I’ve always loved to write, from the time that I first learned how. From a young age I was always keeping diaries and journals, in addition to spending hours locked in my room, lost in the fantasy worlds created by my own imagination and written down in spiral notebooks or on the old laptop that my dad generously let me have. I’ve been blogging since 2005, on one forum or another.
In May, I started a new writing project after getting inspired by a blog post I read about keeping a Five Minute Journal as a tool to increase personal happiness. From this post, my idea to start what I think of as my  Gratitude Journal was born.
Each day (well, with the exception of days that I forget to do it), I write down three things that I am grateful for, three things that would make my day great, and a daily affirmation of my own self-worth. I am now a month into this project, and I am excited to say that I feel more positive and optimistic because of it!
Today, I decided to write down each of May’s daily affirmations to create a self-affirming paragraph. I don’t look at my previous journal entries from day to day, so I did find that some of my affirmations were remarkably like others and chose not to repeat them, but here is the paragraph I created with my journal for the month of May:
I am beautiful, smart, and successful and love who I am. I am capable of accomplishing anything, not alone but with the amazing family and friends that stand by me, support me, and lift me up. I am a quality person and I am loved because of who I am – and I deserve that love. I can handle any situation I am faced with because I am brave and resourceful. I can do anything I set my mind to, even if it makes me nervous. I can step out of my comfort zone and I will be fine. I deserve all the good things I receive in my life because I am an amazing person. I am an athlete. I am a quality, capable person. I am amazing.  I am a good and loyal friend. I am smart and beautiful. 
Reading these sentences, and being able to say that I believe each and every one of them with all of my heart, makes me feel fabulous!
I can now truly see the power of reflecting daily on the positive things in my life and for taking time to be grateful for what I have. Although of course there are things that I want, as all people want things, I am finding myself more and more content in what I already have. Thinking of three things each morning that I am grateful for has really driven me to pay closer attention to things that make me happy: Skype time with my parents, hanging out with friends, a sunny warm day. And when it comes to thinking of things that would make each day great, I opt not for grandiose things like winning the lottery (although that would be fantastic!) but for simple pleasures: spending time with loved ones, cuddling with my kitties, taking a walk. And when I do those things, I revel in them, because they really DO make my day great.
I’m very happy with the way keeping my Gratitude Journal makes me feel, and I’m planning to keep it up!