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This has been one of the toughest years for my family and me. We have experienced heartache, loss, pain, and many challenges. Although it’s been a tough year, through it all we have been together and have been able to support each other.
There have been many times this year that I have looked around me, and I’ve been reminded of everything I have in my life to be thankful for. We often take those things for granted.
It can be easy to let the simple reflections of our life slip by when life is going well and it gets busy. We get caught up in the daily activities in life and we forget to practice daily gratitude for all the wonderful things and people we have.
We can also be quickly reminded not to take the things and the people we have in our lives for granted. That is why I want to practice a year of gratitude going into 2024.
Do you want to follow along and practice a year of gratitude as well? Check out how you can practice gratitude, be thankful, have more positivity in life, and be happier!
What Does Gratitude Mean?
Gratitude is the practice of showing thanks for what you have in life. It’s being content with the things you have in life and not wanting or needing more.
One of my favorite quotes about gratitude is “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Why Should I Make Gratitude a Daily Practice?
Taking time out of your day for daily reflections of gratitude brings joy, thankfulness, and happiness into your life.
You will become content with the things you have in your life, and learn to be thankful for the little things in life. You will find the small things are the source of your joy.
Making gratitude a daily practice will allow you to reflect on your life, the people in it, and the things you have and do.
Joy, happiness, thankfulness, and contentment can be hard to find if you aren’t looking for it and are aware that you already have everything you need.
What Tools Do I Need for This Journey?
1. A Gratitude Journal
I love to use a gratitude journal that has different prompts that will get me thinking about the things I have to be thankful for.
Having a variety of inspiration will get you thinking about things in different areas of your life.
The one below is the gratitude journal that I received for Christmas, and I can’t wait to begin using it! It doesn’t have daily prompts, but it gives you space to write what you are thankful for, your self-care goals, and a few other things about your day.
2. A Blank Notebook
A blank notebook is a great addition to your gratitude journal. You can do a range of exercises with your blank notebook. You can journal about your day, write a meaningful note to someone or yourself, doodle motivational quotes, answer gratitude prompts, and more!
I always love to have blank notebooks on hand to keep track of my thoughts and so much more.
3. Pens and Highlighters
Pens and highlighters are always a must-have when I am writing in notebooks and journals.
4. Note Cards
Note cards are a great way to write things down and post them around your home, car, or anywhere else you will see them.
A Year of Gratitude Challenge
We are going to work through a year’s worth of gratitude through journaling, affirmations, writing letters, and self-reflection.
1. A Daily Gratitude Journal
There are so many different types of gratitude journals out there to choose from. Find one that’s perfect for you and get started on your gratitude year. Find one with prompts and areas to write that are best for you and what you are hoping to accomplish this year.
Having a daily gratitude journal allows you to have daily moments of reflection on your life. You can choose to go day by day or go through the book and pick out a unique prompt and start there. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t able to dive into your journal every single day. We all miss a day or two, but always pick back up where you left off, and don’t quit.
Do each of the easy exercises and really put a lot of thought into the questions, prompts, and writing areas in the gratitude journal.
You will begin to notice a difference in how you view everything that happens to you. You will begin to face each day with a more grateful heart than the day before.
2. Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings
Journaling your thoughts and feelings is so important for your happiness, and mental health, and helps you live a more grateful life. Keeping track of your thoughts can help you steer towards more positivity and happiness.
I love to journal at the end of the day and talk about my feelings and things I may keep bottled up inside. It’s so relieving to get them down on paper instead of keeping those feelings inside.
I also like to write about the good things that happened to me on a particular day so that I can remember to be thankful for the good things, and not always focus so heavily on the bad things.
The best way to remember the good things that happen is to write them down!
With your journal, you can also look up your own gratitude prompts (there are so many to choose from!) and write the questions or statements and answers in your journal.
3. Positive Affirmations
Are you thankful for your health? Are you thankful for your friends and family? Are you smart? Are you awesome? What is the source of your smile? Write down positive affirmations and things you are thankful for on note cards and put them in places you will see every day.
You will have bite-sized bits of gratitude throughout the day when seeing the cards. We all need little reminders of what makes us smile and things we appreciate about ourselves and others.
Life can be tough, and we can lose sight of what we have in our lives to be grateful for.
4. Write Letters
Writing letters may seem like a weird option for showing gratitude, but it’s my favorite one on this list! Writing letters and expressing your gratitude towards other people and yourself is so refreshing. Most people have significant others, family members, and close friends to whom they can write a letter to express their gratitude for that person.
Is there someone in an area of your life that you are grateful for? Is there a good friend that has helped you through some rough times in your life? Does your family mean a lot to you? Write letters to them expressing how you are grateful for them.
Do you want to remind your significant other that you are grateful for them? Write them a few notes of love and leave them in places they will find. Handwritten notes of appreciation will mean so much to them!
It will also remind you of all that you have to be grateful for. Being surrounded by amazing friends, family, and loved ones is something we should never take for granted.
Lastly, write a letter to yourself expressing all the ways you are grateful for YOU. A little gratitude towards ourselves, the things we’ve accomplished, and the progress we’ve made is never a bad thing.
Do you want to create healthier habits along with showing gratitude for things in your life? Make this the year of inspiration and create goals you want to achieve!
Grab this free goal worksheet printable to get started today.
I hope this challenge helps you bring more gratitude and a little joy into your life this year. Is there a way you love to express your gratitude?
I would love to know about it!
Until next time,
Catherine
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