From Cheryl's Writing Crate
During this wonderful season of Thanksgiving, today's
post is devoted to what I consider one of the greatest gifts a person can
have--gratitude.
We all experience difficult days, sometimes very
long stretches of challenge after challenge, but if we have the tools to turn
those tough times into temporary setbacks and instead focus on all the
positives in our lives, I believe we live a fulfilling, joyful and worthwhile life.
One of the most popular ways to live a grateful life
is to keep a gratitude journal. You've
probably heard this said many times, but have you ever thought about keeping
one yourself? My first experience with a
gratitude journal came from reading one of my favorite and most meaningful
books, Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. This book really tuned me into the art of
appreciating the simple things in my life.
I still keep this treasured book on my nightstand and have given dozens
away as gifts to the special women in my life.
I must admit, however, although I first read Simple
Abundance in 1996, it wasn't until a few years ago that I actively
kept a gratitude journal. I had good
intentions for many years but my ready-made excuse of "busy mom of eight
kids" was usually the reason I never kept at it
My gratitude journal means many things to me, but at
the end of the day if you were to have a peek at the hundreds of pages I've
written I think you'd be surprised at how simple my thoughts usually are.
There are days when I give thanks for a beautiful
new piece of artwork hanging in my house, or finally finding a pair of jeans
that fit me just right. I also note the
amazing experiences I am so lucky to have like visiting my dream
publisher--Macmillan--in NYC--because I work for them or how fortunate I am to
have just taken 7 of my 8 kids on a fabulous trip to Disney World this past
summer. But for the most part, my pages
are filled with things such as being able to listen to Christmas music in early
November, cuddling with my dogs on the couch after a full day of work, baking
brownies with my 9-year old daughter, sharing my smile with people all day
long. Those are what I jot down in my
gratitude journal on a regular basis.
So, today, one week before we celebrate
Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with you how important gratitude is not only in
my life, but especially to my writing.
If you've ever contemplated keeping a gratitude
journal for yourself, this just might be the perfect time to give it a
try. And if you already do have one,
what keeps you writing in it on a regular basis?
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