Ooh, it can be tough sometimes.
Jobs are harder to come by, bills are never ending no matter how much you seem to cut back, and time passes so quickly, you never get to tackle on those things on your to-do list.
But there is so much to be grateful for. You've got your health, youth, friends, family, passions, pets, etc. It's easy to forget that when you're struggling, but studies show that people who keep a gratitude journal are 25% happier, more energetic, sleep better, etc.
You might think it's a trite exercise, but try it and just see for yourself. It absolutely works!
First of all, the size is perfect. It's kind of pocketbook size, but a little chunkier. Not too big and not too small, you won't feel overwhelmed or pressure to fill out long, wide pages.
The cover is thick with rounded corners and feels good and smooth in your hand. The coral orange with buttercup yellow flowers is cheery, but understated. Just what you need.
And now the pages. Lined pages with a place with a date would have been good enough, but here you get pages full of quotations, exercises and writing prompts. Author Catherine Price writes about their intention in the introduction:
"It's designed to help keep your happiness at the front of your mind - and to prevent your journal from devolving, as often ends up happening, into to-do lists or detailed descriptions of things in your life that are stressing you out."
And there is the difference. You shouldn't feel bullied into writing down your grateful thoughts, you should feel propelled to do it.
p.s. Catherine says that you can write a list once a week and it has a much stronger effect on your mood than doing it 3 times a week.
p.p.s. Thank you for reading this post. I am so grateful to have you here. Please be sure to post your comments throughout. I'd love to hear from you.
