An excerpt from Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, chapter 3 “Coming from Gratitude “:
The process of keeping a gratitude journal focuses your attention on things you feel good about. If each evening, before you go to bed, you ask yourself,
“What happened today that I’m pleased about or thankful for?”
that question will direct your gaze. You start searching your memory for moments that bring a smile to your face or that trigger a glow of appreciation. They might be small things, such as a conversation with a friend, a moment watching a bird in flight, or the satisfaction of completing a task. When we’re busy, moments like these can too easily pass us by. Keeping a gratitude diary builds them into a pool of memories we can keep dipping back into. When we get into the habit of keeping this kind of journal, we train our minds to notice the upside of life more easily and quickly. Experiencing gratitude is a learnable skill that improves with practice. It isn’t dependent on things going well or on receiving favors from others. It’s about getting better at spotting what’s already there.
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