When you write daily in your Gratitude Journal for what you are Grateful for, a subtle ‘inner shift’ in how you THINK – will occur! However, you may or may not notice this ‘shift’ occurring. You must have faith and trust that it will happen! Sometimes in life, we must do things based on blind trust that what you are doing is right. Gratitude Journal writing – daily – is one such time!
This simple act performed daily, can and will change your life beyond belief. I have been doing exactly what I am describing here, EVERY day for the last 7 years (and still doing it today). Subsequently, it never ceases to amaze me the positive rewards that continuously flow to my ‘inner being’. Spiritual Law 101: the more that you have, and the awareness that you are grateful for having it, the more will be given to you!
Daily Gratitude
Daily gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. Gratitude makes sense of our past and brings peace for today. Gratitude creates a vision for your tomorrows. The opposite is also true. The more you focus on ‘lack’ (what you don’t have), the more anxious and/or depressed you become. The less grateful you then become for what you DO have – e.g. life itself! You must learn the benefits of ‘letting go of the past’. Put any thought of ‘lack’ behind you! If you are breathing – be grateful! Such a mental practice is vital if one desires happiness, inner peace, and contentment in their daily life!
Let Go The Past
Choosing to dwell on past events and/or on future fears, opens the mind to an internal hell. Choose to live in the present moment, today! Today is all that any of us has! You need to be completely open and honest with your Self here. Brutally honest if you must! Accept that you may have a tendency to spend too much time thinking about the past. Or alternatively, worrying about the future.
To show Gratitude, you simply need to focus and enjoy the many small things that occur in YOUR DAILY life. It may be as simple as watching a sunrise or the sounds of birds singing. Maybe you read powerful words in a good book. Maybe you noticed a smile or kind word from another. The list is endless!
Being Aware
Consciously become AWARE of how and what you THINK. Practice the art of being present. It does require practice, but the rewards are endless! Make it a habit, a daily habit to be aware and grateful. Happiness is the quality of our thoughts, our state of mind – it is a living emotion.
The seeds of Happiness and Contentment are planted deep ‘within’ each of us. There are no exceptions! Make it a priority and create the AWARENESS that can only come from ‘within’! It’s why I wrote a book. Title: LOOK WITHIN – Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.
Gratitude Journal Writing
It is vital that you become AWARE of how much of your DAILY living you may be simply taking for granted. For example; waking each morning and having a Pulse! Being able to breathe and move freely. You can see, speak and hear clearly, etc! These are precious ‘gifts’ given to us daily. You must develop this awareness and show gratitude daily. How do you do that?? By writing daily in a Gratitude Journal. This is the simplest and easiest pathway to happiness, inner peace, and contentment in YOUR daily living! Taking 10-15 minutes of your day to be grateful – to show gratitude!
Wisdom = Awareness
The purpose of any human life is: to be AWARE! Awareness is simply another word for wisdom! Your goal is to continually search for ways to raise your level of awareness. You must embrace new ways of thinking. New ways of doing. New ways of being. Be brave. Try things that take you out of your comfort zone. Leave behind the familiar and known. Search for a new way of living – daily! Being still and sitting in silence for periods is a key to learning the ‘how-to’ of becoming aware! You must become aware and accept there is a force far greater than any of us earthlings.
Your Higher Power
Your purpose and mine is to connect and communicate daily with that universal force! You can put any ‘label’ you like on this Higher Power e.g. God, Source, Spirit, Divine, Master, Higher Power, etc. I have chosen to refer to this Higher Power as God.
Dr. Wayne Dyer once said: “There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God”. It is only when the clamor of your outside world is silent will you be able to hear God/Spirit/Source playing your song. Sending you messages! Sitting in silence is another ‘key’ to discovering this vital state of awareness!
Spiritual Muscle?
Remember, that just as plants grow daily unnoticed, so too do our Souls. Our souls grow and develop ‘spiritual muscle’ as we daily express gratitude by writing in a Gratitude Journal. We do not see progress day by day. You nurture your plants and you believe, trust, and have faith that they will grow and blossom. So too you must trust and have faith that writing daily in a Gratitude Journal nurtures your soul. Producing positive results in your daily living!
Nurturing Your Soul
When a flower does not bloom, we fix the environment in which the flower grows – not the flower! I am passionate about the power, the ‘inner power’, that DAILY Gratitude Journaling has for each of us! But this will only happen when each of us becomes aware of this fact!
To Change Your Thinking, which in turn will Change Your Life, you need to raise your level of awareness! Adopt into your DAILY living this simple vital fact. Gratitude Journaling is non-negotiable if you desire or crave happiness, inner peace, and contentment in YOUR daily living! Make it a daily habit!
The First Step
Sadly, for many, this simple daily practice will appear far too simplistic. Too easy. There must be more to it than just writing in a journal, they will say! Expressing gratitude in this way is a proven daily practice that helps to subtly build and develop ‘spiritual muscle’. A simple life-changing exercise that each of us can and should undertake! It is THE first step to awaken your Spirit.
Body – Mind – Spirit
Regardless of what you may think right at this moment, be aware that we consist of three components. The Body. The Mind. The Spirit or Soul. There are no exceptions! Many at this point are unaware of this universal truth! There is zero financial cost involved in this daily routine once you have purchased your Gratitude Journal. It requires only 10-15 minutes of your time – daily. Write in that journal, daily, 5 things that you are grateful for.
Simple & Easy
That’s it! Simple! Easy! Extremely rewarding, once you have committed to doing it daily. Such a daily practice/routine will develop into a habit! Simply ‘waking-up’ each morning and having a ‘pulse’ is a good starting point for your daily writings! Remember, as you take your first breath, someone else has taken their last. Be grateful!
A New Year
Right now with a new year, one should take the time to think deeply about a different ‘New Year’ resolution. One you may have never considered until this very moment. Purchase a 2021 Gratitude Journal and make the following commitment. ‘In 2021 I will take this first small step to Change My Life, by DAILY writing in a Gratitude Journal!
Sarah Ban Breathnach
‘Turn away from the world this year and begin to listen. Listen to the whispers of your heart. Look Within’
Questions and Answers
Q: What will YOU gain by adopting this practice?
Ans: You will have developed the first habit of building ‘spiritual muscle’. Your life will subtly change. Your mindset, your thinking, will change! If you commit and write 5 things in that Journal daily, you will have developed a Habit! You will not want to stop. I KNOW that for sure!
Q: How do I know?
Ans: because that is exactly what I have been doing daily, since 1st January 2014. I now want to do it every day!
Q: Why do it every day?
Ans: because of the positive change that subtly manifests in my Thinking, and in my DAILY living!
How Positive Change Manifests
These positive changes have manifested for me, not through any outside changes. Not from a change of life partner, or a change of job/career. Not from a change of where I live, or of an exercise routine, etc. Change has manifested simply by a Change of Thinking. By focusing DAILY on what I have in my life to be grateful for! Not from focusing on what I don’t have or on what others may have and that I may want.
This changed thinking has had a massive positive impact on my daily living. ALL of this change has been the result of the DAILY habit of writing in a Gratitude Journal. The principle here is: Change Your Thinking – Change Your Life. This worked for me, and it WILL work for you too. Why wouldn’t it! You just need to have faith. Believe that it will happen and Trust in the process. Above all though, Act! Simply DO IT!
Your Choice
As I have already explained, I know that there will be those who will choose to believe that this proven practice is far too simplistic for them to accept. Their argument will be that it cannot be that easy, and so, they will not try. Their ego will remain in control at the steering wheel of their life! Purchase a 2021 Gratitude Journal. Take that leap of faith!
Always remember that famous quote of Zig Ziglar: “If you always do as You have always done, then You will always get what You have always got”. If you do not learn and practice the art/skill of being grateful DAILY – lasting happiness, inner peace, and contentment will continue to evade you. This may sound a little harsh, but TRUTH is sometimes hard to deal with. However, deal with it we MUST if we desire change in our daily living!
“I know that in each moment I am free to decide”.
(Author Unknown).
YOU are now free to decide if YOU desire real change in YOUR precious life in 2021 and beyond. Or do YOU freely choose to make New Year resolutions like those made in the past? Then watch them simply fade away by the end of January or February, as they have done in previous years??
‘Gratitude Journaling is non-negotiable for real, lasting change!
M. Doesly
Know it, or simply continue to have your life bounce around like a small boat in a turbulent, rough ocean!
YOUR CHOICE!