The Gratitude Calendar

Welcome to the Gratitude Calendar.  What started as an Advent Calendar on Instagram, has evolved into a 365 Gratitude Journal.  

Why Gratitude? 

A full gratitude practice is more than just saying thank you when a kindness or gift is offered.

It is a feeling, a state and response. It is a habit that can be established, with practice of course.

In turn, and in time, once you cultivate this habit, by recognising the wonderful things that happen or the challenges that we are able to overcome by recognising the lessons learned or to be learned, we find that more of these opportunities come by, we manifest them into existence and somehow, our lives become enriched.

Why Journal? 

The benefits of gratitude and journaling are vast and evidence based, such as

• Helping us appreciate what we have, instead of striving for what we don’t
• by appreciating what is with us each day, we reduce the constant pressure of striving for what isn’t, we can reduce stress, anxiety, and help to alleviate depression
• Enhances our positive emotions by recognising them – no more taking it for granted when something good comes by, which is more often than you might realise
• Increase our self esteem, by seeing all the good, we stand taller and find more peace
• Improve relationships, romantic, family or friendships, by making us better communicators, problem solvers and establishing trust and shared appreciation
• Helps us find meaning, whether it’s in our personal lives, or our work, by realising what is important to us emotionally and spiritually we are able to highlight areas in which we are not finding that fulfillment
• Improves our physical health – by reducing all that stress, anxiety and depression, our energies flow more freely, we prioritise our health when we notice what is good and what we may need to let go of

There are so many more, and so many layers to these few above,

This years theme is releasing.  This is not release what no longer serves you or letting go, this comes way before either of those concepts even feel like something you want to do, never mind whether you feel ready for those things, and if you could even figure out what letting go or releasing what no longer serves even mean!  

Before we can really allow ourselves to feel at all at peace with any changes we need to make in our lives, before and even while you’re making them, we need to shift a LOT.  

Conditioned ways of thinking that are deep rooted. I’m not talking brainwashing or government systems.

I’m talking habits formed from a way of life we might have become accustomed to. 

Make no mistake, this is a daily work.

As we have to check ourselves regularly. 

whether we truly need to be working so much, if we actually need another ‘whatever we think we need’ right now.

Right down to if we even got outside today or if we were present at all, because those moments and whole days do still come around. 

This is the process of releasing yourself for what stops you from living a life you are holding yourself back from, because at the end of the day, it really is down to us.

So grab a pen and some paper, a notebook, a dedicated diary or journal or maybe your laptop or phone notes and let’s make 2023 our most transformative year.