Writing a Gratitude Journal for 5 Years Changed My Life

“This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” Maya Angelou

If somebody told me to write ten things a day that I’m grateful for, I’d definitely think they’re crazy.

How do you find ten things to write each day? How are you motivated to actually write them? Why should you write it apart from the fact that during those few minutes you’ll feel good and grateful?

It all sounds so silly.

Back in 2017 when I read The Magic, the first chapter asked us to write ten things we’re grateful for because abundance attracts abundance.

It’s through this journey that I realised being grateful brings in more goodness because when was the last time something good happened when you complained about life being miserable or unfair?

Five years later, I feel so positive and more mindful. I invite you to see how things changed for me, and if you resonate with it, then try it too.

“With gratitude for everything, success and victory will be yours.” — Sadhguru

There is light even in darkness, not just at the end of the tunnel

You just have to choose to see it.

Studies show that optimism is a learnt behaviour and optimists are more resilient and have higher chances of achieving their goals as compared to pessimists.

Even during the darkest times, bringing my journal out and penning down 10 things I’m grateful for doesn’t just make me feel better for the moment but makes the anxious situation a lot easier for me to handle.

With time, dealing with unfortunate situations becomes easier because you train your mind to look at the best in everything.

For an overthinker like me, this was a huge gain.

There are always over ten things once you start

In the beginning, writing ten things is daunting. Food, water, home, family, friends, now what else? With time, it gets easier because you are focussing on counting your blessings consciously, which you ignored earlier.

Many people talk about counting blessings, and it’s a beautiful feeling to do so when you think of how lucky you are. But how many actually do it every day?

Once you start, you find out there's so much to feel grateful for. I understand you sometimes feel that you’re not as good as others you compare yourself to, but you truly have so much that so many could only wish for.

A lot of your basics could be somebody else's luxury.

Tell me, do you get 24*7 electricity? If yes, be grateful because in the place where I live, power cuts are frequent. If there's rain or a storm, they last as long as 3–6 hours! See, that's one example of your basic being my luxury.

Each day feels like a gift

“This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” — Maya Angelou

The first thing I think of in the morning is how grateful am I to sleep in the comfort of my house, sleep well, and wake up healthy. There’s no guarantee that we’ll live another day or another minute, so it truly is a gift.

Writing a gratitude journal has encouraged me to celebrate life.

When I eat, I’m grateful for the food on my plate. The rice you eat isn’t just rice, it’s months of hard work with somebody’s blood and sweat. All that work just for it to reach your table, so appreciable, isn’t it?

I feel like this a few times during the day, making me appreciate the smallest bits of life which earlier went unnoticed. It’s helped me become more mindful and aware.

How can you start?

You can start by writing 3 things that you’re grateful for everyday if not 10.

Start your sentence with “I’m truly grateful to….” and once you’re done, read the list again and give thanks in your head as you read each point.

Yes, you can repeat your 3 or 10 things every day because the purpose isn’t to find something new every day to be grateful about, but just to express gratitude with awareness.

Here are some things that stay constant for me on almost all days:

1. I’m truly grateful to have a loving and supportive family.
2. I’m truly grateful to attract wealth from various sources.
3. I’m truly grateful to my body. I’m strong, fit, and healthy. I look and feel beautiful!
4. I’m truly grateful to eat nutritious food.
5. I’m truly grateful to attract and emit frequencies of positivity and love.

I also sometimes add my affirmations to my journal, such as:

• I’m truly grateful to attract golden clients and opportunities.
• I’m truly grateful to love myself wholeheartedly.
• I’m truly grateful to be a world-class writer, people love to read my work.

Putting in affirmations in present tense helps you believe in them, which impacts your behaviour that creates your outside reality.

Final Words

Looking around leads you to look inwards, which helps you shine on the outside.

It’s a beautiful feeling to see and experience grace in all things around you.

While life isn’t a bed of roses, practising gratitude has helped me tackle tough situations with my chin a little higher and has built my faith that if things go down or reroute, it’s for the best.

For you, your lessons and experience could be different because we all have a unique journey with mindfulness. Looking around leads you to look inwards, which helps you shine on the outside.

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