A gratitude journal can record thoughts and feelings regarding the things that are happening in one’s life. By participating in various written exercises, some people may discover little things that they are grateful for that would have otherwise slipped their mind.
Creating a Gatitude Journal
A spiral notebook or bound journal can be turned into a gratitude journal. Decorating or personalizing the cover of a gratitude journal is a fun way to begin the process of expressing gratitude by writing. Some people may prefer to create an electronic gratitude journal on their computer. If this option is chosen, a cover page can be created with clip art, downloaded visual images, or a computer art program.
Expressing Gratitude by Writing
Ideally, regular sessions should be scheduled during the week to establish a writing routine that expresses gratitude. A quiet place where distractions are limited is an ideal spot to commence writing.
One may want to start their writing session by listing out the things they are grateful for. This list could include friends and family, pets, financial security and freedom. Each individual’s list will be unique to their situation and life path.
An exercise that may be helpful is to numerically rank what one is grateful for according to importance. If this is done on a regular basis, it is interesting to see how the numerical rankings can change depending on what is being experienced during a particular week or month.
Another alternative exercise would be to record any situations or interactions that stood out during the day or week. Sometimes memorable events contain many facets that could inspire gratitude.
A more in depth exercise is based upon picking the best event that happened during the week or month as well as the worst situation and find at least three things to be grateful for in each instance.
A gratitude journal can also be used to record future things that one is grateful for now. There is nothing wrong with expressing gratitude for something that has not happened yet. By expressing positive energy, one is taking the first step of attracting what they want into manifestation.
Poems and stories can also be written to express gratitude. There are virtually no limits as to what can be done with the written word. One should be open to a variety of exercises depending on what feels comfortable to them.
Many people will want to keep their gratitude journal in a safe and private place. If one does decide to share their writing, they should have clear expectations and boundaries set before doing so to avoid any confusion or unwanted criticism.
By regularly expressing gratitude by utilizing a journal, one’s outlook on life will become more positive as well as their acceptance of difficult situations.
Lorraine Sauer - Lorraine C. Sauer works as a full-time freelance writer.
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