A friend gave me a gorgeous little journal when I was expecting my first child to record things I was grateful for.

Whenever I write in it regularly, it seems to help me focus on things that are really important and forget some of the trivia that can otherwise clutter my brain. You know the stuff – what do you mean we’ve run out of Vegemite? Which day is Show and Tell? What was that clunk? Is the dirty laundry pile going to break free and take over the house? 

Writing in my grateful journal helps me get my perspective back, and of course, it also provides me with lots of inspiration for my scrapbooking…

(Read on...)

Inside the cover of my gift my friend wrote, “This is a gratitude diary. It is something I have kept, and I’ve found it very warm and worthwhile. Each day or night before you turn in, write something that you were grateful for that day. Some days you’ll have heaps, other days it may be hard – but as you sit to write you’ll be surprised at all the good things that were in that day!”

She was right and it remains one of those really memorable gifts that has a lasting effect. I love to write in it and to regularly scrapbook about things that I’m grateful for.

It helps keep these things foremost in my mind and also I guess it shows my near and dear that I appreciate them. Do you ever find you say things in a layout that you don’t get around to putting into spoken words? I know I do. 

Listing off things I’m grateful for also seems to give me a prod to look out for these little silver linings and have a more positive outlook as I go about my day. This really is such a powerful hobby isn’t it? What are you grateful for today?

Cheers, Sue