A few weeks ago, I was at the end of a long training course in Sydney, when the topic of Gratitude Journaling came up. Now everyone will probably have heard of this concept; it comes in many forms, but the idea is generally that you take notice of things that have made you grateful, each and every day. So, it might be that you note down several things each day in a notebook, that you do it in a computer file or online; that you draw pictures to represent things in your life, or that you make a collage from printed words or images. The possibilities of how you do it are many and varied, but however you do it, the idea is that it gets you focussed on the positive. In general, feeling truly greatful can restore our belief in people or things, and also in ourselves, and it is well documented that this can have a positive impact on outlook and mood. Interested? Take a look at this article
5 Reasons Keeping a Gratitude Journal will change your life
https://www.goodnet.org/articles/5-reasons-keeping-gratitude-journal-will-change-your-life
So, it's safe to say that I am no stranger to the concept of gratitude journaling. My colleague in Sydney gave me a new challenge however. She uses it as an exercise from time to time on herself and with her counselling clients. Each day, for five weeks, she notes down twenty things that she is greatful for; and the challenge is, that these things can never be written in the same way twice. So, on the first day you might write down your partner's name for example — the second time you write about him or her, you're going to have to find something specific to mention about them, so that you are not repeating yourself.
Now having done it, I can tell you two things.
* Firstly, that after five weeks, you actually have written down 700 things that you are greatful for.
* Secondly — I found that it works.
Although some days were harder than others and so it was difficult to find things, by the end, I was looking for things each day that I could note down, and when life was feeling difficult, it really did make me smile to read over things that I had written about last week, and then forgotten. They were not necessarily special things — it may have been the taste of the coffee at my favourite cafe, or a phone conversation with a friend, but just looking over them reminded me of the high points that I have, each and every day.
So, if you'd like to see if it improves your mood also, then consider giving it a try, for as Melody Beattie says: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more."