"WRITING WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"

"Keeping A "Grateful" Journal

"Some days it is easier to be appreciative of life than others, but if you really take note, there is always somthing to be grateful for. It is important to be grateful, and by acknowledging life's blessings, you actually invite more good things into your life. Keeping a gratitude journal can remind you of all the things you have to be thankful for. Find an attractive blank book, or make one yourself. You can even use an ordinary notebook. Make your journal colorful by writing with different-colored pens. Or pick one shade for each category of appreciation: pink for pretty sights, yellow for friends.....even green for prosperity. You can journal daily, weekly, or monthly, but it is best to be consistent. Mark the date and write down what you are grateful for, why, and the circumstances that created the gratitude. The journal will become a chronicle of your feelings and experiences. It is fun to read your own writing from the past, and journaling keeps you in appreciation mode, reminding you of all the things that make you happy. If you write on a daily basis, you can set a goal for yourself of recording a specific number of things to be thankful for each day. As you get into the habit of counting your blessings, you may soon find that you start being appreciative of so much more. You can set a new target number or just go wild and write as many things as you can think of. Most of us have myriad reasons to be grateful, and it is easy to find the obvious. However, after a few days, you begin to get past the mundane--such as food, shelter, and clothing--and begin to appreciate many other things in life. When you start to look for them, you will find that you are rewarded with countless gifts of gratitude. People will enter your life for just a moment and leave you with a gem of kindness or just a simple smile. Pass the gratitude attitude along by offering gifts of journals to your family and friends to record their thankfulness. You can start them off by sharing what you appreciate about them. describe what they have given you, what you have observed about them, and what you wish for them. Being appreciated is one of the best gifts you can bestow on someone. Write it down and it is lasting."
By:Madisyn Taylor