Hello and welcome to today's talk about two ways that you can elevate your gratitude journal.
In the mid-90s I watched an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show that focused on gratitude journals.
Now I don't recall the specific details other than that Oprah was passionate about the power of writing in a gratitude journal.
Back then I knew two things.
One,
When Oprah talked millions of people,
Myself included,
Listened.
Two,
I had been recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and infertility issues and I was in need of something positive to help me navigate this difficult period in my life.
So I started my first gratitude journal.
For the better part of the last 25 years I have kept a gratitude journal.
Before I go to sleep I write down three to five things that I'm grateful for that day.
It's that simple and that challenging at times.
When things are going smoothly I could fill up page after page after page with words about everyone and everything that I am grateful for in that moment.
When things are really difficult sometimes the page remains blank or I force myself to write down something,
Anything,
Just to keep this gratitude practice going.
So was Oprah right?
Will keeping a gratitude journal change your life?
Well far be it for me to disagree with Oprah or to guarantee that one practice will change the life of every single person who uses it.
But yes,
At least in my case,
Oprah was right.
Keeping a gratitude journal has changed my life for the better and it may be beneficial to your life as well.
This daily practice has trained my brain to seek out things to be grateful for throughout the day,
Which is especially helpful when I'm struggling to get through the day.
On those days this practice reminds me that I can feel sad,
Angry,
Anxious,
And any other feeling and feel grateful too.
When I create space for gratitude it gives me hope and reminds me of all that is good in the world which is comforting.
When everything is going well gratitude is like icing on the cake.
Being able to identify what I'm grateful for makes the good days even better.
When I write down what I'm grateful for it makes me smile and opens my heart for more joy,
More love,
And greater abundance.
Over the years my gratitude practice has evolved in two ways.
These two tweaks to my original practice have truly elevated my current gratitude practice.
Number one,
Add because.
Now when I first started my gratitude journal practice I focused on what I was grateful for.
I wrote things down such as I am grateful for my family,
I am grateful for my job,
I am grateful for my home.
There is nothing wrong with these statements in and of themselves whatsoever.
To make them more meaningful though I added because to the equation.
I am grateful for my family because they rallied around me today when I received disappointing news and made me feel supported and loved.
I am grateful for my job because it enables me to provide food,
Clothing,
Shelter,
And health insurance for my family.
I am grateful for my home because it is my sanctuary from the outside world and feels so warm and inviting.
Including why I am grateful has made this practice much more impactful.
And number two,
Focus on something new each day.
It is so easy to get into the habit of listing the same things each day that we are grateful for such as our family,
Friends,
Home,
Job,
And health because those are the people and things that usually mean the most to us.
To expand my gratitude practice I began to focus on the people,
Places,
And things that I was grateful for that day and to look for something new to add to the list.
For example,
I am grateful for the light rain on my walk this morning because it provided some relief from the heat.
I am grateful for the unexpected refund check that arrived in the mail this afternoon because it will ease the stress of paying our monthly household bills.
I am grateful that I was able to clean my house because it looks and feels much more organized.
Focusing on adding new things each day has helped me to keep my gratitude list fresh and meaningful.
Whether or not you keep a gratitude journal,
I hope that you find something every day to be grateful for and that you are the reason that someone else feels grateful.
Thank you for joining me today and know that I am truly grateful for each of you.
