Quote:
"Those who live in thanksgiving daily have a way of opening their eyes and seeing the wonders and beauties of this world as though seeing them for the first time." -- Joseph B. Wirthlin
Journal Prompt:
When was the last time you really stopped to enjoy nature? Take time to go on a "Gratitude Walk." During your walk, focus on all the things that you are grateful for. Listen to the sounds of nature and notice the flowers, trees, clouds, sky, etc. Really focus on the tiniest details and express gratitude for the beauty around you.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Day 16
Quote:
"We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude. Speaking of loved ones he had lost, one man declared his regret this way: 'I remember those happy days, and often wish I could speak into the ears of the dead the gratitude which was due them in life, and so ill returned.'"
Journal Prompt:
Write a list of the people who have made a difference in your life. Then look at your list and determine who you have been taking for granted.
Take time to either call those people and say thank you and/or write them a letter of gratitude. This can happen over the course of a couple weeks or longer depending on your list. You may want to decide to write on person a week until you have completed your entire list.
Doing this exercise will not only bless the lives of those you write, but it will have an amazing impact on your life as well. Record your experience in your Gratitude Journal. Your might want to make a copy of the letters you write and keep them in your gratitude journal as well.
"We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude. Speaking of loved ones he had lost, one man declared his regret this way: 'I remember those happy days, and often wish I could speak into the ears of the dead the gratitude which was due them in life, and so ill returned.'"
Journal Prompt:
Write a list of the people who have made a difference in your life. Then look at your list and determine who you have been taking for granted.
Take time to either call those people and say thank you and/or write them a letter of gratitude. This can happen over the course of a couple weeks or longer depending on your list. You may want to decide to write on person a week until you have completed your entire list.
Doing this exercise will not only bless the lives of those you write, but it will have an amazing impact on your life as well. Record your experience in your Gratitude Journal. Your might want to make a copy of the letters you write and keep them in your gratitude journal as well.
Day 15
Quote:
Blessed are those who give without remembering and receive without forgetting.
Journal Prompt:
Take time to reflect on the following questions and record your thoughts in your Gratitude Journal:
Blessed are those who give without remembering and receive without forgetting.
Journal Prompt:
Take time to reflect on the following questions and record your thoughts in your Gratitude Journal:
- How often do you do something and then get upset when others don't notice or when the favor isn't returned?
- What would happen if you did random acts of service without expecting any praise or favors in return?
- How much time do you spend thinking about what others have done for you versus what you do for others?
- How often do you think about and verbally express gratitude for what others have done for you?
- How would your life change if you lived this mantra on a daily basis?
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Day 14
Quote:
"Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind."
Journal Prompt:
There are some memories that make you smile just by thinking about them ... these are the ones that are stored in your heart.
Take time to record some of these memories in your Gratitude Journal. As you write, you'll be filled with a deep sense of gratitude. When you're having a bad day, it will help to go back and read these memories to help you feel good again.
"Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind."
Journal Prompt:
There are some memories that make you smile just by thinking about them ... these are the ones that are stored in your heart.
Take time to record some of these memories in your Gratitude Journal. As you write, you'll be filled with a deep sense of gratitude. When you're having a bad day, it will help to go back and read these memories to help you feel good again.
Day 13
Quote:
"Focus on what is working in your life and what is right in the world. It doesn't matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. Before long you will notice that more things will fall into place with little or no effort on your part. Gratitude is a wonderful tool to use to feel good fast."
Journal Prompt:
Today make a list of all the things that are "working in your life." This is especially important if you feel that not many things are working for you. Then make another list of all the things that are "right in the world."
Too often, we focus on what isn't going right with ourselves and the world. Let's shift our focus to gratitude. As we do this, our lives will shift and more good things will begin to show up.
"Focus on what is working in your life and what is right in the world. It doesn't matter how small or seemingly insignificant it may be. Before long you will notice that more things will fall into place with little or no effort on your part. Gratitude is a wonderful tool to use to feel good fast."
Journal Prompt:
Today make a list of all the things that are "working in your life." This is especially important if you feel that not many things are working for you. Then make another list of all the things that are "right in the world."
Too often, we focus on what isn't going right with ourselves and the world. Let's shift our focus to gratitude. As we do this, our lives will shift and more good things will begin to show up.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Day 12
Quote: "I thank God for my handicaps for, through them, I have found myself, my work and my God." -- Helen Keller
Journal Prompts:
Helen Keller was one of my childhood heroes and still is today. Of all people, she could have easily found an excuse to be bitter and ungrateful. Instead, she chose to rise above her trials and live a life of meaning and gratitude.
Her "handicaps" allowed her to be an inspiration to the world and a message of hope in the midst of trying circumstances.
What are your "handicaps" or trials? Do you let them drag you down? Or do you use them to lift & inspire others? Do you thank God for your trials? Or do you blame him and ask "why me"?
Take time to think about these questions and how you can show gratitude for the trials in your life. Record your thoughts in your Gratitude Journal
Journal Prompts:
Helen Keller was one of my childhood heroes and still is today. Of all people, she could have easily found an excuse to be bitter and ungrateful. Instead, she chose to rise above her trials and live a life of meaning and gratitude.
Her "handicaps" allowed her to be an inspiration to the world and a message of hope in the midst of trying circumstances.
What are your "handicaps" or trials? Do you let them drag you down? Or do you use them to lift & inspire others? Do you thank God for your trials? Or do you blame him and ask "why me"?
Take time to think about these questions and how you can show gratitude for the trials in your life. Record your thoughts in your Gratitude Journal
Monday, February 17, 2014
Day 11
Quote: "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love." -- President Thomas S. Monson
Journal Prompt: When we take time to reflect back on our blessings, we realize God's hand in our daily lives. Today, record in your Gratitude Journal how your Heavenly Father has helped you to feel his love.
Journal Prompt: When we take time to reflect back on our blessings, we realize God's hand in our daily lives. Today, record in your Gratitude Journal how your Heavenly Father has helped you to feel his love.
Day 10
Quote: "Feelings of gratitude give you a 'natural high'. Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. Studies indicate that daily gratitude exercises result in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Grateful people experience less depression and stress, are more likely to help others, exercise regularly and tend to make more progress toward personal goals. People who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved."
Journal Prompt:
Consider all the amazing benefits that come as a result of practicing gratitude on a daily basis. Write in your Gratitude Journal how your life could benefit from the things listed in this quote.
Journal Prompt:
Consider all the amazing benefits that come as a result of practicing gratitude on a daily basis. Write in your Gratitude Journal how your life could benefit from the things listed in this quote.
Day 9
Quote: "God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say Thank You?"
Journal Prompts:
How many times a day do you stop to say thank you?
Today try saying thank you every opportunity you get. Record what it did for your day in your "Gratitude Journal."
Journal Prompts:
How many times a day do you stop to say thank you?
Today try saying thank you every opportunity you get. Record what it did for your day in your "Gratitude Journal."
Day 8
Quote: "Let us rise up and be thankful. For if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little. And if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick. And if we got sick, at least we didn't die. So let us all be thankful." -- Buddha
Journal Prompts:
I love the humor in this quote! Try using humor today when you find yourself thinking negatively about something. Start out by saying, "Well at least I didn't ... (fill in the blank).
So, for example, if your car breaks down you can say, "Well, at least I have a car!" OR "At least there are mechanics who know how to fix my car," etc.
Or you can be totally random and say something that doesn't even apply to your situation like "at least the sky isn't falling" or "at least I can still remember my name."
You get the point! Just have fun with it and see how many "at leasts" you can come up with to turn your negativity into gratitude.
Record your experience and how it helped you feel in your Gratitude Journal.
Day 7
Quote: "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy & change ordinary opportunities into blessings." -- William Arthur Ward
Journal Prompt:
As you go throughout your day, find ways to appreciate the "common" things that you normally would take for granted or even complain about.
For example, when you have to take out the trash (again), feel gratitude for the abundance in your life. You wouldn't have trash to take out if you weren't abundantly blessed with the things that are in there.
The next time you have to do ten loads of laundry, you could express gratitude for the following: clothes to wear, a washing machine to wash them in, the family members you are serving, electricity, laundry detergent, etc.
The idea is to realize how incredibly blessed you are on a daily basis. Approximately 80% of the world's population would feel lucky to have the things you take for granted. Record your thoughts in your "Gratitude Journal."
Journal Prompt:
As you go throughout your day, find ways to appreciate the "common" things that you normally would take for granted or even complain about.
For example, when you have to take out the trash (again), feel gratitude for the abundance in your life. You wouldn't have trash to take out if you weren't abundantly blessed with the things that are in there.
The next time you have to do ten loads of laundry, you could express gratitude for the following: clothes to wear, a washing machine to wash them in, the family members you are serving, electricity, laundry detergent, etc.
The idea is to realize how incredibly blessed you are on a daily basis. Approximately 80% of the world's population would feel lucky to have the things you take for granted. Record your thoughts in your "Gratitude Journal."
Day 6
Quote: "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -- Thornton Wilder
Journal Prompts:
Write a list of all the "treasures" in your life. How do these things make your life "rich"? Make a conscious effort to think of these things when you are having a bad day. You could come back and read this list as a reminder to count your blessings.
Journal Prompts:
Write a list of all the "treasures" in your life. How do these things make your life "rich"? Make a conscious effort to think of these things when you are having a bad day. You could come back and read this list as a reminder to count your blessings.
Day 5
Quote: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -- Albert Einstein
Journal Prompt:
Think about the things that you take for granted every day ... like your cell phone, your car, the internet, your microwave, a hot shower, etc. When you stop to think about it, all of these things truly are miracles. Not too long ago, many of these things didn't even exist and were thought to be impossible.
Make a list of all the "miracles" you benefit from on a regular basis.
How would it change your life if you looked at and appreciated everything as the miracle that it is?
Journal Prompt:
Think about the things that you take for granted every day ... like your cell phone, your car, the internet, your microwave, a hot shower, etc. When you stop to think about it, all of these things truly are miracles. Not too long ago, many of these things didn't even exist and were thought to be impossible.
Make a list of all the "miracles" you benefit from on a regular basis.
How would it change your life if you looked at and appreciated everything as the miracle that it is?
Day 4
Quote: "At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -- Albert Schweitzer
Journal Prompt:
Think about the people in your life who have "rekindled the spark" within you. Write a list of all the names that come to your mind and how they have influenced you.
Choose one or more people on the list to write a thank you note to. They can be living or someone who's already passed on. What matters is that you take time to think with gratitude about that person's influence on your life and express your gratitude to them.
Journal Prompt:
Think about the people in your life who have "rekindled the spark" within you. Write a list of all the names that come to your mind and how they have influenced you.
Choose one or more people on the list to write a thank you note to. They can be living or someone who's already passed on. What matters is that you take time to think with gratitude about that person's influence on your life and express your gratitude to them.
Day 3
Quote: "When you are grateful, fear disappears & abundance appears." -- Anthony Robbins
Journal Prompts:
Gratitude is a principle of abundance. When you are grateful for what you have, you will receive more.
Think about these examples: If you gave someone a gift & they complained that it wasn't what they wanted or needed, would you give them another gift?
What if you gave someone a gift & they were truly grateful & went out of their way to say thank you Would you be more likely to give them more?
How do you choose to live your life? Are you the first example or the second one? Do you find yourself constantly in a state of fear or gratitude? Record your thoughts in your gratitude journal.
Journal Prompts:
Gratitude is a principle of abundance. When you are grateful for what you have, you will receive more.
Think about these examples: If you gave someone a gift & they complained that it wasn't what they wanted or needed, would you give them another gift?
What if you gave someone a gift & they were truly grateful & went out of their way to say thank you Would you be more likely to give them more?
How do you choose to live your life? Are you the first example or the second one? Do you find yourself constantly in a state of fear or gratitude? Record your thoughts in your gratitude journal.
Day 2
Quote: "Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend ... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present -- love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure -- the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach
Journal Prompts:
Think of someone in your life who focuses on the good rather than the bad. How do you feel when you are around them?
Now think about your own life and all the blessings that you enjoy on a daily basis. Remember, do NOT let your mind wander to anything negative. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write down everything you are grateful for.
Journal Prompts:
Think of someone in your life who focuses on the good rather than the bad. How do you feel when you are around them?
Now think about your own life and all the blessings that you enjoy on a daily basis. Remember, do NOT let your mind wander to anything negative. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write down everything you are grateful for.
Day 1
Day #1
Quote:
"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." -- Oscar Wilde
Journaling Prompt:
Everyone experiences trials. It's part of our experience here on earth.
Think of someone you know who has turned a trial into a blessing. What was their trial & how did they use it for their good & the good of others.
Think of a time in your life when a trial ultimately became a blessing.
If you are going through a trial right now, determine to express gratitude for it & ask your Heavenly Father to help use your trial to bless your life & the life of others. Sometimes, we go through things to develop empathy for others so that we can help them.
If you absolutely cannot be grateful for your trial at this time, don't focus all of your energy on it. Choose to focus your energy on the things that you CAN be grateful for!
Quote:
"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." -- Oscar Wilde
Journaling Prompt:
Everyone experiences trials. It's part of our experience here on earth.
Think of someone you know who has turned a trial into a blessing. What was their trial & how did they use it for their good & the good of others.
Think of a time in your life when a trial ultimately became a blessing.
If you are going through a trial right now, determine to express gratitude for it & ask your Heavenly Father to help use your trial to bless your life & the life of others. Sometimes, we go through things to develop empathy for others so that we can help them.
If you absolutely cannot be grateful for your trial at this time, don't focus all of your energy on it. Choose to focus your energy on the things that you CAN be grateful for!
Presidency Introduction
Good morning, ladies. First, we'll quickly remind everyone how this works.
Each day for a month, we will send out a quote on gratitude along with corresponding journal prompts.
Read the daily quote and prompts, then try to keep them in your thoughts throughout your day -- including during scripture study.
At the end of each day, please take a few minutes to record your thoughts and feelings in a journal.
We appreciate your efforts and hope you have a wonderful experience.
Ann Mecham
Evelyn Lloyd
Elise Halling
Lynda Clements
Each day for a month, we will send out a quote on gratitude along with corresponding journal prompts.
Read the daily quote and prompts, then try to keep them in your thoughts throughout your day -- including during scripture study.
At the end of each day, please take a few minutes to record your thoughts and feelings in a journal.
We appreciate your efforts and hope you have a wonderful experience.
Ann Mecham
Evelyn Lloyd
Elise Halling
Lynda Clements
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