How to Maintain a Gratitude Journal – Tips for Maximum Abundance

By Anita Correia Dontul 

Today I want to share my personal experience of how you can actually transform your life by making it a habit to write down what OR whom you are grateful for with reasons.

I can summarize the importance of being grateful with the famous proverb which states “I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet”

If you are one who is already grateful in your thoughts and words and still finds it difficult to get the desired benefits, then you may want to take your gratitude to the next level by maintaining a Gratitude Journal.

What is a Gratitude Journal?

In very simple words it is a diary that you maintain in which you mention names of all the persons, things, and circumstances you are grateful for along with reasons why you are thankful for the people, things, and circumstances.

Eg:

“I am truly grateful to my husband for giving me this laptop because it makes my work easy and efficient.”

OR

“I am truly grateful for the clean supply of drinking water I receive every day because water is my basic need and receiving it in my house means I save time and money.”

The above are examples of how we can be grateful for people and things or services we receive.

How did I develop the habit of maintaining a Gratitude Journal?

I first started writing my Gratitude Journal as part of a workshop I attended. The exercise in the course demanded that I write my journal over a period of 30 days at least, which I mostly managed to do. In order to ensure I write regularly, I had a special time allotted in my schedule for writing in my Gratitude Journal. I would mostly write first thing in the morning. I soon discovered that due to this habit of beginning my day so positively, my day ahead would actually turn magical.

Each day was filled with happy thoughts, good memories, and so much love, good health, and enthusiasm.

After enjoying this wonderful experience I would be a fool to give up this habit I would think to myself. But little did I realize that after a 4-day mini-vacation where I did not carry my journal (of course I kept being grateful in my thoughts) I gradually slipped out of the habit of writing my gratitude journal. A week after my holiday I was speaking to my dear friend Sujata who too was following the practice of the Gratitude Journal. She shared with me how her habit of maintaining the gratitude journal was making life so much easier for her. The vendors she needed would magically appear from nowhere. She got approvals for two huge exhibitions, which initially seemed difficult. She also succeeded in getting an order from a client whom she did not even know existed. Not to mention the easy travels, green signals, improvement in time management, completion of planned tasks, and many more little things.

Wow!!! I thought to myself. This used to be my story. But what had happened to me? Why were things all of a sudden not as great for me even though I was being very grateful most of the time?

Ever since I had stopped writing in my gratitude journal I realized I was unable to stick to my schedules. As a result, I was unable to finish the work I had planned. I was beginning to get easily annoyed with my daughter. I seemed to have a problem with my maid, my workers, the weather. In short, I had started complaining just like before I had discovered the Magic of Gratitude. Of course, I would stop myself the moment I realized what I was doing. But then “Why is this happening?” I asked myself “Where am I going wrong?” Then it struck me that it was more than 10 days since I had last written in my Gratitude Journal. But did it matter so much? or Am I making a great deal out of nothing? The results will speak for themselves I thought and I started writing my gratitude journal again.

It had been only a week since I had started writing again and I must confess that not a single day has passed by without me receiving some good news each day.

· The week I started writing my Gratitude Journal, I visited a friend after a few months and during our casual conversation she mentioned that she wanted me to conduct a Seminar for her students. Awesomeness I thought to myself,

· I saved thousands of rupees on my home renovations in areas where I least expected to.

· By using gratitude for all the amenities I enjoyed in my house, today I have an awesome, fully equipped workstation in my home. The view from my desk which is by the window is beautiful. My workspace is located such that I get sufficient sunlight and plenty of fresh air. Just so that you know earlier I used to operate from my dining table that was situated in a common area of my house. Today I have the privacy and the comfort I was always grateful for much before I even received it.

· Another magical change due to gratitude was the amazing improvement in the relationship between my husband and my daughter. After what seemed like a lifetime one afternoon my daughter hugged her father and cried. That visual brought tears to my eyes. For those who think this is not a great deal, well I must say that hugging their parents is not a very easy thing, for any teenager. Though some of you may find this a coincidence, deep in my heart I know I owe this transformation to the pages and pages of gratitude I have dedicated to both my husband and daughter in my gratitude journal. Thank you, Lord!

The above-mentioned incidents and many such small things started happening ever since I began writing my Gratitude Journal. It cannot be just a coincidence, is what I want to believe. The choice to believe or not is entirely up to you. All I can say is that it worked for me and if you believe it can work for you too.

For those who believe that being grateful is enough and there is no need to write down your gratitude list, let me attempt to explain the science behind the importance of writing in the Gratitude Journal.

The logic is this. When you say thank you it takes not even a second, but when you are writing thank you, you could take three to five seconds more time. This means you are spending three to five times more time being in a state of Gratitude. Obviously, the effect is also three times more.

In addition, when you are stating the reason why you are being grateful, you will realize that your feelings and emotions come out more strongly. To believe and feel gratitude is more important rather than just saying it. Because when our body sends out the feelings of gratitude we are creating the necessary vibrations that are required to make our thoughts a reality. Because as Abraham-Hicks has rightly stated

“The Universe responds to the vibration you are creating. Think happy and happiness will come to you. Think negatively and negativity will come to you. What we put out into the Universe, we will get back like an echo.”

Need I say more?

So if you wish to jump onto the bandwagon of all those who are reaping rich dividends by maintaining their Gratitude Journal here are the practical tips to get the best results.

– Buy an attractive and colorful diary or notebook.

– Allot a specific time in your schedule to write your gratitude journal, preferably in the morning.

– Find a quiet corner where you will have little or no distractions for at least 10minutes if not more, while you are writing your journal.

– Use colorful pens to write and decorate each page with hearts, balloons, stars, and other motifs to make your book vibrant. This not only lifts up your spirits but also puts you in a very positive frame of mind. It makes the writing so much more fun than you look forward to writing in your journal and thus make sure you don’t miss your Date with your Gratitude Journal.

– Once a week you can also use stickers to make writing more fun.

– When writing your gratitude, to make sure you don’t run out of ideas allot one day to each member of your family, then move on to friends, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, etc. Of course, that is only after you have been thanked enough for your health, your finances, your job, your career, your education, your home, etc. Repetitions are always welcome. Go by your instinct or simply choose the topic that is a cause of concern or you wish to improve.

– To set the right vibration and take this exercise to the next level what you can do and I suggest you should do, is this. Make a list of things that you desire to happen in the future. Now affirm that it has happened by giving thanks in advance like your desire is already fulfilled.

Example:

“I am truly grateful for the sea-facing penthouse that I am now living in with my entire family”

OR

“I am truly grateful for the wonderful good news I am receiving today”

– Using gratitude in advance also helps to improve relationships and get you your dream job or a life partner.

– When you write your gratitude statements ensure you begin with these words

“I am truly grateful for… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”

OR

“I am so happy for… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you”

– Beginning your gratitude statements with these words ensures that you are not just writing but also feeling the gratitude and then when you end the statement with Thank you being repeated 3 times it is a re-confirmation of how grateful you truly are.

– On some days I am so ecstatic about the things I have received or how situations have turned in my favor. I end with the words “… Thank you so so much.”

Always remember that writing your gratitude journal is not as much about writing how grateful you are as much as it is about feeling gratitude for all that you have and you desire to have. Writing these gratitude statements as part of your schedule is only to ensure that you make this a habit.

Just to motivate you further if the above has not sufficed. Maintaining a Gratitude Journal is one of the Habits of the Rich and the Famous. From the likes of Robin Sharma, Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Rhonda Byrne, John Assharaf, Bob Doyle and the list goes on, each of these “Gurus” owes a great deal of their success to the Habit of maintaining a Gratitude Journal.

This habit not only sets the vibration for a fantastic day ahead, but when you are faced with stormy weather, reading your Gratitude Journal will sail you safely to the shores, it will lift your spirit and help you overcome all the perils of life. Be it your relationships, your health, or your finances, when you read all the things that you have been grateful for in the past it will undoubtedly help you in moving from the deepest of ravines to your highest peak of success, abundance and prosperity by filling your heart with happy and positive thoughts.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article and may the Universe keep you blessed and abundantly grateful always.

Warm Greetings,

Anita