Gratitude: The Daily Practice

A few months ago, I started keeping a gratitude journal. Initially I started it to keep myself present and focused in the moment. It was at a time where I felt I was losing focus and hope. I remembered someone I greatly admire recommend keeping a daily gratitude journal as a way to fully appreciate everything in your life and enhance personal growth. What I didn’t expect going in to this exercise was how it would change my perspective, heighten my awareness and bring so much optimism to my life.

As I would sit to write down the things that I am grateful for, ideas started to come to mind that surprised me. For one, things that I saw at the time as challenges were things that I became grateful for. The idea that gratitude is only for the positive details of your life is only half the picture. I soon realized that being grateful for the not so perfect parts of me or for the circumstances I presented myself with allowed me to see where I could do better and allowed me to reach for a better thought. It also allowed me to release some negative energy I was storing.

Another surprising admission was that while life is not always ideal, I do have a lot to be grateful for. From my health to the health of my family, the great support system I have, flexibility with my work, great friends and family alike, increasingly warmer days and more time outdoors, there is no shortage of things to be grateful for.

I recognize that there are many things going on in the world that we are all dealing with, including fear, isolation and uncertainty, which make it difficult to remain positive or be grateful for anything. Although I am grateful for even the littlest things in my life, I acknowledge that not everyone is experiencing the current times the same. And although we are all in this together, everyone’s journey is a bit different, just as what we thought of as normal life, was not the same for all. However, even in times of uncertainty there are things to be grateful for, even the challenges and small things.

Feeling grateful for everything in my life, all the positives and those that I perceive as negative, has created a quantum shift in my reality and raised my vibration, allowing in more things to be grateful for. Appreciating my faults, as well as, even the little things in my life has opened up a realm of greater possibilities for me. I am more appreciative of each day and what it brings me. I can feel a noticeable difference when I do not commit the time to reflect and write down what I’m grateful for, so I’ve made it a daily practice.

Keeping a gratitude journal has helped me immensely at remaining positive and focused on doing good, even in the current environment. Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself.