Today is DAY 1… Take the Grateful Living Challenge!
As we begin our 30 Days of Giving Thanks, challenge yourself to look at the world around you with a grateful heart. Stop and take deep breathes often, appreciating the blessings surrounding you and offer thanks for them. Give genuine compliments to as many people that you can, including yourself. See the good in all people, even those that may cause you stress. Seek not to complain, but instead let positive thought and words envelope you.
DAY 1 also begins our journey of writing in our Gratitude Journal. This is a simple task, but one that is truly meaningful and hopefully life changing.
Here’s how your Gratitude Journal works:
For the next 30 days in a row, starting TODAY, record 5 or more things you are grateful for each day and why. These “gratitudes” should be something different each day and they need to be specific; you cannot say you are grateful for your family or for your friends without saying why. It’s helpful to choose the same time each day to write in your journal – you may choose to do this right before bed or if you are a morning person, you may like to kick off your day with it. You may want to set a reminder on your phone or computer for a specific time each day. Just find the time that works best for you.
It doesn’t matter whether you handwrite your gratitude journal or do it in electronic form (yes, there are even apps for this). What does matter is that you spend a few minutes reflecting on the past 24 hours and writing down the things that you appreciate. Try not to make it one more thing on your to-do list, but rather slow down and appreciate the blessings you have in your life. Enjoy this time of reflection and soak in the gratitude!
May each of you be truly blessed today and in turn have a chance to bless others by living gratefully!