Practice Gratitude

For several decades, studies have supported the idea that gratitude has many positive benefits.  It boosts optimism, a sense of personal control, and even enhances relationships. Keeping a simple gratitude journal, where daily entries are made identifying things that spark gratitude, has become a very popular. 

Deborah Hawkins, originator of NoSmallThing.net, goes beyond listing little boons to generate good feelings.  In this book, she teaches techniques for mindfulness, self-inquiry, and writing to build memories that activate strong positive emotions.  This guide and workbook helps readers understand what kinds of personal experiences prompt uplifting feelings of gratitude in them, develop broad themes that apply to these experiences, and then use these themes to see and experience gratitude in new situations.  This approach can empower anyone to begin each new day with confidence that things they love and value are already present. 

A companion book, Best of No Small Thing – Mindful Meditations provides examples of posts that were written using this process.