"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” - Henry David Thoreau

When I was younger, my mom started this routine for my sister and I. She purchased us beautiful journals with shiny holographic covers and the nice paper. Of course they were spiral bound, to make them even better! In these beautiful journals, we were supposed to write out our daily gratitude. A way probably to encourage positivity in our house. (I can honestly be a bit pessimistic at times!) As well as a way to help us write and be creative. It was something that has continued into my life now. 

Now I have a daily gratitude journal sitting with my Bible, daily journal and book that I’m reading. Every day, I pull out that little journal and try to fill it up with all the good things. No matter what difficulties or hardships going on in my life or around me, there is always something for which I can be grateful. Things in my life that are gifts, blessings, and joys. Taking the time out of my day to remind myself of those things can go a long way in helping me feel more joy in my life! In this blog, I would like to share with you why I use my gratitude journal, and how you can get started. 

THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." - G.K. Chesterton

There have been a multitude of studies done over the years all around gratitude. In fact, if you are fond of research or just want to see for yourself, I highly suggest that you look up the studies to see for yourself! There have been studies on the physical health benefits, the mental health benefits as well as just the impact gratitude can have on a person’s life. 

For brevity, I am just going to highlight the benefits that people have found when they add gratitude into their lives. Research has shown that even practicing gratitude for as little as 15 minutes a day, five days a week can have a significant impact within 6 weeks. Here are some of the benefits, gratitude can: 

• Reduce depression. 
• Lessen anxiety.
• Support your heart health.
• Relieve your stress. 
• And even, improve your sleep!

With all of these benefits, why not start a gratitude practice? It’s such a small and simple thing that can have a big impact on your whole life. 

STRATEGIES FOR STARTING YOUR OWN GRATITUDE PRACTICE

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." - Epicurus

One of the best things about starting a gratitude practice is that it can be super simple or more complex based on whatever works for you! Here are some steps to get you started.

• Choose a time. Find a time of day that will work for you, consistently! Whether that’s in the morning, or the evening, or even just adding it to part of your daily routine, consistency will help you build the practice.
• Write it down! You don’t need a fancy notebook, or journal, you can start with whatever paper or technology you have on hand. An extra journal or the notes app on your phone both work great!
• Redirect. If you are feeling especially negative or worn down, pause for a minute and review what you are grateful for. This can help you to retrain your brain to focus on the good!
• Say thank you with intentionality. This could look like choosing to vocalize your gratitude to the people around you, or sending thank you cards, or even finding other ways to share your gratitude with the people around you.
• Bring other people along in the journey! Next time you are in a group of people, why not ask them what they are grateful for? You might learn something about them!

RESOURCES

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” - Maya Angelou

These are just a few of the resources that I have enjoyed using to help me build my gratitude practice! I hope you can try a few and that they work well for you.

• Any of the gratitude journals that are on our website! We have so many gratitude journals on our website right now, with different designs and features. They are all wonderful!
• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp A beautiful book about the power of gratitude in life. 
• Some Gratitude Apps I have not tried all the gratitude apps listed on this website, however it looks like there are apps for anyone and I’m sure you can find one that works wonderfully for you.

A WAY OF LIFE

“Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” - Doris Day

Once you have started your gratitude journal, my hope is that you will continue it for your whole life. My hope is that gratitude becomes a way of life for all of us! Because I know that in gratitude, we can find strength, joy and peace. 

Questions for reflection:

To get the most out of these questions, grab a journal and write out your answers. Allow yourself to ponder and reflect!

• Have you ever used a gratitude journal in the past? What did you like or dislike about the practice? 
• What stood out to you from this blog post?
• How could starting a gratitude journal help you?
• How could you start your own gratitude journal? (List out days, times, and what you could use to get started!)
• What are other ways you can practice gratitude in your life?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. - Psalm 100:4-5