Several years ago, a client and dear friend (thank you, Nancy Silverman) gave me The Five-Minute Journal. It was simple, quick, and very powerful. The journal focused on gratitude. Each daily page shared a quote that I often reposted to Facebook, and three morning questions. It then asked me to reflect and write about:

• What I am grateful for having in my life
• What would make this day truly great
• An affirmation statement

At the end of the day, I would return to the journal to reflect and then write about the Three Amazing Things that happened and how I could have made the day better.

This daily practice helped me keep my head on straight and my energies flowing during the very busy and challenging year of caring for my mother in her last year of life. The appreciative focus lifted my spirits and daily pointed me in the right direction. My heart filled, my mental chatter quieted, and I was once again grounded in what was good in my life and the world.

As it is with habits, life changed and I dropped my daily journaling. And my special journal was lost in an archeological pile for more than two years. Without the structure of the journaling habit, my efforts to reflect, meditate, and practice mindfulness where obscured in the metaphorical pile of my life’s stuff.   Quietly and slowly I stopped feeling the power of gratitude.

This summer, I knew I needed to give myself the gift of a new journal. After a diligent search, I found one with a similar format and I took it with me on summer vacation.

I like to rise early, and in the quiet of the morning at the beach, I once again found the power of reflection and guided imagery. When I returned from vacation I had the energy to clear away the piles of my life and my home. Surprisingly, I found the original journal. Like a reconnecting with an old friend, I seamlessly picked up where I left off in its pages and once again filled my head and heart space with gratitude.

Being grateful causes me to suspend judgment, criticism, and comparison. It unleashes compassion and empathy. When my focus shifts to counting my blessings, I feel a rush of well-being and energy. The morning journaling ritual puts my head in the right mind-set for the day; the evening reflection resets my heart for a good sleep.

The impact of this routine and focus is so life-changing that I have started to research gratitude. I have found that when you Google scientific research on the impact of gratitude you will be overwhelmed with data about the positive impact upon your physical healthy, mental health, ability to cope well with stress, contribution to relationships, improved ability to contribute in life and work, and experiencing good sleep when the day is done.

Behavioral researcher and writer, Brene Brown has found that people who fully embrace joy in their lives practice gratitude by virtue of their daily habit of writing, speaking, and discussing gratitude.

So why do we resist this simple action of journaling?
It doesn’t necessarily take too much time or cost any money, but rather contributes greatly to our well-being.

I am grateful for meaningful work, family and friendships, my dogs, a home on the water, my life moving forward and for the opportunity to contribute and receive.

And, I am grateful for you.

__________

What are you grateful for having in your life?

Have you tried to journal or meditate?

How would you finish these sentences?

• I am grateful for……
• What would make today great?
• And the affirmation I am….

What habit or ritual keeps you being the person you want to be in the world?

Leslie

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle”

— Albert Einstein