Gratitude

There’s something to smile about every day! Every single day. Even on a bad day! There’s always something to smile about when I stop to remember what I’m GRATEFUL for in my day... and in my life.

Of course, this is not a new idea, but it is a good idea. There are so many things I take for granted, because I expect things to be good and to go well. But when one of those days comes along when everything seems to go wrong and I begin to think my life is a mess, I find it’s good to take the time to think about what was good that day and let it be a reminder that most of my days are pretty darn wonderful. Keeping a Gratitude Journal makes me aware that my life is not a mess, but blessed!

The things I record in my gratitude journal can be something as big as all of our kids and grandkids were here for Christmas to something as little as I had a great cup of hazelnut coffee this morning to something as silly as blue post-its! Some days, I write of things I absolutely take for granted, like running water, my car started this morning, a comfortable bed. There are no rules as to what I write down – it doesn’t have to be serious or profound – I leave it open to be fun and ridiculous as well!

I was told once that keeping a Gratitude Journal is selfish, because it becomes one of those “it’s all about me” things. I even stopped writing for a long time. Now I realize it’s like a prayer. It’s at least the one time a day, that I stop and let God know that I’m grateful for my life and everything in it. I suppose I’m even grateful for the troubles and stresses, because they give me a chance to rise above them, and of course... take that look around and see all that much is good, despite the problems.

Keeping the Gratitude Journal is even a blessing in itself, because I often enjoy going back to entries I made years ago and finding things I had long since forgotten. I get to smile about it once again!

Goofy Gratefulness

Looking back through my old journal entries, I find:
JUNIOR MINTS
HIGHLIGHTERS, especially blue and purple
GARBAGE TRUCKS (imagine... someone picks up my trash and takes it away!)
PENS
SOCKS
PILLOWS
TISSUES
TOMATOES
CHILI
CHAPSTICK
CHOPSTICKS
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND RERUNS
WINDSHIELD WIPERS
FALLING DOWN AND HEARING PEOPLE LAUGH (they wouldn’t laugh if I was really hurt)
FALLING DOWN AND HEARING PEOPLE GASP (grateful part is being able to get back up)
DIET CHERRY 7-UP
MITTENS

Really-Reaching-For-It Gratitude Days

SCOOPED CAT LITTER (Why not? At least they have a specific spot to “use the bathroom” and scooping cat litter means I have cats!)
DID LAUNDRY  (Love the scent of clean clothes, fresh out of the dryer)
WASHED DISHES  (I like an empty sink)
VACUUMED  (Now I won’t have cat hair on my socks)

Gratitude "Themes"

Sometimes when I've had a so-so day, nothing spectacular happened, it wasn't necessarily bad, just one of those uneventful days... I resort to THEMES!  I may write down 5 people I'm grateful to have in my life, 5 favorite foods, 5 all-time favorite books I've read, 5 vacations I remember well, 5 things I was grateful to have experienced with my grandma or grandfather.  It's a time to get creative... and then, of course, be grateful for creativity!