In a world full of debt, drama, poverty, and conflict, it’s hard to hold on to hope and appreciate the good things in life, because it’s sometimes hard to see the good things. Depression is growing at an alarming rate, which adds to this issue. We have to consciously think about the good in life to attempt to drown out the bad, which is easier said than done, especially if depression is a factor. The key is to make positive thinking a habit, so that you don’t have to think about thinking positive; it just happens.
Disclosure: I received the following products for free in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are honest, and my own.
Grace of Gratitude Journal
One way to make positive thinking a habit is to keep a gratitude journal. Anytime you start to feel overwhelmed, pull out the journal and write something you’re thankful for – whether it’s a person, place, thing, idea, or whatever. Gratitude starts with mindfulness. A good option – for either the novice or anyone experienced in being mindful gratitude – to get you started, keep you started, or just aid you on your journey of gratitude, is the Grace of Gratitude Journal designed by Deborah Perdue and filled with the artwork of Tara Thelen.
As those who have experienced the Grace of Gratitude already know, feeling gratitude is a gateway to more bliss, contentment, well-being and peace in life. Feeling appreciative, feeling grateful, and recognizing the blessing in our lives can be a direct line to more joy! Sometimes the simplest things in life can go unnoticed, and the practice of journaling your gratitude will help you recognize so many more blessings in your life.
Being grateful will most certainly transform your life in powerful ways! Forty days of repeated practice will become a habit. Writing five or ten gratitudes per day as you feel inspired is a good beginning. You should soon notice how your spirit is uplifted and the practice becomes a natural part of your daily life. (From Grace of Gratitude Journal.)
The Grace of Gratitude Journal has space to write gratitudes, examples of gratitudes by Deborah Perdue, and artwork by Tara Thelen to inspire the journalist to fill the journal with thankfulness and take on a grateful and positive mindset.
Mindful gratitude
This journal is absolutely beautiful, and I love reading Deborah Perdue’s little gratitudes. One example is “I am grateful for my joyful, passionate heart.” It’s so simple. It’s easy to think “I’m grateful for a roof over my head,” but how many of us would think to be grateful for the state of our hearts? This journal allows the journalist to explore the many areas that he or she might otherwise overlook. It’s the simple things in life!
Mindful gratitude is something that I need to practice. I’m not great at it, so the Grace of Gratitude Journal is a good prompt for me. The suggestion of five to ten gratitudes per day is also a good prompt; it’s not like I have to think of every single thing that I’ve ever been grateful for, or should be grateful for.
I highly recommend the Grace of Gratitude Journal for anyone who feels overwhelmed by life, whatever that may entail. You can find out more about and purchase the journal here , or find out more about Deborah Perdue here and Tara Thelen here.
Molly Maurer (blog intern)
A gratitude journal is such a wonderful idea! It’s been said many times that when you have gratitude in your heart, positive things always happen and the negatives just fade in the background. I should keep this in mind always.
I love this idea. I could see myself having a gratitude journal. I think it’s important to keep what we are grateful for in our minds and have constant reminders, and this would be a great way to do so!
Keeping a journal or just writing your feelings down on scraps of paper can do wonders. Yes Positive thinking is key and all of us could write things we are grateful for almost any day!
This is such an amazing idea!! It can be so easy to focus on the negative in our life instead of looking for the positive!
I’ve been writing in a journaly since the 6th grade and finding just the right one is always so important. I love this design and the art work is absolutely beautiful.
What a great idea. I always have a journal, but I haven’t tried anything like this one. I want to start this for a more positive outlook.
I think this is great! I’ve seen a lot of people keep gratitude journals. I really need to and now that I’m reading this. I think I’m going to start doing that on my other blog! This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
You got me saying do I need another journal? Love the concept of the journal. To have the journal to reflect back on when things are not going right would be helpful in changing the mindset.
This looks like a really well made journal and a fabulous message. I think we could all use a little more gratitude in our lives.
This is absolutely fantastic, I never would have thought to keep a journal like this! I really think this is something everyone should do 🙂
This is awesome! Esther’s been doing a gratitude jar that helps to appreciate every day life. This journal seems like the perfect fit!
Great illustrations! I’m sure this would be a great journal for fitness as well!
I love the artwork. That cover is absolutely gorgeous. I have a lot of themed journals, but not one for gratitude. I should get one to force myself to see the good things in my life.
Thank you for the magnificent review, Molly! 🙂
Loved all the comments too. I so recommend the practice of gratitude in one’s life. it has changed my life 359 degrees to the better!!!
Tara and I published this Journal so others could find out the power of being grateful. There are free monthly giveaways of our Journal that you can enter on the website http://www.graceofgratitude.com and there you can also sign up for Daily Gratitude Affirmations, by me. AND you can order the book directly from the site as well — see the Shop page. We now have a hard cover edition that still lays flat with a new cover, but the coil bound version is available as well.
In gratitude,
Deborah Perdue, author
Thank you for sharing this journal, I started a thankful journal last year, one was given to me as a gift. What a world of difference counting your blessings makes at the end of the day. It truly is a blessing to read back through on those bleak days, we all have now and then.
What a beautiful journal. I definitely think if you write positive things, you’ll think positive things, too.
I have a gratitude journal and love it. I love the concept behind them. Some days are hard to find the good in but if you take a few minutes you can find something.