ADVICE
Gratitude Journaling Will Lead to Happiness
Make sure you do it correctly
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I Would Bet Money on This
If you suddenly had to trade your ability to walk on achy feet for a lifetime in a wheelchair, you’d be more pissed than a public urinal.
It’s with that perspective that I write in The Five Minute Journal each day. Those hypothetical thoughts terrify me into being grateful for things we all take for granted at times.
I Know We Have This in Common
Do you get in your car and just drive where you have to go? Of course, you do because that’s what the hell you’re supposed to do, right?
I do the same thing at times, but I’ve become more aware of how lucky I am to make it to my destinations safely. A lot of us take that for granted despite many people not making it to their destination safely.
Maybe they had an accident and had to go to the hospital. Or worse.
Desirable Outcomes Inspire My Journaling
In The Five Minute Journal, there are a few short writing prompts for each day:
- I am grateful for…
- What would make today great?
- Daily affirmations. I am…
Almost always, I answer the first prompt with answers such as “living to see another day,” or “being able to stand and walk on my own two feet.” It’s incredibly easy to think about those things as being the greatest gifts because I’d be miserable without those often overlooked blessings.
The second prompt about what would make today great always gets the wheels of my mind turning. “Seeing my daughter” or “completing my important habits” are normal responses I write.
The affirmation prompt allows me to speak an ideal feeling into existence. It prompts me with “I am..” and I usually write “a survivor” or “a driven optimist who will fulfill his destiny.”
How Gratitude Journaling Will Lead You to Happiness
If you have an open mind, this shit will work for you like a damn magic trick — only real.
