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Getting Started

Getting Started

Getting Started

Okay, I wasn’t sure in the beginning about gratitude

I read about people starting Gratitude Journals and of course, Oprah Winfrey said that she wouldn’t pass a day without writing in hers… but I’m not Oprah Winfrey.

But then a friend of mine, who is Neuro-Scientist, said that scientific research is proving that engaging with a daily gratitude practice has REAL LIFE benefits for health.

For example, people who regularly practice gratitude have stronger immune systems. Experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, and sleep better. It helps with self-confidence and allows you to feel happier and more empowered in everything that you do.

Now that definitely caught my attention. But I thought well, I say ‘Thank you’ regularly, I’m a nice person… so how do I start? And I decided to find a daily Gratitude Practice that worked for me.

So to start with, I didn’t like the idea of writing in a book, imagine someone finding that!

And so, I decided to say a list of things that I was grateful for at the end of every day, just before sleep.

And guess what?

Everything that the scientists said was true! And my life is REAL living proof of that!

My immune system is powerful and I sleep like a baby. I am strong and happy in my life and I find great joy in the little things that I see throughout the day. I don’t sweat the small stuff so much and people who upset me have become a small buzzing noise rather than the tornado that they used to be.

But here’s something interesting… My nightly practice changed without my noticing….

I think that maybe my habit of being grateful at the end of each day has sneaked into every minute of my life.

So that when bad things happen or negative people try to bring me down, it just doesn’t affect me so much anymore.

This daily practice has made me more resilient than I ever thought was possible.

So let me help you with a few key gratitude ideas that started me on my journey.

And I wish for you the happiness, calmness, incredible strength, and joy that I have found in mine.

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF IT

I decided at the beginning that I wanted to lower my stress levels, find a greater sense of calm, build my immune system and find new a self-confidence in myself.

So you should decide what you want from your 5 minutes. And then ask yourself at the beginning of each session of Gratitude how you’re doing with this.

For me, at the beginning, I wasn’t sure if there was any difference. But then I noticed that, because I was focusing daily on what was making me stronger and calmer, I didn’t allow myself to engage in the same ways with the bad stuff. And I started to notice that I was offering gratitude to the things that were making me feel good throughout the day.

I also noticed that if I took my day as being 100% of something and I was putting in more positive vibes, let’s say 10%, I wasn’t feeling as negative or as controlling as I was before. Then without my knowing the 10% turned to greater numbers the longer I kept going.

After a couple of months, that was a game changer for me. So remember to focus on what you want to get from the process. I guarantee that you’ll learn a lot about yourself and you’ll gain a fresh perspective that allows you to recognize blessings in disguise when they appear.

As you continue the practice, you’ll be able to focus your time and energy according to the things that truly make you the happiest version of yourself.

PROMPTS TO GET YOU STARTED

Your Senses

  • Say Thank you for something you said today
  • Say Thank you for something you heard today
  • Say Thank you for something beautiful that you smelled today
  • Say thank you for something nice that you touched today
  • Say thank you for feelings that you had today and be grateful for what you learned from them

Silly Things

  • Try to remember anything silly that you said, heard or thought today and say thank you for the smiles.

Nature

  • Think about every little bit of nature that you experienced today and say thank you for that brief moment of calm
  • Think about places that you have travelled to, where nature was all around you and say thank you for the memory
  • Think about all of the places that you would like to travel to and say thank you for your imagination and for the future that you will have

Kindness

  • Think of 3 ways that you could show kindness to someone and be grateful that you were willing to have that thought of helping other
  • Think of 3 ways that you will be kinder to yourself tomorrow

People

  • Think of 3 people that you know that you like and be grateful that they have been in your life
  • Say Thank you to the good people who came into your day today and helped you to be happy in some small way

The Alphabet

  • Choose 5 letters in the alphabet A,B,C,D,E; or L,M,N,O,P and think of one thing beginning with each letter that you can be grateful for.

There are so many ways to fill your 5 minutes every day. And, science has proven that the more you practice gratitude, the easier it becomes for your brain to focus on the positive things in your life and give less weight to the negatives.

So I hope you enjoy your hobby and I hope that someday soon you will be so impressed with how you feel that you will share it with a friend

With love,

The Girl with the Corkscrew Hair

The Girl with the Corkscrew Hair

7 Great Reasons to Start an Attitude of Gratitude

This is ALL About You!

Remember that this journal is ALL about you. So no-one can tell you what you should or could be grateful for. You can think what you want. Write what you want. And, you can do it whenever you like. Starting an Attitude of Gratitude is all about making you happier in your life. Through Gratitude you can become a more Positive person and it’s widely acknowledged that people who take time each day to be grateful tend to be happier in life.

Use Gratitude to Relax into Sleep

I often use Gratitude to put me to sleep at night. I start at the letter A, and work my way through the alphabet choosing one thing for each letter that I am greatful for. A sunny Day, Brown Bread, Cornflowers… give it a try.

Mindfulness
in Gratitude

Gratitude journals are not just lists of things that you’re grateful for, they are also the perfect time to be mindful. So rather than just list things… spend a little time understanding why you are grateful for the things you write down or think about. When you begin to focus on why certain things are important to you and why you are feeling grateful, you’ll naturally notice that more of those things manifest in your life.

Positive Actions Create Positive Re-Actions

The most important thing about a Gratitude Journal is to create a new daily habit. Once you have completed 28 straight days of engaging in the habit of gratitude, you will notice that you naturally have a more positive attitude towards all areas of your life. And the more positive your daily attitude the happier you will feel. You may also notice that you can find it easier to cope better through difficulties as your habit of being grateful will always shine a light… even in the darkest of times.

There’s No Right or Wrong Time

First thing in the morning, 11am, Lunch time, the Afternoon, 6pm, 7pm…. Midnight… Just write in your journal whenever it feels right for you. Sure, for some people they’ll want to stick to the same time every day. But interacting with your Gratitude journal should be a time of relaxation and as we all know, that perfect time can be at different times every day.

You Learn to Focus on People and Times… not Things

Of course there are things in our life that we’re grateful for, particularly if we’ve had to work very hard to get them. But I would advise that you focus on people and times in your life that you’re grateful for rather than things. This brings a greater awareness of what you want more of in your life and you’ll notice that you start to make better choices about what you choose to do and who you choose to share your time with.

It’s All About You

Oh yeah… I said that already! Remember that this is your habit, your time, your engagement with your life. So don’t feel that it needs to be done in any particular way on a consistent basis. There’s no need to set a minimum number of things that you must be grateful for every day, even one thing a day will keep your habit going in a positive direction and it’s the habit that’s important.
The Girl with the Corkscrew Hair