It’s been well-known that practicing gratitude may benefit our lives on many levels. The key is to start. Having a gratitude journal is one of the options. Make sure you write down your blessings (small and big) every day. It can be “John bought me a cup of coffee” or ‘’I got a new job!”. Be creative - make your notes more visualized: draw pictures, use emojis, put stickers. The more fun you have while doing this, the more positive experience you will undergo.
Here are my three reasons to express gratitude every day:Being grateful teaches us to focus on positivity.
It may be harder to do so when our days are folding not exactly the way we wanted. Yet, by making it a habit you welcome more blessings. I, myself, have a gratitude journal. It helps me to let go of situations I cannot control and truly appreciate people and my life overall. Sometimes I read my past journal entries and it brings me joy. It feels like there was no regrets and sadness, like it was only happiness. I often smile when I go through those notes.
photo by hautestock
I have also learned to be a better person.
My everyday gratitude records showed me how many awesome individuals I encounter every day. They would offer me free coffee, food, hugs, help, advises, and etc. Some were strangers, some not. However, I realized that I want to be as self-sacrificing as they are. So I started to care more about others too. I don’t mind spending my money and time for others anymore as long as it makes someone happy. I call my friends more often. I help refugees. I volunteer. And all this happened with a help of thankfulness.
Gratitude helps us achieve our goals.
There is also a trick by writing something you want and being grateful for it in a present tense, for example, “I am grateful for having my own apartment” (even though you may not have it yet). I usually have a separate page for such an exercise. Practising this lets me focus on what I want and work on it. At times I don’t even remember what I wrote but my brain does. And because of that fact, it becomes easier making my dreams come true. I start attracting people, money, circumstances needed for a specific desire and it seems happening effortlessly. Isn’t it amazing?
Overall, having a habit of being appreciative will change your life whether you keep a journal or not. A notebook may be useful if you want to let your thoughts go wild and free and express yourself. Always remember to jot down even little things like “It’s finally sunny today after weeks of raining!” The more entries you write, the happier you will be.