An Attitude of Gratitude

Tomorrow is the first day of November and I am kicking off my 30 days of Gratitude in honor of Thanksgiving. I have seen others do it in the past and I always say to myself that is such a great idea, I really want to do that! So now I am taking the time to acknowledge what I am grateful for, although I really try to be grateful year-round.

What is gratitude? This is a word that has been floating around quite a bit lately. I see it posted on Facebook & Instagram and other blog posts.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of gratitude is:

The state of being grateful; thankfulness; a feeling of appreciation or thanks.

The opposite of gratitude is thankless, unappreciated, ungrateful. Just typing those words makes me feel icky & miserable and I know we all have experienced both sides of the coin at one time or another.

Being grateful certainly makes me feel happy and it is a choice that takes practice. I get to choose if I want to focus on the good in my life or to focus on the bad in my life. It’s up to me.

I would love it if you joined me in sharing what you are thankful for. Each day does not have to be a novel. Heck, there are days where I am grateful for just having a good hair day!

Grab your journal & your favorite pen and start writing.

A journal can be a regular notebook, or you can find a nice one at a bookstore. You can also use your phone or computer to journal your thoughts. I personally really like to put pen to paper. There is something about physically writing it down that makes me happy.

When I journal, it makes me slow down, really think about things and to stop taking life for granted. It reminds me of what truly is important in my life. It makes me think about all of my blessings and to think of others. Not every day is hunky-dory; I have had many struggles and losses in life. I hope to learn from them and to make me a better, stronger and more compassionate person.

Don’t know what to journal about or how to get started? I suggest that you find some quiet time, grab your favorite beverage and write down whatever is on your mind at the time. You may surprise yourself how easily your words will flow onto the pages. Don’t overthink it, this is not supposed to add to your daily stresses. You are documenting your life! There is no wrong way to do it.

You may find yourself wanting more than one journal based upon a topic. There are many subjects that you could write about. Some topic ideas are:

• Gratitude Journal – As I have been talking about in this post, only things that you are thankful or grateful for are entered into this journal. Your writings should make you happy and have a positive vibe.
• Prayer Journal – This is a journal that I have started. My relationship with God is constant work in progress. I truly believe that if it were not for him in my life, I probably would not be here since I have not always made the best choices in life. I like to write as if I were speaking directly to God. Asking him for his help and guidance in this crazy world we live in and to be a better person. I also write about family & friends who I pray for that may be struggling with illness, addiction, hard times or just need to be watched over by the good Lord.
• Garden Journal – I started this journal years ago when I first began gardening. I keep track of what I planted when, how the plants performed, where I bought them and what I want to do the next season. I tape the plant description tags in the journal. Also, I track the time of day and where the sun hits, so I know what to plant where. I track the weather and more. I have really enjoyed looking back at past entries. This journal is dirty, I write in it as I plant so I don’t forget anything. I love digging in the dirt!

I hope you join me on my Attitude of Gratitude journey for the next 30 days.

You too get to choose if you want to focus on the good in your life or to focus on the bad in your life. It’s up to you.