The Power of Gratitude
One of the things I do to appreciate life more and heal more quickly is keep a gratitude journal. In 2015, I purchased a beautiful journal to keep a record of people, things, and experiences I am grateful for. My enjoyment of – and fruits from – this process has grown through nearly a decade I’ve been faithfully practicing. Each day, I write between three and fifty-seven (or so) entries in my journal. Quality usually reigns over quantity, and the effects of thoughtful entries make a cumulative impact on my entire being.
A consistent daily focus on gratitude is a powerful way to holistically self-heal while directing one’s attention to parts of life that are good, enjoyable, and great – which energetically, vibrationally, invites more goodness and greatness into our lives to enjoy! Identifying and being grateful for ‘silver linings’ in every cloud and every type of storm uplifts our spirits through difficult times, too.
Waking each day with an intentional focus on gratitude, we:
- Create a foundation for the day, to discover more of what we appreciate and love
- Open our hearts to life and its gifts, gaining clarity about what is truly important to us
- Start each day fresh, with new and positive beginning
We may appreciate ‘basic’ things such as breath, being alive, a warm bed, the sunrise, or a new day!
Adding entries to a gratitude journal before going to bed, we:
- Feel calmer, more reflective, happier, and more fortunate
- Help to balance our mind, heart, and spirit
- Sleep better and wake more refreshed
We may notice and appreciate people, animals or things that made today easier, better, healthier, happier, or more beautiful (i.e. laughter, fulfilling work, music, loyal friends, a playful animal, kindnesses shared, healing practices, birdsong, or time in nature, etc.). Appreciating the effort we invested each day to make life better for ourselves and others is worthwhile, too!
