The above quote is one of my favourite quotes. The greatest truths in life are often composed of the simplest words wrapped up in the most profound meanings.

Have you ever tried to start the day by listing 5 things/people/events you are thankful for?
How has that impacted your day?
Have you ever tried to end your day by listing 5 things/people/events you were grateful for?

Oprah started a movement a few years ago with her Gratitude Journal. I remember watching that first episode where she spoke about creating a Gratitude Journal and I LOVED the idea.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. ~ Melody Beattie

Human memory is a fickle thing. It tends to remember the bad and the negative more often than the positive. It is so much easier to list a negative thing that happens in your day and sometimes it is difficult to see any positive in a normal day. What I love about the idea of a gratitude journal is that after the first few days of listing the obvious things, like family, friends and health; it becomes more of an effort to search for something or someone you are grateful for. Yes, you could repeat the same things every day but why not change it up and make sure you find something/someone new to be grateful for. Some days 5 things can be a bit of a stretch but you must be able to find at least 1 and when you recall one, you might recall a second.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Which comes first? Happiness or Gratitude?

Gratitude is more than thoughts or words, true Gratitude is a life-changing attitude. Once you get into the habit of starting your day and ending your day with a minimum of 3 things you are grateful for (the morning gratitude list must be different to the evening gratitude list) you get into the habit of being more positive and more optimistic. Now your brain becomes used to seeking out the joys, the hopes and the positives in every situation. You start to come around to seeing that there are miracles happening all around you because you are now seeking them out.

We attract abundance when we ask from a compassionate heart. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Optimism is catching. Walk down the street or get into an elevator full of people and smile at one person, I bet you get a smile in return. Now inversely, frown at a person and I bet they look away out of discomfort. So optimism is more catching than pessimism. People love being around optimistic and joyful people. It is far more pleasant than being around a grouch/whiner/whinger/moaner.

It is not happy people who are thankful; It is thankful people who are happy.

So, if you have never tried to keep a gratitude journal, make this the week that you start. What have you got to lose? Better yet, think about what you might gain.

Have you ever kept a Gratitude Journal or anything similar?

If you have/did, how did you find it impacted your daily life and daily interactions with others?

Do you consider yourself a “Glass half full” or a “Glass half empty” person?