The Power of Gratitude Journaling
by Arien Smith
Love for ourselves is the foundation of loving all others and, too often, we spiritual people will neglect to fully thank ourselves for our hard work. We often favor giving to others, rather than spending time to give ourselves the compassion we so desperately need. If we begin to increase our self-compassion, we will also increase our empathy, deepen our spiritual journeys, and manifest greater love in all areas of our life. But how exactly do we bring the self-love we need into our lives? Gratitude journaling is a quick and powerful way to bring this compassionate energy into our lives.
It’s well understood that we must be loving towards ourselves before we can fully experience a love for all other things. Because of this, gratitude journaling can and will help us to attract more loving relationships as well. Mirroring the principles in the law of attraction, when we journal about the love we have for ourselves, we will attract more love into our lives. When we take the time to reflect through gratitude journaling, our confidence and feelings of self-worth increase as well. All of these together demonstrate the true power of this journaling practice.
Journaling in general is an easy to upkeep mindfulness practice. The wonderful thing about gratitude journaling is that it can take as little as three minutes, or extend as long as we wish! All we need is a notebook and a writing utensil of your choice. Every part of this practice should be indulgent, including our medium of writing, so let’s pick something we really love writing with.
Gratitude journaling is not only one of the most efficient modalities, but it is also one with the most impact. This journaling practice works in a subtle and cumulative way, opening our hearts gently and with care, the exact type of practice we need for such a delicate part of our beings.
How to Practice Gratitude Journaling:
To begin this exercise, we first need to find a quiet space for self-reflection. Sometimes, this process can be emotive, so making sure we are in a safe place for emotional release is a necessity. We may also want to center ourselves with some deep breathing or a short meditation, or we can choose to jump right into the journaling practice. All we need is a calm and open mindset to begin this practice.
This exercise usually works best when we write in list format, where we start every sentence with a self-affirming phrase. Something like “I am worthy because…,” “I am lovable because…,” or “I am divine because…” are options that we may wish to use. When we begin with a positive affirmation, it sets the tone for the rest of the sentence. Even if we don’t feel immediate results, the statement is subconsciously working to promote an inner sense of greater self-worth. After this preface, we then can write something we are grateful for in our lives or ourselves.
Perhaps, if we have been struggling, we may choose to write “I am worthy because I was able to rise out of bed this morning.” If we are seeking a bit more self-confidence and assurance, we might write, “I am divine because I allowed the energy of the Universe to flow through me during Reiki today.” These are just some examples. With each sentence, the most important thing is to mean what we write. Each of our actions are amazing accomplishments, worthy of the infinite love of the Universe.
It is okay to struggle with the gratitude journal at first. Sometimes it is hard to muster up feelings of self-esteem or think of anything we are happy about. Do not be afraid to start small. We can reflect on our day, hour by hour, and gratefully make a list of our accomplishments, or we can write down the little moments in our lives that we have enjoyed thus far. The possibilities with this exercise are never-ending, making it one of the most individual and, therefore, powerful journaling exercises. The first step in becoming more powerful healers is to first heal ourselves; with a deepened sense of self-love, we can spread this love out farther into the world around us. Not to mention, we will feel elated and wonderful while doing so!
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About the Author
Arien Smith is a mindfulness practitioner, energy healer, and entrepreneur who is dedicated to showing others how to create healing lifestyles through his business, We Are All Sacred Beings. He is also an activist and survivor and has used his experiences to holistically aid others. If you would like to reach him, head to his website: www.weareallsacredbeings.com.
