Practicing gratitude can help you blossom instead too.   

Remember last week when I shared 10 ways for you to blossom instead of wilt? My aim was to give you tools to restore the energy and force that caused you and your ideas to blossom. Hopefully, you’re finding the prompts helpful. I know I have, especially #2 and #5. I’m re-establishing a few practices that I’ve let slip. And I’m applying the opposite action. Instead of taking a nap to avoid certain challenges, I’m facing them head on

What if I added another way to the list? Would you be game to try it?

I think you should because practicing gratitude makes so much sense.

A positive, grateful attitude contributes to greater success, greater health, peak performance, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery.

In other words, practicing gratitude can help you blossom instead too.

It’s easy to acknowledge the benefits of gratitude, but it’s not easy practicing it. Here’s why: a lot of us have been conditioned to notice what’s broken or lacking. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn how to look at things differently and establish new habits. And that can take some time.

When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.

Remember gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being.

Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.

So here’s another journal prompt to add to the list of 10.

11. Make a list of things you’re thankful for 10 days straight.

There are many things to be grateful for and a few may come across your mind as you go about your day. But frequently listing things you’re thankful for and reviewing them often, not only creates a new habit but also serves as a reminder. You can even practice the opposite action with this prompt. When you feel like complaining, review the list to help you stop. After the 10-days, notice how gratitude has impacted your life and write about it in your journal.

As you practice gratitude, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover that you’re blossoming instead of wilting. That’s gratitude at work. If you decide to use this prompt, let me know by sharing below or on Facebook.