Any articles I read about gratitude says “keep a gratitude journal.” I recently bought a pretty purple journal book and began keeping a journal. I’ve noticed during my writing, I gain insight and feel more settled and peaceful. Writing helps me focus on the positives in my life. What about you? Are you writing a gratitude journal?
The business school at the University of Michigan shares this suggestion: write a gratitude letter to say thank you to someone whose kindness was important to you. Make an appointment with this person and read your ‘thank you’ letter to that person. Interesting results occurred: the “happiness” levels went up and stayed up for a full month after sharing the ‘thank you’. The person receiving the ‘thank you’ was energized to help others. Both the writer and the recipient of the ‘thank you’ letter felt good about the ‘thank you’. The Power of Gratitude: At-a Glance, http://www.bus.umich.edu/Positive/CPOS/Teaching/Glance-Gratitude-FINAL-091310.pdf
Add sincere ‘thank yous’ to your encounters with others. While verbal ‘thank yous’ have value, a written ‘thank you’ can be saved, reread, and shared with loved ones.
If we want gratitude to become a part of our lives, we must choose it. We must make a decision, think about adding gratitude and then practice it. I’m certain there will be times we will fall off the gratitude wagon when we are having a bad day—or week. But that’s the time we need it most. I will continue this journey to become a more positive, grateful person. What about you?
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