“Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe” -Deepak Chopra
Two weeks ago in my blog post, I talked about 5 ways to help support you develop an attitude of gratitude. Cultivating this sense of gratitude in our lives lowers our stress, helps us see the good all around us and like that amazing quote above, really is the key to open the doors to get what we want.
Writing in a gratitude journal at the end of each day is always at the top of my list when I first introduce gratitude with my clients. When I start working with someone new, I ask them to commit to this simple practice. I suggest starting small and even just writing 3 things each night before bed that they are grateful for. I also suggest using a notebook specific just for focusing on gratitude and not used for any other purpose. There are so many beautiful journals out there and it should be something you like looking at! I use a handmade journal given as a gift by my dear friend Emily. I love seeing it next to my bed and I feel good about writing in it. Have fun with picking out something special or maybe you want to make your own.
Sometimes after a long day, it can feel challenging to come up with things to write about. I love having a list to work from which can spark creativity and get our brains working. I think you will find that the possibilities of recognizing the good things in your life really are endless.
Here are 99 gratitude journal ideas for you to get started:
- My favorite part of my day
- Why I am a great friend
- My biggest accomplishment in my life
- What I love most about my life right now
- The best conversation I shared today
- Watching the sunset
- Waking up and watching the sunrise
- “I am enough because….”
- Creating a beautiful meal and sharing it will someone special
- Lunch with someone special
- A gift I received
- My most inspiring teacher growing up
- What my childhood has taught me
- What I learned living through my biggest trial
- Something I noticed in nature today
- What I learned from my favorite book or podcast
- What is best about my morning routine
- Why I love selfcare
- Freedoms I enjoy
- What I love most about my body
- A skill I have developed
- A beautiful hike I went on
- What I love most about my marriage right now
- My favorite outfit
- A compliment I received
- A connection I made with a loved one
- A phone conversation I had today
- The quiet time I experienced
- What I laughed about
- “I am a great coworker, because…”
- The person that showed up the most today
- The weather
- Exercising my body
- Exercising my mind
- The practice of forgiveness
- My biggest motivation
- A goal I am working towards achieving
- My favorite place I have ever been
- All the amenities that make my life easier
- The most inspiring thing I read on social media
- My most favorite place to visit
- What I am looking forward to doing this weekend
- A little blessing I noticed today
- Something I take for granted
- Something I love that doesn’t cost money
- I food I could eat every day
- “I am glad I live in a world with….”
- A course or class I signed up for
- A fun surprise
- What makes me unique
- “I was a great mom today, because…..”
- Something happening in the future
- A life lesson I have learned
- Something I accomplished
- Something I overcame
- Something I fought for
- Somewhere beautiful I got to go
- Something beautiful I saw
- My favorite memory with my pet
- What I love about my body
- What I love about my spouse or partner
- What my friends mean to me
- A song I listened to
- What I learn from my children
- How my children bless my life
- A memory that taught me an important life lesson
- What God has given me today
- Great news I received
- What made me laugh
- Money I received
- “My spouse….”
- The things that make me feel safe
- Things I am good at
- What inspires me to keep going
- What my intuition is guiding me to do
- What I feel most confident about
- What I felt peaceful about
- The value of alone time
- An event I went to
- What I learned from my parents
- What I learn from my career
- My favorite personality trait
- A talent I have
- Serving a friend or neighbor
- My health
- How God answered my prayers today
- What my best friend has taught me
- My relationship with my pet
- A habit I am grateful for
- What I love most about my grandparents
- Something my parents taught me
- Something I never want to forget
- How today is better than yesterday
- My favorite food or meal
- How my body served me today
- What made me smile today
- Who made me smile today
- The most impactful book I have read
- My relationship with God
I am excited for you to start your gratitude journal. More importantly I am thrilled for you to start a daily intentional practice of gratitude!
Considering this month of Thanksgiving here in the United States, I wanted to share a small excerpt from one my favorite personal development and mindset masters, Brendan Burchard.
On Thanksgiving several years ago, he wrote this beautiful post about gratitude:
Yet the masters of this life slow time and brave greater feeling.
They let appreciation percolate.
They think about their blessings, wonder about them, talk about them, journal about them, demonstrate thanks and joy for them through prayer, tender conversations, acts of service.
They feel indebted to give as much as they are given and more.
Emotion springs forth. Tears flow. A desire to give thanks enlivens the troubled soul.
Spirit enters the room and suddenly appreciation flowers into the only emotion that makes life worthwhile: Gratitude.
And so let us ask,
“If I slowed down
and noticed the blessings all around,
would I be willing to allow
such divine gifts into my heart now?”
You can read the full article HERE
When we sit for a few minutes each night, especially after a day that was not a great one, focus on the good and “notice the blessings all around,” we are giving both our mind and our heart the opportunity to feel gratitude regularly. When we create those feelings on a consistent basis, our brain will want to feel them more and more and will start to recognize even more things we can be grateful for.
As we allow these “divine gifts into our heart” now, own the blessings we have been given and really feel them, this is how we open the doors to all the things we want in our life!
The only thing required now is to keep it going. I find it fascinating that in one study shared on the Positively Psychology website, it was reported that “although people who express gratitude report higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of depression than people who do not engage in gratitude journaling, these differences disappear three months after the journaling has ended.” This study is such a powerful reminder of the importance of consistency! Especially when we are feeling so good…keep going! I compare it to feeling fast after running so many miles as a base while training for a race. The only way to keep up that speed and power is by keeping up our mileage. It is the same with our gratitude practice.
Article can be found HERE
I love the saying, “To get the results you want, you don’t have to be extreme, just consistent.”
Life I said, start small with just three things a day to focus on in your gratitude journal. It will only take you a few minutes and once you are consistently doing that on a regular basis, then you can add in more!
I love looking back over my journal and seeing so much simplicity in it! Most days my entries are short and focus on really basic things. But I also love that I can look back on my life since incorporating my journal (a few years now) and see the significant shifts that have come about since.
May you find joy in this simple gratitude practice and always strive to recognize the good.
Xoxo,
Leanna
