A Daily Resolution - Being Grateful for What Life May Bring
Many of the simple things in life can be reasons for being grateful. These are often things that we tend to take for granted--our health, family, friends, our livelihood--until they are brought to our attention or taken away.
Remembering to be grateful daily for one's health, family, friends, a job during a recession, having a roof over one's head and food on the table is a good way to start living with gratitude.
As each year ends and a new one begins we have the opportunity to stop and reflect on the current state of our lives and remember to be grateful. Each New Day can give us the chance to start anew and is an excellent time to start keeping a Gratitude Journal, as a written reminder of for all that you have to be grateful.
Take a few moments as you read through this lens, think about what are grateful for everyday.
Begin Your Day with Gratitude
If you begin looking at each breath as a blessing, then suddenly everything in an ordinary life becomes a miracle-delighting in the colors of the setting sun, feeling the rain on your face or smelling the amazing fragrance of a single perfect rose.Kirsti A. Dyer
Image Source: Creative Commons. Kirsti A. Dyer
Expressing Affirmations of Gratitude
Living Life with Gratitude
You can get yourself to feel more grateful about life and to live with gratitude, by practicing some simple affirmations.
Simple Affirmations of Gratitude
Affirmations to Live Life with Gratitude
You could also pick any of the scattered quotes within this lens to use as a longer grateful affirmation.
- Upon rising think:
- Today I am grateful for...
- Repeat the Lyrics of the song "Grateful" by John Bucchino:
- Grateful, grateful,
Truly grateful I am.
Grateful, grateful.
Truly blessed
And duly grateful.
- Perhaps the simplest of grateful affirmations:
- Life is good.
The Secret Gratitude Journal on Amazon
The Secret Gratitude Book
Amazon Price: $14.39 (as of 11/16/2009)
The New Gratitude Journal available from the makers of the film, "The Secret."
The Secret Gratitude Journal has helpful journal prompts, gratitude in many different languages and in the beautiful old style script used in "The Secret."
This journal was one I gifted to myself this Christmas to use as my Gratitude Journal for 2008.
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
Living Life with Gratitude
Starting a Gratitude Journal can be pretty easy. All you need to do is to pick a blank journal that you will enjoy writing in and then write down a daily list of things for which you are grateful or things that bring joy, happiness or abundance into your life.The number varies from three, to five to ten. Five is usually the number suggested. First thing in the morning or before you go to bed you can write about five things for which you are grateful.
Sarah Ban Breathnach explains the purpose behind the gratitude journal:
- As the months pass and you fill your journal with blessings, an inner shift in your reality will occur. Soon you will be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling.
As you focus on the abundance rather than on the lack in your life, you will be designing a wonderful new blueprint for the future. This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work, transforming your dreams into reality.
Source: Ban Breathnach S. Gratitude Journal.
Photo Source: Kirsti A. Dyer. Journaling.
Gratitude Journal Prompts
Ways to Get Started Writing a Gratutide Journal
- Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way,
but the recurring acknowledgment
of what is working in our lives
can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Take a moment to think and reflect before you start writing then consider the question "What is working in your life?"
- Appreciation of life itself,
becoming suddenly aware of the miracle of being alive,
on this planet,
can turn what we call ordinary life into a miracle.
Dan Wakefield
After reading this quote, think about this question, "What are some of the simple things in your life for which you are grateful?"
- We can only be said to be alive
in those moments
when our hearts
are conscious of our treasures.
Thornton Wilder
Pause for a moment and reflect upon the question "What you have or who is in your life that you hold dear?"
The Gratitude Journal on Amazon
The Gratitude Journal
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 11/15/2009)
A gratitude journal that will help you create a positive outlook on who you are and who you want to be.
It will guide you on a journey to find happiness and being grateful for what life may bring.
This journal makes you think about simple things and focuses on being positive.
Websites on Gratitude Journals
Writing to Express Gratefulness
- Sarah Ban Breathnach on Oprah.com
- In March of 1996, Oprah invited Sarah Ban Breathnach to The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her book Simple Abundance inspired Oprah to start a gratitude journal.
- Sharing the Gratitude - Remembering Shannon with Bookmark therapy
- After the death of their daughter, Shannon, Jules and Jan Brooms sent gratitude bookmarks to let people know how much they meant to her.
- Your Gratitude Journal :: On www.simpleabundance.com
- The Official Website of Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance and Home of Sarah's online magazine and Movement.
- Gratitude Journals Heal
- An article from Kay Marie Porterfield an expert on journal writing, writing as a tool for healing, and the creative processes.
Gratitude Journals
Available on Amazon
The 5 Year Journal
Amazon Price: (as of 11/15/2009)
Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude
Amazon Price: $9.77 (as of 11/15/2009)
A Serenity Journal: 52 Weeks of Prayer and Gratitude
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/15/2009)
The Simple Abundance Companion
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/15/2009)
Inspirations: A Gratitude Journal
Amazon Price: (as of 11/15/2009)
Giving Thanks for an Amazing Day
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- i thank you God for this most amazing day,
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees,
and for the blue dream of sky
and for everything which is natural,
which is infinite, which is yes.
e.e. cummings
Photo Source: Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS.
A Squidoo Lens on Oprah Winfrey
One of the Big Advocates of Keeping a Gratitude Journal
- Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have,
you'll never, ever have enough.
Oprah Winfrey
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Oprah Winfrey
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Oprah Gail Winfrey is thought to be the most influential woman in the world now. She is also considered to be the most philanthropic African-American of all time and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United States. Oprah, as she is kno...
Empty Journals to Fill with Your Reasons for Gratitude
Available on Amazon
Pomegranate Gathering Of Flowers Small Leather Journal
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 11/16/2009)
Pomegranate Arts & Crafts Small Leather Journal
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 11/16/2009)
Pomegranate Sun Sign Small Leather Journal
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 11/16/2009)
Pomegranate Art Deco Small Leather Journal
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 11/16/2009)
Pomegranate Klimt Large Leather Journal
Amazon Price: $35.00 (as of 11/16/2009)
Appreciating Life
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Appreciation of life itself,
becoming suddenly aware of the miracle of being alive,
on this planet,
can turn what we call ordinary life into a miracle.
Dan Wakefield
Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks in the Amazon Spotlight
Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks (The Julie Andrews Collection)
Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/16/2009)
This book with the accompanying CD is one of the books that I got for my daughters to teach them about gratitude and being grateful.
When they were younger we would read it to them before bed at night and then ask what everyone was "grateful for" from the day. The girls still say their "gratefuls" as a daily practice.
A Powerful Message on Living Gratefully on YouTube vids
Living Life with Gratitude
Research and Articles on Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude: Pay It Forward
- From the Greater Good Magazine's Summer 2007 an article by Robert A. Emmons PhD on Gratitude. Dr. Emmons teaches in the the department of psychology at the University of California, Davis.
- Highlights from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving
- A research project investigating the Gratitude Interventions and Psychological and Physical Well-Being by Dr. Robert A. Emmons at the University of California, Davis.
- Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy
- Blog article from Zen Habits.
Be Thankful Today
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little,
at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick,
at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful.
Buddha
Being Grateful in the Midst of a Challenge
Living Life with Gratitude
Comedian-actor Jim Carrey, who has faced his own series of personal difficulties, challenges anyone in their darkest moment to
- Write what they're grateful for, even stupid little things like green grass or a friendly conversation with somebody on the elevator.
You start to realize how rich you are.
- When the heart is full of gratitude, there is little room left for despair.
Some Expressions of Gratitude and Gratefulness
On Flickr
A collection of what different people had tagged with Gratitude or Gratefulness on Flickr.
Gratitude is an Easy, Painless Practice
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude is said to be a virtue, but I find it helpful to think of it as a practice.
Unlike playing the piano, meditating, or playing sports, the practice of gratitude is easy and painless.
You practice it each time you thank someone.
Marcia Z. Nelson
Source: Nelson MZ. An Excerpt from The Gospel According to Oprah. SpiritualityandPractice.com
A Grateful Heart on YouTube
Living Life with Gratitude
A Grateful Heart - Collection of Daily Blessings
In the Amazon Spotlight
A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/16/2009)
One of the books that I have in my own collection.
A birthday gift from my Dad several years ago.
Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie
Gratitude in the News
The Latest News about Gratitude from Google
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGratitude Journals from the Secret on Amazon
The Secret Gratitude Book
Amazon Price: $14.39 (as of 11/16/2009)
Gratitude: A Daily Journal
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 11/16/2009)
Gratitude that Nurtures the Soul
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation,
you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude,
a feeling that nurtures the soul.
Rabbi Harold Kushner
Recommended Books on the Science of Gratitude
Available from Amazon
The Miracle of Gratitude
Amazon Price: $13.95 (as of 11/15/2009)
Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 11/15/2009)
Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier
Amazon Price: $12.69 (as of 11/15/2009)
Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 11/15/2009)
The Psychology of Gratitude (Series in Affective Science)
Amazon Price: $55.00 (as of 11/15/2009)
Join the Grateful Chain
A Way to Enhance Your Life
- Grateful Chain
- A website created to bringing people together in an uplifting supportive and fun environment while empowering them to build healthful, beneficial, life-enhancing habits through entertainment, education and personal development.
Expressing and Living Gratitude
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- 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
A Beautiful Video that Asks What Are You Grateful For?
Living Life with Gratitude
Bringing Joy and Laughter into Your Life
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude helps you to grow and expand;
gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life
and into the lives of all those around you.
Eileen Caddy
Recommended Books on Gratitude and Gratefulness
Available on Amazon
The Power of Infinite Love & Gratitude: An Evolutionary Journey to Awakening Your Spirit
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/16/2009)
Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/16/2009)
Count Your Blessings: The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/16/2009)
Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude
Amazon Price: $9.77 (as of 11/16/2009)
Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Everyday of Your Life
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 11/16/2009)
Teaching Gratitude on YouTube
* Keep a Gratitude Journal/Lists
* Write a Gratitude Letter
* Ask kids to tell you 3 good things about their day.
Being Grateful for the Little Things
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- We often take for granted
the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Cynthia Ozick
Other Squidoo Lenses on Being Grateful
Living Life with Gratitude
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A Gratitude Diary Can Change Your Life!
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This Costs Nothing, and Takes Only 5 minutes Each Day This is a very powerful, easy technique to change your life, become more positive, happy and content, and attract everything you want. And it's FREE! And Easy. It is part of the Law of Att...
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Gratitude
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Gratitude is an attitude of peace and hope as well as thankfulness. A grateful heart is one that is at peace and full of hope. By practicing gratitude and loving kindness daily towards all around us we can help bring peace to the world. Share gratitu...
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Gratitude
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Have you stopped to smell the roses and appreciate whatever is around you? Have you taken everything in your life for granted? Sometimes, life just passes us by... all the rush and buzz... Take these gratitude lessons here and stop for a while to appre...
Visit the Gratefulness.org Site
- Gratefulness.org - A Network for Grateful Living
- A Network for Grateful Living is a world-wide community for grateful life and action. Our mission is to challenge and inspire people to go beyond mere thanks-giving and find in grateful living the key to personal fulfillment and to a universal family spirit.
A Squidoo Lens on Altruism or Giving Back
A Way of Expressing Gratitude for All You Have Been Given
Altruism is an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. It is a generous way of expressing gratitude for all that you have been given.-
The Health Benefits of Altruism - How Giving Back is Good For You
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Being altruistic, or reaching out to help others, not only benefits the person being helped, but practicing altruism also has many benefits for the person doing the helping. Altruism is an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. It is a g...
A Simple Prayer of Thanks
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- If the only prayer you said in your whole life was,
"thank you,"
that would suffice.
Meister Eckhart
More Squidoo Lenses on Gratitude and Gratefulness
Living Life with Gratitude
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Thank you. I'm so grateful you're here.
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I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details. - Albert Einstein Have gratitude and kindness taken a back seat to other emotions. I'm not judging. It's an observation. We struggle with jealousy and greed, I know we don't mean t...
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Gratitude Charms - Put Your Jewelry to Work !
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What is a Gratitude Charm? A Gratitude Charm is a powerful reminder of all that you have to be grateful for. They are symbols representing the people, places, thoughts, and ideas that enrich our lives. If you've seen The Secret you've heard abo...
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What are you thankful for?
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This is a lens that answers the question: "What are you grateful for?"
What are you Grateful for in your life?
A Simple Reminder to Life Life with Gratitude
Share the gratitude.
Post three things that you are grateful for in your life.
- Reply
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Reply
- familystorykeeper familystorykeeper Nov 6, 2009 @ 11:09 pm
- Great lens. Gratitude is so important. Thank you for sharing ways to show our gratitutde.
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Reply
- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 4, 2009 @ 12:37 am
- I love this lens! I agree that an attitude of gratitude is such a great way to be.
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Reply
- Serenity_Prayer_Gifts Serenity_Prayer_Gifts Jun 30, 2009 @ 8:14 am
- Wonderful Lens, thanks again! I am grateful for kindness in all of its many forms! :-) Thanks for asking! :-)
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Reply
- Steve Steve Jun 11, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
- What a great lens! I was listening to a podcast on gratitude today. Often we bring bad results into our lives because we are so focused on lack: on whining and complaining. It's no wonder that the Bible teaches us to give thanks continuously: it's what we were created for.
- Reply
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- happiness_setpoint happiness_setpoint Feb 21, 2009 @ 5:34 pm
- This is a beautiful lens! You share a lot of great information and resources on living with gratitude in this lens. When you get a chance, I'd love it if you'd drop by my lens and say hello.
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Reply
- jacquelinestone jacquelinestone Feb 14, 2009 @ 8:42 pm
- Gratitude changes everything!
Expressing appreciation opens our heart and mind, relieves tension, and allows the immune system to function more efficiently. Grateful people smile more, take things less seriously, and worry less.
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by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief and bereavement, professional health educator, professor...
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