You have the basics down for journaling, you've read up on journal prompts and making book notes and writing scene reports like a boss what more can there be in a submissive journal? Well, lots of things actually! Today it's being thankful. A wonderful thing to consider when journaling is to add a gratitude log/journal. I can hear you all groaning now. Yes, gratitude sounds cheesy and part of the "don't worry, be happy" crowd, but even if you are less hippie and more emo, a gratitude log will make you happier.

 Why should we focus intentionally on gratitude?

Taking the time to think about the things we have to be grateful for conditions your mind to be on the look out for positive things in your life. If we focus on negativity we miss the positives. If you make note of the positives your mind continues to focus on finding the positives (the things we are grateful for).

It's not always easy to see the good things we have in life. Our mind is built to keep us alive, for survival so it scans for things that could endanger that - never the things that are going right. We have to consciously focus on the good things in our life. We have to want to make note of those little wins.

That's right, a gratitude log doesn't have to be about the big things, although it can be. It could just be that you got your favorite parking spot at the grocery store that day!

Keeping a gratitude journal will boost your happiness. I heard somewhere while I was doing the research for this article that an experiment was performed where a number of people were asked to keep a gratitude journal and also track their mood for the timeframe. At the end over 80% of people reported a better mood simply because they focused on the positives of their life instead of the negatives. While I can't track down the specifics, that's a telling result just the same!

Apply gratitude to your life

Create a gratitude section in your journal. Not sure where? Just turn the page from where you last wrote and start there. Write the date and number it one to three or five if you are feeling ambitious.  Then answer the following question:

What are the top 3 (5) things I am most grateful for right now?

Spend time reflecting on each of the 5 things you write down. Be specific about why they are on that list. Think about things that you have but that you could just as easily not have. That would also mean to think about things that have happened, that could have just as easily not happened. Keeping a log of all the things you are grateful for slowly conditions your mind to believe that you actually have a LOT to be grateful for.

It doesn't have to be daily either, just a couple of gratitude lines every week or so can keep your mind focused on the positives and boost your happiness that little bit. If you are feeling down, try a gratitude sprint to help raise your spirits.

A gratitude log has been a recent addition to my physical journal and I admit I've had a hard time getting three things on paper. I'm not in the gratitude mindset yet. But I look forward to the positive shift in my mind and the happiness that will be a result.

Who's with me? What are you grateful for?