. As humans, we all are. But yeah, still, those are big shoes to step into. Founding-father, kite-flying, lightning-catching, aphorism-dropping sized shoes.
Franklin's own life was a testament to continuous self-improvement and reflection. At the age of 20, he devised a plan to achieve moral perfection by focusing on 13 virtues, such as Temperance, Silence, and Industry. He tracked his progress daily in a notebook, marking his successes and shortcomings, and posed questions like, “What good shall I do this day?” and “What good have I done today?” to guide his actions .
When I first read that about him, I was amazed. Not just by how intelligent he was, but by how thoughtful he chose to be. It reminded me of high school me, thinking through my own rules for living. I used to write down what I believed to be true, my personal code, my version of how to move through life with integrity and intention.
And reading about Franklin doing something similar? It made me feel seen in the strangest way , like I had something in common with a Founding Father. Like the instinct to self-reflect and self-direct wasn’t just mine, it was a thread woven through time.
I’m not trying to be him. I’m just inspired by him, by everything, even his vibe. Because so much of what he started contributed in some way to the world, to society, and even to freedom in this country. Imagine building something, contributing to something, being part of something and you were good at it? And you shared your skill and made yourself useful t society in so many ways. Ben Franklin was always wanting rest and repose yet stayed eternally of service to the greater good. And what if this humble journal is my version of a printing press? A little corner of the internet, or my desk drawer, where I can experiment, reflect, share, and maybe stir up some ideas of my own?
By integrating Franklin's principles into your own practices, you're embracing a legacy of thoughtful living and purposeful action. I think I just became a Franclophile. (I think I read that somewhere…Do we exist? We do now.)
I’m not stepping into his shoes. I’m stepping into mine.
A quick reality check on Ben Franklin:
Ben Franklin didn’t exactly start a newspaper from scratch, he took over The Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729. It was struggling at the time, and he transformed it into one of the most successful newspapers in the colonies. So yes, he bought it, but he made it his own , through wit, clarity, and a deep sense of purpose. He also published Poor Richard’s Almanack, which was very much a vehicle for his voice, values, and creativity.
