The Gratitude List Project
A gratitude ideas list serves as a reminder of the many things to be grateful for each day and is a great way to capture gratitude ideas about how you can show your appreciation to others in your life. Your gratitude journal or a special diary is great for keeping those reminders active in your mind and reinforce your daily appreciation.
When negative feelings or self-doubt overwhelm you, refer to your written gratitude ideas list. Push through the negative emotions with a few positive thoughts.
What is a Gratitude Ideas List?
A gratitude list can begin with something simple like to list 20 things each day that stir your gratitude. Even a few gratitude items each day can serve as an emotional re-set during challenging times. Think of things you are grateful for and start writing them out.
If you get stuck, think about the people in your life. Who makes you happy? List out the aspects of what those people do to make you happy. It can be something simple, such as having music in your car during commute time, or having flowers on your desk when working at home.
The point is, no item is too small to add to your gratitude list. Perhaps, you love the jokes that the barista tells you when you get your cup of coffee and your muffin. That qualifies for the list, too. Your list should never be complete as you constantly find new experiences and people to add to it,
Build on A Foundation of Gratitude
Each day, people you encounter can make a difference in your life. But remember that you make a difference in other peoples’ lives as well.
Try to create as many positive experiences as possible. If people around you bring you down, try to help them be more positive. If you tend to bring people down, try to reverse your mood and have a goal to elevate each experience into a positive moment.
Your gratitude ideas list can change your entire perspective on the day. Negative and bitter feelings tend to stem from not appreciating the positive things each day.
That’s why keeping a list is so important.
How to Start Your Gratitude Ideas List
You can write your gratitude list on a piece of paper or capture your thoughts on an electronic device. It doesn’t matter how you store it, but you want your list to be accessible.
Commit to reading your own gratitude list and update it regularly with new ideas.
Stretch yourself with more complex gratitude challenges – like having a daily list of 26 items following the letters of the alphabet.
For example, my alphabet gratitude list includes the alphabet item and a short note about why I’m grateful for that item.
A – Apples – healthy snacks
B – Brainpower – a decent recovery from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
C – Crocheting – relaxation and creativity at my fingertips
D- Devotionals – a calming way to start each morning
You get the idea. The list can be whatever you want it to be and can be zen or zany – you choose!
What’s Next?
Add to your gratitude list as you find more things that you are grateful for in your life. Maintaining this list could be the basis for a book that you write about appreciating your life. By publishing your list, you may help others do the same. The book “A Gift of Gratitude” is a collection of short essays about how gratitude changes lives. contribute to this book project each year and have learned so much from reading the other stories.
My essay is titled The Healing Power of Crochet, and I wrote about a difficult time in my life when I crocheted my way from pain to healing after a sudden brain injury.
When you share your ideas, others may get inspired to be more grateful. Their list will not likely be the same as yours, but people are different so it’s only natural that each list would be different.
Sharing is caring and a gratitude ideas list is an excellent way to improve your life and the lives of those around you. Read more…
The Impact of a Daily Morning Routine
Ideas for Creating a Perfect Morning Routine
Finding Time in a Busy Morning Using Lean Principles
Best Things First: A Morning Routine Makeover
Starting Over with an Inspiring Morning Routine
The Importance of Habits and Routines
Review and Improve Your Morning Routine
Are you ready? Begin today! What is one thing that you are grateful for today? Leave a comment below…
Focusing on gratitude is one of my favorite things to do. I find it best to appreciate my family when I am lying in bed just before going off to sleep. In the morning, before getting out of bed, I take the time to appreciate all that I have and this allows me to find pleasure in how I get to spend my day.
How I “Get to” spend my day allows me to begin a very positive outlook for the day in comparison to saying, “I Have to” …
Anne – I love the idea of starting the day with a positive outlook about the day ahead and removing the thoughts that the day may have chores and obligations ahead. How I Get To spend my day has such a lovely ring to it.
What a great idea, to start an alphabet gratitude list. I am sorry to read about your brain injury and hope you are recovered and doing very well!
Marina-The alphabet list is so much fun! It’s almost like a game to think of so many blessings to fit the letters. I have recovered well and have learned a lot about brain health because of my early struggles after the fall. Thanks for sharing.