What I Learned From Gratitude Journals

Posted under Just Everyday Stuff by Renee Knowles on Wednesday 11 February 2009 at 6:06 am

I’ve always felt lucky. Not lucky in the sense that I could buy a lottery ticket and win a million dollars, or hit the jackpot on the slot machine in our local casino. No, I’ve always been lucky in the way people are when they get the dream job they have been wanting or land the contract they desire. And I’ve noticed luck in little ways as well. Maybe I have a run in my hose on the day of a big speech and no nail polish at hand—I will somehow make it through without incident. Or I might just happen to find a twenty dollar bill in my driveway.

Now, some may say these things come about by hard work or coincidence, not luck. But I still live knowing there is a little drop of fairy dust hanging over me.

I did anyway, until I started a gratitude journal early last year. I knew I had much to be grateful for and every day I counted my blessings. I mean I have a wonderful husband, an amazing baby boy, a nice home, supportive family and a writing career, which is really taking off. Yet, I was sure I was missing some things. I was sure I needed to be reminded how great life can be.

But until I began to put the words to paper, to really list every night all the things I was grateful for that day, it never sunk in just how much I had to be thankful for.

What about the great review I received, or the thoughtful gesture of my next door neighbor? Did I really ever stop and notice the beauty of the mountains outside my window, or was I becoming too complacent?

Once I began my journal, I wrote every night. I was trying to be consistent, but it was easy to do. It was easy to think of items to list, of reasons why I was happy. I realized all the things I thought were luck or chance, were perhaps more of a thread of good karma that was wound through the people I knew and opportunities I was presented. Yes, gratitude journals are very “Oprah,” but they are also very enlightening.

The Chinese have a theory: all people are connected by a “red thread.” I began to see this in a new light—all people have an affect on one another and their kindness and thoughtfulness will radiate to others. I started to notice this all around me as I wrote my nighttime entry, and the knowledge made me begin to bring this karma to others. It made me want to extend thoughtfulness more than ever to my family and friends and even strangers in earnest.

Gratitude journaling has made me appreciate the small things as well as the big. Now I notice the cool breeze on a hot day and a perfectly made hot fudge sundae (cherry on top, please!). I realize in being grateful for the everyday things, I am also more thankful for the fabulous family I have and the fact I do what I enjoy every day—write.

And while I won’t knock a bit of luck now and then, I realize luck is not what I have to be grateful for. Precious moments are. And precious moments are what life is all about.

Renee

Renee’s writing how-to book, SAVVY BUSINESS SKILLS FOR WRITERS: NUTS AND BOLTS is available now!

The book covers:

· Supercharge Your Career: 5 Steps to Creating a Dynamic Career Plan
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· Working Smart: Time Management Skills Every Writer Needs (using the PLOT system: Prepare, Lay Out, Organize and Track)
· No Fear Public Speaking: Even Introverts Can Speak With Confidence!

You can see more here: http://www.reneeknowles.com/savvy.html

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Renee Knowles

SAVVY BUSINESS SKILLS FOR WRITERS
Wild Child Publishing

www.reneeknowles.com
Mama Writers Community www.mamawriters.com

12 Comments »

Comment by Renee Knowles — February 11, 2009 @ 8:03 am
Hi Nita! Thanks for allowing me to guest today. Fabulous site and blog!

Renee
Comment by nitawick blog — February 11, 2009 @ 10:59 am
Great post, Renee! Thanks for joining my party.

I don’t keep a journal, but I do make a conscious effort to acknowledge my blessings. Even when things go wrong, I try to look for the positive.

For example, I was very frustrated last night. For the second time in about a month, my hubby managed to find a news/documentary video on the web that was infected with malware. It took me a week to get it off the computer last time. And this one was so nasty it disabled all my anti-spyware/malware programs.

So… I am thankful that it only took me 4 hours this time instead of a whole week. And I’m eternally grateful that I don’t know the names and addresses of the people who write these type of programs. If I did, you would no doubt see me on the news: “Woman murders computer programmer.” And I hate to say it, but the whole time I was working on trying to get that stuff off my computer, I was thinking of new ways to make their deaths as slow and painful as possible.
Comment by Holly — February 11, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
Great post, Renee!! My sister and I have been talking gratitude journals a lot lately, perhaps this is a sign. Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Kris Kennedy — February 11, 2009 @ 2:23 pm
Hey Renee~
Great post! What a great topic. So much of how we feel is truly determeiend by how we see things. Now, some of that is essentially ‘hard-wired’ in, and we have to work to overcomine our natural inclinations, but working on focusing our attention on our blessings si a great way to do it!

I try to verbally do a little ‘Gratitude Journal’ whenever I start feeling sorry for myself. Whenever I fee entitled or indignant or I notice thinking thoughts like, “Why can’t XYZ!”, that’s my cue to pull back and focus on what is good.

And like you said, it works every time.
~Kris
Comment by Eliza Knight — February 11, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
Hi Renee!

I have never heard of this before, and I am amazed! What a great idea! I think this actually might be something fun/inspirational for my older daughter to do too. At 8yo, she’s starting to go through that phase where she doesn’t think she has it so good, bc her friend has a cell phone and she doesn’t. (Why does her friend have a cell phone in 2nd grade??? I don’t know!!! It’s crazy…)

I know I tend to look around and be negative a lot, and not really count all the great things I’ve worked hard for, or been blessed enough to have (a great husband and family).

Thanks for the fabulous advice, I’m going to go out and by a journal soon to start this!

Hugs,
Eliza
Comment by Renee Knowles — February 11, 2009 @ 4:23 pm
Hi Nita,

LOL! My computer was infected with a virus from MySpace last spring. I was without it for 4 dsys while it was being fixed, and in the end, I lost everything on my Outlook. I was not counting my blessings that time…

Hugs,

Renee
Comment by Renee Knowles — February 11, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
Hi Holly!

Thanks for checking out my post. I think if you start one, you’ll find it really offers you insights.

Renee
Comment by Renee Knowles — February 11, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
Hi Kris,

Thanks for stopping over! I agree that how we see things can make such a difference–even in small things that happen everyday.

Thanks for commenting.

Renee
Comment by Renee Knowles — February 11, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
Hi Eliza,

What a wonderful idea–doing one with your daughter! That is a great way to show your kids that there are so many blessings that we take for granted everyday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Renee
Comment by Jeannie Ruesch — February 11, 2009 @ 6:03 pm
Hi Renee! There have been many times I’ve thought of how much I have to be grateful for. Even as I complain about the little things through life, ultimately, I have very little to lodge TRUE complaints about.

I’m doing everything I always wanted in life. My life is what I hoped it would be at the time I hoped it would be… I have the best husband in the world, an amazing son who I am lucky enough to spend most of my time with. A day job that allows me to be creative and at home. A writing career just taking off…

And like you said, the little moments and things throughout the day. I think a lot of it is realizing that what we take for granted or don’t always think of as a “blessing” usually hides something that is. My house might be messy, but I have a home. I have a roof over our family’s head and a place to feel safe at night. I think if we force ourselves to stop focusing on the more challenging and look deeper for the positive, you’ll find it.

Great post!
Jeannie
Comment by Julie Robinson — February 11, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
Renee,

When my 17-year old son was younger, we would say our prayers at night, kneeling together at his bedside. After saying a traditional Catholic prayer, I would ask him to find something to thank God for. This often led to small discussions “in prayer mode” about what was troubling him at school. But I always wanted to leave him with the sense that no matter how terrible life might seem at the time, something good can be found. So hopefully, he has learned to appreciate little things, like a kind word or smile when life is not going right.

Julie
Comment by Julie Robinson — February 11, 2009 @ 9:34 pm
BTW, Renee. I checked out your how-to book. Looks like what I need to get my act together!

I also liked the Red Thread Chinese theory. I didn’t know about it.
Julie

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What I Learned From Gratitude Journals

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