Gratitude is More Than a Thanksgiving Ritual: Learn how to make gratitude daily habit.

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 8

Nov 18, 2022

I’m guilty of it.

When I taught, I planned the “what I’m thankful for” lesson. Younger students made the traditional turkey by tracing their hands and writing gratitude on each finger. Older students wrote sentences and drew pictures to illustrate.

At Thanksgiving dinner, we give thanks.

We say thank you throughout the year.

If you celebrate a designated Thanksgiving holiday, as we will in the USA this week, you may fall into the trap of letting it be the only time you seriously consider gratitude.

To make a big change in your life, adopt writing gratitude every day of the year. Yes, I’m talking about keeping a daily gratitude journal.

I started keeping a gratitude journal just 18 months ago. I was skeptical. Then benefits kicked in. I experienced the difference.

Have you thought about keeping a gratitude journal?

Writing daily gratitude is easy to start and create as a habit. Now is the perfect time to start while you have gratitude on your mind.

You’ll need a notebook. Each day, write one or two sentences telling what you are grateful for. It’s that easy.

Small statements of gratitude are as effective as paragraphs of gratitude. You gain life-changing, research-documented benefits from writing gratitude, including:

Mental benefits include happiness and positive moods.
Physical benefits include a lower risk of heart disease, better sleep, and lower stress.
Social benefits include prosocial behaviors and strengthened relationships.

I’ve been writing small statements of gratitude for 500 days. Three sentences change my focus, making a big difference in my life

Are you interested in starting a gratitude journal?

In future posts, I’ll share how easy it can be.

Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the abundance in our lives. The photo above illustrates an abundance of love between my granddaughters in an abundance of corn.
I’m grateful for my daily gratitude habit.
“I think my family takes a lot of joy in turning things into work projects to be honest,” is a quote from, “Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like a Spreadsheet” on Epicurious.com. I understand. I’m our family planner regarding holidays and vacations, but I’ve never gone as far as creating a spreadsheet.
Matt Augustin’s newsletter talks about being a beginner. You can be a beginner. Just choose your adventure. Maybe you need to begin a gratitude journal.
Several countries celebrate Thanksgiving including Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Grenada, Japan, Liberia, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Each has its origins and traditions.
Our Thanksgiving tradition is to make Turkey Bone Gumbo the day after our Thanksgiving meal. What we don’t eat is frozen and served up for an easy meal on Christmas Day. Here’s the recipe from Cane River Cuisine published by the Serice League of Natchitoches, Inc. in 1974.
My much-used gumbo recipe. Photo by S.G.S. Abel
“Right here, right now, There is no other place I want to be..” - Michael Edwards. Be grateful for each moment you have.