Gratitude journal

Life seems so easier, I've realized, when you always come from a space of gratitude. To keep me in this space, I've started to keep a gratitude journal, where I list five things I'm grateful about.

I first heard this from Oprah, years back. She started this long ago, she said, and her life has changed dramatically since.

I think it's also because when you're grateful for the things you have, you are free from all that whining and griping and complaining and hating and criticizing.

And you are in a better position to see the opportunities that keep coming your way.

My gratitude journal is a resurrected 2007 daily diary. At the beginning of the year, as usual, I bought two planners, one for appointments (a weekly) and another for my thoughts and illuminations (a daily).

I realized soon enough that to keep a daily diary was too ambitious for me. But because I wanted to keep at least one of my New Year's resolutions, I said I would fill up those 366 pages, even if I had to play catch up with all my entries, or even if I only write one-sentence ones.

I have entries that read, "Keona was here today. We played."

There are days when I have to write a full week's worth. Sometimes, I can't even remember what happened two, three days ago! And it's not just because nothing much is happening in my life--it's also because despite my blog entries sometimes being this way, I am actually averse to writing detailed accounts of what transpired in a day. I only do if I really want to remember a day in my life.

As you know, of course, not every day is worth remembering. My days are mostly vanilla! Haha.

So now my daily diary is a gratitude journal! Nothing to it. I just write, "Today I'm thankful for the following things." Then I write five things. That's easy enough.

I've been building a freelance writing career since, I don't know, a month ago? Three weeks ago? The other day, I had an item on my list that said, "Getting my first check from [client]."

The next day, a classmate said she was building up a pool of four writers, and asked me if I was interested. That was on my list last night.

I wonder if this is what Oprah meant? If so, she's on to something. I'd love to be as wealthy as her--and feel good about it, and use it, the way she does.