Gratitude Creates a Joyful Attitude

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Words rightly written can speak volumes to me. Finding the author and blogger, Ann Voskamp, opened my eyes to words and feelings that changed the way I thought. After months of reading Ann’s blog, I received her long awaited first book, One Thousand Gifts. https://amzn.to/2svyMFP My world was changed. I was on a journey to find gratitude.

I grew up with parents who looked for the good in life.

We had read the book, Silver Boxes by Florence Littauer  years ago. The words we speak over others is an opportunity to bring life to them. This was an view of gratitude in itself that one would speak over others.

Voskamps words regarding the gift of gratitude brought an entire new meaning to words. Voskamp encourages the reader to keep a record of gifts given by God. In the beginning of my 1000 gifts, the obvious was written-my home, my family, my friends, etc.  The things I was thankful for changed as I progressed in my recording of my gifts.

I am more aware of the things in  my life in which to be thankful. Writing this now, I look outside my window to see the multiple shades of green leaves blowing in the wind. I love spring.  My gratitude writing made me notice the little nuances of other seasons.

I was intentional to keep my 1000 gift list and continued for a long time writing my thankfulness down on paper. There was a point were I no longer wrote the list, but I would say my thank you out loud as I noticed a new grace. Often times I reflect back to realize that I have lost my gratitude for the everyday, little things so my list comes back into my life.

Statistics show that keeping a list of things we are grateful for helps us to look at our lives more positively.  When a person takes the time to notice the little things of life  then there is less time to dwell in the negative or what we do not have.

Beginning a gratitude journal is easy.

One needs a pen  and a notebook. I am a lover of pens and notebooks so I would need a new one to begin this process, but it can be the one you cleaned out of your child’s backpack that has notebook paper left. This process cost you nothing but time.

When I began my gift journey, I kept the notebook with me on the kitchen counter. If I was out and about, then I grabbed my phone to type a note with the item. Later I would transfer my thankful list to the notebook. There is something about written word. When we write down with our own hand and we reread that note then I feel like I am more aware.

Do you write a gratitude list? Join me in starting a journey to gratitude. Report back if you find the same result as I have-keeping a gratitude list makes you find true joy!