Fall, Thanksgiving, turkey and dad’s giblet gravy, gratitude, these are the things I think of when the calendar turns to November. Why does turning the page of a calendar need to remind me of gratitude? Perhaps it was because many years ago I was challenged to be grateful for 3 new things each day leading up to Thanksgiving and to keep a gratitude journal. This was a life changing event for me.
You see, it had been a difficult year. The first week of that November had already proven to be one of my most challenging. Finding 3 NEW things each day to be grateful for was impossible I first thought. My journal entry the first day was for the basics; waking up – alive, the sun that shone, coffee. I am sure I wondered if I could repeat that entry the 2nd day. I did not. I found 3 new things each day and tried not to repeat anything from the days before. None of my entries were ‘big’. They contained the simplest things; like the laughter of a child, the purr of a cat and even my toll being paid for by the car in front of me; the kindness of a stranger.
Reflecting on the blessings and the graces of each day helped me to survive that November of tragedies and challenges. Cultivating a grateful heart lead to positive and beneficial changes in my life. My outlook and view of the world around me shifted. That journal allowed me to see how blessed my life was and to focus on upbeat, happy and even positive things.
I still keep a gratitude journal. I confess there are months when there a no entries. And then I come across it, pick it up; like I did last week, and I am reminded to be grateful. It is now in plain site and my goal is to find 3 new things each day between now and Thanksgiving to be grateful for. Will you join me? Just say yes.
Find a notebook or journal and start your list. It is yours and it is private, I am not expecting you to share your list. I am going to share my entry for today tho……….
Mine begins with:
I am grateful for:
1)the power and ease to reach out to you via the internet
2)You for reading my words
3)the human spirit and its tenacity to survive
