i>Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

Have you ever found yourself in a rut where you just couldn't see anything positive in your life? I know I have. Sometimes we get so caught up with what is going wrong we forget all that is so right. A way I have found of breaking out of this pattern is by using a gratitude journal.

The power of gratitude journaling is that it absolutely changes your focus. After you have been practicing for a while, you will become a "glass half-full" kind of person. It causes you to think about what is most important in life instead of getting caught up in the petty.

You can keep a gratitude journal in whatever way works best for you, but here is a way to get started that I first learned from Sarah Ban Breathnach in her book Simple Abundance. First, get a journal book that speaks to you in some way. Make it one that you will enjoy looking at every day and fits your personality. If you like the structure of lined pages, that is fine. If you prefer the unlined, open pages, that is great too. Just experiment and use what you feel will most likely inspire you every day.

A good way to start is to write five things at the end of every day that you are thankful for from that day. These five things can be as simple or as in-depth as you would like them to be. Now let's face it, there will be days when you will not feel like writing in your gratitude journal, and those are the days when you absolutely must! It will come in handy to have a pre-made, basic list of things you are always grateful for to use on such days as these. Mine is: my health, my family (including my dog Frodo), my home, my friends, and my coach. The simple act of taking a few moments to remember your everyday blessings on the hard days will help you get through them.

You can really make your journal whatever you want it to be. Let my suggestions be a starting point for you. If you have time, and if you want, you can add pictures, poems, or whatever strikes your fancy. Just make it reflective of what is truly important to you. Have fun with it and notice the magic it can work in your life.