Today is Thanks­giv­ing.  A day for giv­ing thanks, enjoy­ing fam­ily, friends, good food and football.

So what are you truly thank­ful for?  Do you really rec­og­nize the bless­ings in your life even when your life seems to be out-of-control?  Or is it out-of-control because you are not rec­og­niz­ing the bless­ings in your life?

Do you keep a grat­i­tude jour­nal?  Writ­ing down what you are grate­ful for every day is one way to keep “Thanks­giv­ing” and your bless­ings in mind every day of the year.  I’ve used this tip and it is amaz­ing how it shifts my atti­tude and what it brings into my life.  (like the courage to launch Strengthen the Har­mony.)  It doesn’t have to be a “big deal” type of jour­nal.  Mine is just a small book (with a beau­ti­ful cover).  It takes me 3 — 5 min­utes to write a list of what I am thank­ful for.  I just use a sim­ple for­mat.  “Today I am thank­ful for.….  It is amaz­ing when you reflect on your day, the things that are bless­ings -  my hus­band who made cof­fee for me that day,  the purr of my black cat when she sits on my lap, the enthu­si­as­tic wel­come from our Great Danes when I come home, the email mes­sage from a friend, the client who sent a pay­ment, a phone con­ver­sa­tion with my mom, the hugs from my grand­chil­dren, the phone call from my daugh­ter or son, the flow­ers in my gar­dens, the new snow on the ground.   My Grat­i­tude Jour­nal helps me shift my focus to “what is.”

Give it a try.  I write long hand, but maybe the com­puter is a bet­ter option for you.  Or record it on your cell phone. Or on your knees pray­ing.  Just use what­ever method works best for you.

Happy Thanks­giv­ing.  And I am truly grate­ful for this blog and the oppor­tu­nity to chat with all of you!