My husband, Daniel Davis and I are two screaming
extraverts. Most people would not think of us as contemplative types. But even
active, extraverts need time for reflective spiritual practices!
My husband, Daniel Davis and I are two screaming
extraverts. Most people would not think of us as contemplative types. But even
active, extraverts need time for reflective spiritual practices!
When we married in 2001 1 was already keeping a daily gratitude journal. If we were going to do this practice jointly, it was important that each of us felt called to participate. Dan decided that he too wanted to be part of this practice. For us, keeping the gratitude journal felt and still feels like a calling to strengthen our relationship with one another and to God. The opportunity to review our day in the context of giving thanks has been a real blessing to us.
In order to fulfill our commitment to journaling we keep things simple and doable. Below you’ll find some tips that have worked for us.
We establish a regular time for this practice. Each night before we go to bed we each write three things for which we are grateful that day.
We have lots of fun with our gratitude journal. I like to tell others that they are going to be included in our journal. I say something like “You have been a blessing to me today and you’ll be named in our gratitude journal tonight.” People often smile when they hear those words.
We have the right tools for the job and keep them handy. Our gratitude journal is beside the bed. We use The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Her book is dated for 365 days and easy to use. Then there’s the goal of keeping things interesting. We use a packet of 24 fine tipped colored pens and pick a color that reflects our day. (Let’s see, “Was it a red or grey day?”) We each take turns saying one item for the journal and sometimes we both list the same thing if we are REALLY grateful for that event/person.
We have a contingency plan for keeping the journal when traveling. If we are going away together, the journal and pens travel with us. When we are apart, the person who stays home has responsibility for keeping the journal. We call each other and report on what we want to list in the journal. When Dan travels with F@W on the Guatemala pilgrimage and connecting by phone is challenging, I keep the trip itinerary close to the journal and imagine what he might be grateful for while he’s away.
Recently, when I had my hip replacement surgery late in the afternoon and was still foggy that evening, Dan wrote what he thought I might have been grateful for and told me the next morning. It was a great reminder that in the midst of discomfort, there was much for which to be thankful!
In an article which appeared in the Online Noetic Network, Sarah Ban Breathnach wrote, “I swear to you that if you start giving thanks for five things everyday and do it for sixty days you will say that it absolutely turned your life around!” Lately I have been thinking about this as I have been dealing with two hips that just quit working in my mid fifties. In less than a year and a half, I have had two hip replacements. This has not been fun or easy for the “Queen of Fun” and I have been tempted to become disgruntled.
Then, I am reminded each evening that “my cup runneth over”. I am married to a wonderful, caring man who just happens to be a physician (great for all those discussions with doctors about my hips)! I have a supportive network of family and friends. I have been prayed for more times than I can count. God goes before me in all things. And, yes, these are all items that have been listed in our journal. Keeping a gratitude journal reminds us of our blessings and the One who grants them.
Simple Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal
1. Establish a regular time for this practice. Last thing at night works pretty well.
2. Build some fun into the practice. Let others know that you’ll be including them in your journal!
3. Have the right tools for the job and keep them handy. Buy a gratitude journal and use different colored pens.
4. Have contingency plan for keeping the journal when you travel. Take the journal with you or if you have a gratitude partner who has the journal “phone home”!
Suzanne Adele Schmidt, Ph.D. is the co-owner of Renewal Resources and currently takes one course a semester at Wesley Theological Seminary. She lives in Germantown MD with her husband, Daniel Davis, M. D. who is a medical officer for the FDA. They are active in the United Church of Christ. Suzanne serves on the board of Faith @ Work and Dan is a faithful Guatemala pilgrim. Suzanne is the co-author of Running on Plenty at Work (book and calendar) available from FAW.