Moving on: Start a Gratitude Journal

  When life throws you a lemon, wouldn't it be nice to have somewhere to go to pick you back up? Starting a gratitude journal can be that very thing to tip your day back into better and then good. I personally thought that this type of journal was well..lame, but that was before I did some research and tried it. 

      What the process does, is it takes all the good and it exists in one place. No negativity can go into this journal.  After becoming jobless and making a decision on who I want in my life, I was bombarded by old thoughts. "You can't do anything without them", "You won't get a job", "Why are they going to hire you?", "You need them", "what makes you think that you can be an entreperur?" And "no one is there for you without them".  

       It was a tough spot to be in, but when I decided to start my gratitude journal they began to dissipate. Hell , I can do what I want. I am a loving person and thats the type of people I want in my life. If I want to create my own job, I am going to do it. There is nothing that can stop me but myself, if I had let it.
   Back to the Journal.  The first entry was the following:

            I am grateful for the friends I have.  I am greatful for my blog readers.  I am content with my life and wish to grow more as a person.  I am greatful for family. I am greatful for my boyfriend.  I am grateful for my path and where it has taken me.

Writing in a gratitude journal is just that simple. Abandon the stress of spelling right, getting grammar spot on and creating paragraphs that flow. It is your space and that is all there is to it.

Start your own gratitude journal

Buy a Journal

 Pick one that feels special. Mine is embroidered and from Christian Lacroix paper line (gift from mom). Alternatively you can go the digital route. Fire up a blog and set it to private (or not). Or even  use the memo app on your phone.

Decide how often you will write

Writing once a week is enough. but I have heard other writers using it every night. Personally I use it when I am in the right mind space, but is also going to become space for post-meditation free writing. Remember a journal is YOUR space, do what feels right.

What to write

What are you grateful for? Write it out and bring the gratefulness inside you out. If you want to add something extra, goals are a great addition.

    In addition to my 3-5 things I am grateful for. I strive to write a few goals for myself.

Rules of Gratitude Journals

• Read it when you are down to lift you back up
• Write at least 3-5 things
• Be specific
• Turn negatives into positives
• Don't go through the motions. Make a decision to be consistently more grateful.
• Don't wait for the right time
• Think people, no things
• Don't rush, savour every word