Never underestimate the power of a gratitude journal to transform you and those around you.
One of the most profoundly transforming disciplines I practice in my life is keeping a gratitude journal. It has opened my heart and my eyes to grace. Over time, it’s created a sense of well-being and joy that carries me above difficult circumstances instead of getting swallowed up by them. In fact, I’ve been doing this long enough that when life rubs hard, I know gratitude will soften the blow, diminish the anxiety response, and put me in a state of being present and mindful.
Maybe you’ve had the idea of keeping a gratitude journal in the past. And maybe that’s where it ended, with several empty journals lining shelves or stuffed in closets. That was me for many years. Until life took a traumatic turn, and I found myself lost in grief and unable to move forward with any kind of hope or joy.
My journey began out of necessity. It began by simply counting every moment of good I could find in a day because what I was experiencing was a world where goodness had been ripped away. As happens to all of us, life takes a drastic turn and we are sent spinning in chaos…even when our faith is strong. Even when we are grounded. Even when we know life can’t be happy all the time.
But the good news is how gently we can find our way back to joy and hope-filled living. Simply through the intentional counting of goodness, my heart began to open once again. Over time, the many small glimpses of collected goodness led me back to hope and on a path of healing.
Now, so many years later, I can’t imagine my life without this gift. It is a sacred part of my life I don’t question. I simply do it because I “CAN’T NOT” do it.
I fill pages because it takes me to places that flow out of counting. Counting leads to pouring out. Pouring out leads to questions. Questions lead to truths. Truth leads to a greater sense of who I am and how I fit in this world.
My spirit is calmed and contented in a way I’ve never fully experienced apart from gratitude.
Along the way, I’ve learned a few things which have made this a rich time of soul-feeding. If you’re on the path or considering journaling gratitude, you may want to consider these essential elements to enhance your journey also.
Assign importance to collecting gratitude.
Beginning each day with the thought of looking for gratitude is the first step of assigning importance. Choosing the tools to collect gratitude creates visual importance. Assign importance by choosing a journal and pen that evokes happiness. Assign importance to the process by setting aside time every day.
Ask yourself if you will log your gratitude at a particular time each day, or will you make it an ongoing process throughout the day. Find physical space for journaling…a coffee shop, a park bench, a bookstore or a comfy oversized chair in your home. The goal is to set yourself up for success.
Favor creativity over perfection.
There is no right or wrong way to keep a gratitude journal, and it is not the place for perfection. Perfection kills the process. This was an empowering lesson for me to learn, and it’s the reason so many empty journals sat on shelves for years. One day of logging gratitude may look completely different from another.
Remembering the goal opens the door for creative expression; for counting or sketching or doodling. For taping or clipping or stapling. Creativity over perfection is the heart of offering ourselves grace. And offering ourselves grace through gratitude journaling opens our heart to transformation.
Creativity over perfection is the heart of offering ourselves grace. Share on XFind what works for you.
For me, journals with traditional binding don’t work. I like to have a completely flat surface for writing, so a spiral-bound journal is always my preference. I also like only a certain size journal because I want it to be convenient and easy to carry around with me daily so gratitude is convenient.
Journal pages without lines don’t work for me because as much as I like creative freedom, I like to work with some degree of structure. I always admired those who sketch as a part of journaling, but I realized early on this doesn’t work for me. Your preferences will be unique also, so taking the time to explore what works for you. The more you journal, the more finely tuned your choices will become.
Make gratitude accessible.
When I began my first gratitude journal, it wasn’t about building a discipline, it was about finding good again. And finding good again meant I had to really look for it. So I kept my journal on me at all times.
Regardless of where I found myself, I had access to my journal, and this made all the difference. Over time, capturing and logging gratitude in the moment began a healing process…in the moment. And as each moment built on another, my heart opened to hope once again.
Include tangible reminders.
A gratitude journal is a personal journey, and everyone’s journey is unique. Consider including visual reminders that serve as memory markers of your gratitude. I love texture and color, so my journal always includes snippets of goodness such as cards, ticket stubs, snapshots, ribbons, magazine words, a dried flower, etc.
Anything that helps center you in the moment of gratitude is worthy of taking up space in your journal.
Think outside of lists.
Lists are a great way to begin logging gratitude and this is the process that worked for me in the beginning. But as gratitude began to grow in my heart, journaling became a sacred time, where I found myself lingering. Soon one simple gratitude became an opportunity to expand on feelings and thoughts. Over time, quotes, scriptures, and prayers also have become a part of my gratitude journal.
Create a gratitude journal that moves your heart toward hope and joy, one that bubbles over with thanksgiving every time you return to its pages.
Practice presence.
It’s normal at the beginning to feel as though you are going through the motions. Many good things begin in this small place, void of meaning and substance. Yet the more present we are in the moment, the more value and meaning grow.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…”~Zechariah 4:10
Practicing presence through keeping a gratitude journal is all about traveling through our day alive. Alive to colors, smells, and tastes. Alive to emotions and interactions with the world around us. Alive to people and places. The more we practice presence above busyness, the more we will capture and grow gratitude.
The more we practice presence above busyness, the more we capture and grow gratitude. Share on X
Revisit gratitude.
Life is filled with ups and downs, seasons of storms and calm. Gratitude journaling is a wonderful way to track these seasons of life. We are rarely aware of how we’ve traveled through these times, particularly the stormy seasons, and looking back over gratitude is such a gift for moving forward. It offers hindsight and insight.
As your gratitude journaling becomes second nature, take time to look back and relive the journey because it will propel you further into joy and hope. And one day in looking back, you’ll realize that what you’ve done is so much more than counting gratitude.
What you’ve done is create a legacy of gratitude. For you and for everyone around you.
Happy journaling!
8 Essentials to No Fail #Gratitude #Journaling! Share on X
Today’s “C’est Si Bon” find…
I absolutely love this journal because it lays flat so writing is a breeze, the cover is both beautiful and durable, and it’s super sleek for holding the space of 280 lined pages! After trying so many different journals, this checks all my boxes for how a journal should feel and function.
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