Practicing Gratitude

Back in November 2022, I wrote about ending each journal entry by listing five (more or less) things I was grateful for that day, something I’d been doing for two years at the time. I’ve continued the practice ever since, and I now have six years’ worth of gratitude in my journal.

My lists are a mix of the ordinary and the significant. Some entries are almost comically simple: I’m grateful for chocolate ice cream. Others celebrate accomplishments: I’m grateful I finished another draft of my novel. Many focus on relationships: I’m grateful for a visit with my son and daughter-in-law. And some capture quieter moments: I’m grateful for the peace I found on yesterday’s walk.

Over the years, I’ve noticed patterns. I frequently give thanks for pleasant weather, opportunities for solitude and quiet, people who have helped me, and progress on my writing. Those themes return again and again.

Recently, I’ve expressed gratitude for my successful cataract surgery, my progress on my work-in-progress, and a safe trip across the state to visit relatives. I am also thankful I have things to look forward to in the next couple of months, such as a family wedding and a potential reunion with old friends.

I’ve noticed something unexpected. In the beginning, I often struggled to find five things to write down. Now I frequently notice them throughout the day. I’ll see the mountains across Puget Sound, hug my granddaughter, or have a good writing day, and I catch myself giving thanks for that moment. Even when I don’t remember them the next morning, I’ve already appreciated them as they happened. “Living in the moment” didn’t used to mean anything to me, but I think I’m beginning to understand the concept.

I usually write my journal in the morning. Most of each entry has nothing to do with gratitude. It’s a fairly prosaic account of what I did the day before, a list of what I hope to accomplish that day, and, if I’m honest, the occasional complaint about whatever is making life difficult.

Ending with gratitude changes the tone of my day. Instead of closing on frustrations or unfinished tasks, I end by remembering that even on ordinary days there is much to appreciate. It puts me in a better frame of mind for whatever lies ahead.

My journal isn’t just a record of what happened. It also records what I value. It reminds me that while my life changes, there is always something to be grateful for. And perhaps that’s the greatest gift of the practice—not that life becomes easier, but that I notice the good that is there amid the troubles.

How do you practice gratitude?