Gratitude Journal: A Tool To Help You Live Well
It is still winter in Iowa. The days are short. The nights are long. We tend to spend more time indoors and our pace slows after the holidays. It is a natural cycle that gives us meaningful clues for personal reflection and regeneration. Among many ancient cultures, winter was a time of “looking within,” a time of soul searching and connecting with our inner wisdom. The external darkness beckons us to find our inner light….the spark of the Divine within us all. It is a perfect time to get back to meditation and reflection upon our Divine Purpose. A powerful tool I recommend for spiritual growth is the Gratitude Journal. Take 5 minutes at the end of each day to reflect on your experiences and write at least 5 things you are grateful for, specific to that day. It can be as simple as time for a relaxing cup of tea, a call from a good friend, a beautiful sunrise, or a parking space close to the grocery store on a snowy day! This exercise does two important things: It makes you more mindful & appreciative of blessings and everyday miracles AND it literally magnetizes your energy field to attract more good into your life. Start your Gratitude Journal tonight and you will be amazed at the life you create! What is gratitude? “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” – Zig Ziglar In simple terms, gratitude is the practice of being consciously thankful for the things in your life. It’s the emotion you feel when you acknowledge and appreciate the people you love, the things you have, and the person you are. What’s more, it’s an emotion that you can evoke anytime you choose – because you get to decide what you will and won’t feel gratitude towards. How does gratitude create success and happiness? “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” —Willie Nelson Gratitude makes you feel better Take a moment right now to acknowledge something in your life that you’re grateful for. You could choose to focus on your health, your family, or your security. What’s equally valid is focusing on the little things – such as the feel of a hot cup of tea on a cold day, the sun glinting through the clouds, or the book you’re reading that’s igniting something inside of you. As you allow yourself to feel grateful, notice how you feel – then allow yourself to intensify and elevate those good feelings until they wash all over you. This simple experiment is proof that gratitude can transform the way you feel – almost instantly. Through the practice of gratitude, you can switch on feelings of happiness, contentment, peace, satisfaction, and abundance at will. You are in control. Because there’s ALWAYS something to be grateful for [regardless of what’s happening in your life], gratitude is a tool you can lean on to elevate your emotions anytime you want to feel differently. In this way, gratitude can change your experience of life. Your experience of life is related to your perspective. You get to choose whether you see the upside or the downside in the situations and circumstances that come your way. In other words, happiness is always within your grasp because through gratitude; you get to feel more of the emotions that make you feel good. The reason gratitude works is because this practice releases the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin – two vital feel-good chemicals. In turn, gratitude can help you better navigate stress and anxiety. Gratitude improves your relationships We all lead busy lives, and in the hustle and bustle of everyday living, it is easy to take the people you love the most for granted. We don’t mean too; it’s just that other things grab our attention and create distractions and points of focus. Gratitude in our relationships creates space inside which you can pause and reflect on the things you love and appreciate about others. Again, the small things matter as much as the big things. For example, when was the last time you sent an “I appreciate you” text to your partner, your children, a friend or a family member? What would happen if you told your partner how grateful you are for them taking care of the tasks you hate? Gratitude brings us closer to the people we love because, through gratitude, we demonstrate our love. In this way, gratitude ignites a spiral of increasing connection. Appreciation makes people feel more seen, heard, and valued. It builds trust and respect. In turn, they feel more inspired to show up fully in the relationship. This strengthens your connection, which deepens your love. Consistent appreciation is one way to make your relationship stronger the longer you are together. Healthy relationships create a robust foundation for you to explore and discover the next version of your best self. When you feel seen, loved, and supported by the people closest to you, it’s easier to step up and take risks. It’s easier to dream bigger, and in turn, your success and happiness build. Gratitude inspires confident action You can’t achieve your goals unless you take action, and some of your biggest goals will require you to take a risk and do things you’ve never done before. You have to encourage yourself to put courage over comfort and put yourself out there – even if you’re feeling nauseous and your heart’s pumping like a drum! Gratitude is a powerful foundation to take action upon. That’s because gratitude elevates feelings of optimism and abundance, making it easier for you to do the things that feel scary. How to practice gratitude “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” —Albert Einstein Make gratitude non-negotiable. If you want to leverage the full life-changing benefits of gratitude, you need to practice every day. Build a habit and make gratitude a part of your identity. The easiest way to achieve
