Count Your Blessings with Gratitude Journaling
“The practice of gratitude attracts and amplifies blessings.”
-Caitlin Marino
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. A whole day dedicated to gratitude. No presents, just great food, friend and family time and the start of the holiday season. I have participated in turkey trots in the past and love starting the day with some exercise outside with family. This year hasn’t been easy, but so many gifts have come from the difficulty, as is usually the case.
I started a gratitude journal about 8 years ago when I received a journal as a gift from my aunt. I was feeling grateful for a new home and for my health and I wanted to document it. I knew I would need to keep it simple and easy for myself if I wanted to sustain the practice. I put the journal by my bed and every night before bed I would bullet point 3 things that I was grateful for that day. The results of this practice were far more powerful than I could have ever anticipated. Soon the reasons to be grateful came pouring in.
Spending time every night, even if it was just a couple of minutes, to pick out a moment, an object, a situation or a person I was grateful for helped me to sit in the vibration of gratitude in a very mindful way. As time passed, the number of things I found to be grateful for multiplied and I found my journal entries getting longer. My attitude and outlook changed and so did my vibration. There were still nights were I only had time for my 3 bullet points, but my awareness of the things I was grateful for changed. Most of the time it wasn’t the big things, but the small things that brought me joy and a feeling of gratitude. A walk with a friend, mailing a letter, a piece of chocolate. These small things made me happy.
Simple Guide for a Successful Gratitude Practice:
Be mindful. Buy or use a journal that you love inside and out. Be thoughtful about it. Do you want it to be made of recycled paper? Do you have a brand that you love? Do you want it to be large or small? Buy or use a really nice pen. Do you want to use a colored pen? I love Black Le Pen.
Make it easy. Keep the journal by your bed or in a spot that you visit every day as a part of your routine. I like bed because it is where I end my day and can reflect on what I was grateful for during the day. If I don't get to it at night, it’s waiting for me in the morning.
Start simply. Write 3 bullet points a day. Short and sweet and easy. Anyone can do it.
Keep it small. It is easy to be grateful for the big things like a raise at work or buying a new home. When we focus on the little things and moments we realize how much we actually have to be grateful for.
Let it flow. Allow yourself to expand your bullet points or write more as you want to, but always at least write your 3 bullet points.
Ask for more. At the end of my 3 bullet points I always write “more please” to invite more of that for which I am grateful into my life.
Notice how this practice changes your outlook, increases your attitude of gratitude, amplifies the blessings in your life and ushers in more for you to be grateful for.
