REPOST: 21 Day Gratitude Challenge

I am reposting this blog for those sharing space with me on The Gratitude Experience on Facebook... but if you are looking to start a gratitude journal (isn't everyone?) then grab a cup of tea and let's chat! 

May 2016....

The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge is coming!  I am so excited to have so many joining me in the process of bringing our gratitude from something we ‘know’ we should have; to something we truly ‘feel’ and live! Anyone can do it; if you’re reading this, find us on facebook at The Gratitude Experience!

 

It’s as simple as jotting down three things that you were grateful for 21 days in a row... they say it takes 21 days to create a habit – why not create one that will have a positive impact on your life? 

Our ‘Journal’ is the tool we will use to track, expand, and embrace our gratitudes everyday.  If you don’t have access to a special journal, grab a few sheets of paper!  Each day I am asking everyone to make an entry with three, one line bullet entries.  I place an extra bullet beside the one I am going to expand on like this... 

Day 1 **coffee – rough morning needed the boost

           *sunshine on my face

           *’me time’ in studio to work on my fitness

Day 2 *incredible support from Ron< 3

           **my family – I know they think I’m crazy, but they cheer me on anyway

           *silence – just me and my breath

Easy enough right?  So when you are setting up your journal; know that you will need 3 lines per day; and over 21 days you will need a total of 63 lines (it’s not that complicated try not to fret about math!)  In my journal I can fit 8 days on each page so I am saving 3 pages for my ‘bullet’ entries over the next 21 days.   

Page 4 is where I will begin my expansion entries; and I will start each entry there with the date like this ... 

Day 1 – waking up was a task in and of itself this morning, a great night in studio translated into an exhausted body and some angry muscles!  Felt good to stand up and even better to smell the coffee brewing... it isn’t always the first thing I do in the morning, but on days like this the jolt of a fresh hot coffee is appreciated! 

Day 2 – had a great time with my family at bubble soccer!  I have wanted to try this for so long, and I am so grateful that everyone took time out of their busy weekend to join me.  I just love trying new things, and this was a great way for us to just have some fun!  My bucket list is an expanse of slightly off centre experiences it’s true – I am blessed to be surrounded by people who not only support me but jump in! Xoxo  

The logic behind this process in journaling is to provide you with the bullets for a quick read scan of your gratitudes (any time I am questioning what I have to be grateful for this is a great reminder!)  The extra bullet beside the one I journal about is great if I need to skim the journaling for a more in depth adjustment!  

I usually set up one month at a time (while we are only going on 21 days you might choose to do this so your month of June is all together – that’s my plan!)   At the end of the month I leave a blank page for special notes to myself and ideas moving forward to the next month and I repeat the above process again. 

I am a writer at the core of my soul, a story teller, and a lover of expressing myself through words and illustrations so my journals can get pretty colourful.  Your journal should be something you are excited about, personalize it in a way that is going to inspire and entice you to visit it daily!  I also prefer this handwritten variation of note keeping to the online journals I have kept in the past – there is something in the act of putting thoughts to paper through your hand that really helps to make things stick!   

Making your daily entries is a process that you can create; you may want to carry your journal with you for instant accounting of those moments; or I prefer to sit quietly at the end of the day and relive the things that have happened and record them then.  As you get into the swing of things you will find you are recognizing those feelings of gratitude in the moment, enjoying the moment and then enjoying it again as you record it later in the day! 

This has become part of my night time ritual for a few reasons; I love that time of reliving and expressing myself creatively – it’s a great stress reliever; plus on a wellness beneficial level it’s so much better to crawl into bed with your head full of positive thoughts!   

Whatever approach you decide to take, please be patient with yourself!  This is new, and as such will need to be done deliberately to start; and it may not be as easy as you are thinking it will be!  The first week can feel almost painful – depending how far you are from feeling your gratitude!  I was far! 

Think of this process, as your gratitude workout – gratitude being the muscle you are training; and this journaling being the conditioning work!  Like any muscle the more you work it, the stronger it gets... hang in there; I assure you it is worth the effort! 

I want to share with you a few ‘prompts’ for those beginning days; questions you can look for answers for in your day, that will lead you the things you might want to include in your gratitude.  These are just ideas to get you started, by no means do you have to answer these questions... always in this process do what is right for you!  We all learn, experience, and feel differently – the goal here is for you to identify your own path, in your own time! 

Gratitude Journal Prompts

1.        What made you smile today?

2.        What do you love about yourself?

3.        What is different today than it was a year ago?

4.        What is something you are good at?

5.        What is something you love in nature?

6.        What is something beautiful you saw today?

7.        What kindness did you or someone else give today?

8.        What was the best thing that happened today?

9.        What do you like about your job?

10.      What special memory from your childhood impacted your day today?

I will be sharing more on the facebook page; and hope that everyone will interact with their own special thoughts and ah-ha moments!  One of the amazing things about gratitude is that when we feel it, and share it, the people around you can feel it too!  Get those journals ready