It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful.

Gratitude doesn’t just arise naturally and easily for everyone. For some of us, it takes daily practice. Practicing gratitude makes us joyful by focusing our minds on what we do have, not on what we wish we had.

There are many different ways to practice gratitude. Some people do a daily gratitude challenge, some list three things they are grateful for each day but what I really like, – what has worked for me – is a simple, no pressure, gratitude journal. I have a daily reminder to write in my journal. I don’t always write in it when that reminder goes off but when I do, it encourages me to look at the bright side. Instead of focusing on all

the ways that things aren’t going the way I’d like, a gratitude journal helps me focus on the positive. The other thing I love about having a gratitude journal is that, when I’m having a hard time seeing the positive, I can go through past entries to help me remember all the things I’ve been grateful for in the past.