Hi Awesome Scrappers!
Polly Liana here, with a post about gratitude journaling. I’ve noticed that some of my friends on Facebook have been posting something every day for which they are thankful. I mean, ’tis the season, right? But gratitude journaling can be a powerful thing to do all year round. I myself started a gratitude journal several years ago when I desperately needed reminders about the good in my life. One night, I arrived home from work to find that my basement was flooding. That would have been a big bummer but it just so happened that I was already struggling with some very sad events that night– my Mom was dying and someone dear to me had just overdosed and we weren’t sure if he was going to make it. It was without question the most stressful time of my life. All around me, I saw loss and tragedy and I desperately needed to “refocus my lens,” if you will. Shortly after that time, I bought a gratitude journal. It’s a simple orange hardcover book with lines on the pages. Whenever I felt that I needed a reminder of the good in my life, I’d take it out (usually before I fell asleep) and make a list of the things that were currently making me happy. Instead of bogging myself down with all the bad in my life, I was filled with gratitude for all the great things I had been given. This simple act, done a few times a month, has really helped lift my spirits and changed my perspective. It’s also a great way to document wonderful things that happen to me throughout my life. Here are some of my favorite entries…
Luckily for most of you reading this, you are already in the habit of documenting events in your life. That’s the first and most important step. Next, pick a medium for your journaling. It could be a book with lined pages, like mine or it could have blank pages for doodling and more freehand art journaling. Or, it could be digital. During DSD two weeks ago, one of our challenges involved gratitude journaling. We had a lot of wonderful entries. Here are just a few of them…
A few last tips:
* You don’t need to journal every day. In fact, some studies have shown that the emotional effect is not as strong if it’s looked at as an obligation. Just journal when the spirit hits you. For me, it’s after an incredibly bad day or an incredibly good one.
* It’s your journal so don’t worry about how it looks or whether you’re doing it “right.” In this case, if it’s right for you, then you’re doing it perfectly! Also, feel free to change up the format if it suits you. Remember: this is your tool so it can be used any way that you see fit.
* It’s not only meant for big things but also for little things, too. Exercising your ability to find the good little things in life is a very important skill. Don’t wait until you’re bowled over with a momentous event. Warm socks have just as much business being listed in your gratitude journal as a promotion does. :)
* Furthermore, exercise your ability to find the silver lining in those clouds of yours. For instance, I recently completed a month-long, intense daily dose of chemo on my face to kill lots of precancerous cells. It was very painful and the skin on my face was (and still is) an absolute disaster. Still, I was able to find a bunch of things for which I was grateful:
1. It was PRE cancerous skin, so I was taking care of something that could have been a lot worse.
2. I had insurance and therefore only had to pay $45 of the $2960 retail price for medication (yes, you read that right)
3. I had a “mild” reaction
4. I knew it would eventually get better
5. My husband, kids, friends, coworkers and students were incredibly supportive
5. My skin was at the height of damage right around Halloween so I had a spectacular first step toward a great costume! :)
Of course, here at the Lilypad, we have a special part of the store just for Thanksgiving products. Check them out and keep an eye on our store for new products being released every Tuesday and Thursday nights. I leave you with one of my favorite simple sayings that connects well to the idea of finding a silver lining in the midst of tragedy:
Enjoy your weekend!
sarahbhb says
Love this post so much, Liana! I’m so all or nothing it never occurred to me that I didn’t have to write in a gratitude journal everyday for it to work. Thanks for the inspiration!