The way the influence perspective is by telling what the person who wrote in that journal thoughts and actions. If you know that your going through some rough times and trying to get through things but your making bad decisions. You write down what your thoughts are about it. At the end of the day we can do nothing about it because it is now in the past. When you look at the past even though it may be good or bad, you can learn from it so you can make good choices later on in life. Because you making good choices can make you think as to what you want to be in the future.