Almost two years ago, I started a Gratitude Journal. Every day, I would write down 3-5 things that I was thankful for that day and the reasons why.
I was very depressed at the time and had gotten a coach to help me find my way out. She recommended it as a way to bring my spirits up. I really thought it was a crazy idea. I didn’t think I had that much to be thankful for, but that was the depression talking.
I can’t believe how it has changed my life. That one little act each day taught me that I had more than enough to be thankful for. It changed my downtrodden attitude and made me focus more on the positive than the negative. And when I looked back, it gave me a very clear picture of what was really important to me.
I don’t write in it every day anymore; it is more of a 4-5 days a week kind of thing now. Because of the journal, I have so many other things that take my attention each day. I run my own online consulting business. I write this blog. I am active on Instagram and Twitter. I see my friends and their families, which fuels my soul. And I find that each of those things fills me with gratitude each and every day. Which fuels me when the days get hard, and I hurt or when I just don’t think I can continue to adult. I go back to the journal and remember how awesome my life is.
The journal also led me down a road of self-care and being tuned into my body. I am lucky in that I have a fairly mild case of Fibromyalgia. I mainly deal with dull pain and an ongoing fatigue. Through the journal, I realized that on the bad days where I felt horrible, I was always grateful for some amazing experience the day before. And on the good days, I was grateful for feeling good and getting things done. So, I learned to do on the good days, and take care of myself on the bad days. Because I only have one body and it has lots more places to go.
Now, I am looking back and realizing that the journal led me to the most important things in my life and I try to focus on those things for the future. I am going to spend more time with my friends, cultivate new relationships, build a tribe of positive people and live my dream life. This is what I want for my future, and each day I am grateful for the little things that get me there one step at a time.
What are you grateful for today?
M 🙂