The Thirty Day Year

Gratitude Journal

I have recently resurrected my earlier habit of keeping a gratitude journal.  I did this after I came across an old entry I did before my mom died, about how thankful I was that she had come through her surgery, and how grateful I was for having her here as my mother.

There were so many things going on in my life back then, and if not for that journal, I likely would have had a very different, very negative view of everything.  I was losing my mom, and I knew it, but rather than focusing on that loss, the journal helped me stay focused on how fortunate I had been that she had been there for me for forty four years.  I wrote in that book first thing in the morning, then again before I went to bed at night.

I wrote in the morning, to set my focus for the day on positive things.  When we are going through personal hardships, it is so easy to do the opposite.  As well, I believe it was what my mom needed of me most at that time.

I wrote in the evening to remind myself that, no matter what had occurred that day, there was still so much to be grateful for.

Because of that habit, the forcing myself to appreciate the time we had left, rather than  focusing on the fact she was leaving us all, I was able to so greatly appreciate the bit of time that remained to be with her.

When I stopped doing my daily gratitude journal session (normally I had done this first thing every morning, again to set my day off on a positive note) I found my focus gradually beginning to sour.  In fact, the negatives were beginning to creep in at an alarming rate.

Someone cut me off in traffic.

Someone budded in line in the grocery store.

They have more than eight items in the express line.

Little things began to bother me.

So I have another thirty day challenge to tell you about!

For the next thirty days (and likely for the days after, but getting through those first thirty days is the challenge!) I will write in my gratitude journal, five things which I am grateful for, every morning of the week.

My list for today (in no particular order):

my son

my daughter

my kids’ smiles

our health

I had a really great mom

Now.  Go and get yourself a notebook, and think about what you have to be grateful for today.  Fresh air, water, health, family, pets, work, money, a home, absolutely anything you are grateful for goes into that book. 

Write in it, every day.

It will change your life.

(Note: a special thanks to Bob over at www.everyeveryminute.wordpress.com for his post called “Just Be Grateful”,  for reminding me how important this is.)