A thankfulness journal

The concept is as simple as it sounds. Buy a journal (it can even be just a spiral notebook!), and each day, record at least one thing for which you are thankful. It can be something that happened that day. It can be something from the past that springs to mind. Of course, it also can be a special person who makes your life sweeter. All of these are fair game for daily journals.

Like any new discipline, at first, it will seem like rote repetition and maybe even tedious on particularly busy days. However, over time this discipline of intentionally writing down things for which we are grateful accomplishes at least two goals.

First, it allows us to pause in the middle of our busy lives to remember that there are good things and good people, no matter how difficult certain days become. Second, this daily act will prompt us to look for the good things as we go about our day. The journaling process will act sort of like a magnet, drawing us more toward the good things happening around us and filtering out the things that can discourage us and halt our growth.

Many who make this sort of effort find ways throughout the week to share the ideas with others who may be struggling. Others find that this process has prompted phone calls to friends, teachers and relatives with words of encouragement and thankfulness that have blessed both the giver and receiver of this message.

An old hymn in the Christian tradition reminds us: “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” A pop song from 1954, made popular by the iconic singer Bing Crosby, says something similar: “If you’re worried and you can’t sleep; Just count your blessings instead of sheep; And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”

That’s not a bad way to get to sleep. In fact, it’s a great way to live.