A reflective piece exploring gratitude as a practice of self-awareness and presence. It includes gentle prompts and simple journaling ideas to help you notice what is already here.
This isn’t about forcing positivity, but about presence.
Read slowly, or return when it feels right.
Practicing Gratitude in Real Life
I am evermore grateful.
Grateful for my existence.
Grateful for my passion to help people.
Grateful for love.
Grateful for you.
I am grateful that I have been able to create this whole enterprise.
I know I didn’t have to. There are many online professionals and gurus who could have offered input, maybe made it more pristine or conventionally “professional”. But that’s not really me, or my vibe.
I knew I was capable. I’m actually quite intelligent, and I wanted to push myself with my healing and put my skills and experience to work. I wanted to create something sustainable, something I’m proud of. Other than my daughter, but that goes without saying.
It took time, patience, and persistence, all while undergoing the personal changes I have. But the hardest part is over. I am succeeding.
Now, my gratitude comes from being present in my own body and creating connections. From helping people who are willing to get and be better in this world.
In person, my group socialisation skills still need a little work. When my health complications kicked in, group settings became a big trigger for me. I’m openly admitting that, and I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone with this entire creation.
But again, I know I am capable. I have the experience, the connection, and I have been through a great deal.
A person of spiritual awareness is capable of surviving through both the dark and the light, without denying either side. It is always a choice. One that requires awareness and consciousness, and a continued decision to choose what is good.
That isn’t always a straight-through or easy-going process. Sometimes it requires consideration and time in contemplation.
A Gentle Gratitude Journaling Practice
Start with becoming self-aware, not self-obsessed. That too is a practice, and one that takes time. So take time to feel, and to get to know yourself.
You live in your body. You are the one who has to live with what goes on inside it, day in and day out.
That is one of the reasons I choose to use a journal. My mind can get busy and full of ideas and feelings, sometimes fit to bursting. Writing things down genuinely relieves some of that tension. I can let things go mentally, and then dedicate time to return to them later.
It also allows future me to decide whether those thoughts are still important, or no longer relevant.
Eg. Drawing a line through an old negative idea can be relieving and joyful in the sense of, “What was I thinking? That would be mad.”
And, drawing a circle around something later can be just as powerful. “Good call, Chloe. Don’t forget that one.”
I am grateful for my ability to read and write. I am grateful for my journal.
That is the quiet joy of gratitude. The more aware you become of yourself, the more you begin to notice what is already there to be grateful for. These things often haven’t disappeared. Sometimes our awareness of them has simply been dulled or redirected by the endless clutter in our minds.
The most important part of practising self-awareness and gratitude, I’ve found, is gentleness. Change rarely happens overnight. It usually takes time, repetition, and patience.
If gratitude is something you feel drawn to explore, start small and be kind to yourself. You might note up to three things you’re grateful for. I’ve shared a simple template below for a week of gratitude in threes.
You could also try the second template below, a single daily line of gratitude. March begins in a couple days' time, which could be a gentle place to start. These can be downloaded to print and complete however you like.
Gentle Gratitude Journaling Templates
I now tend to doodle my own templates straight into my dot-grid journal, but the templates shared here can be a gentle place to begin.
If you feel drawn to practising gratitude, try expressing it for yourself, for the people around you, and for small, ordinary things. Positivity is often present, even if it feels hidden or forgotten during busier or heavier times.
If finding three things feels difficult, that’s okay. Be gentle with yourself. You might start by thinking very small.
You could ask yourself:
- You are alive. What are you breathing with right now?
- Where are you sitting or standing in this moment?
- Are you wearing something comfortable?
- Is there someone you could send a message to, if you wanted to?
- What did you last eat or drink?
There’s no right or wrong way to answer these. They’re simply prompts to help you notice what’s already here.
If Gratitude Feels Difficult
A softer option, for low-energy days:
If today feels heavy, you don’t need to search for gratitude.
You might simply notice one thing that’s already supporting you.
It could be your breath.
The surface you’re resting on.
A sip of water.
Or the fact that you’re here, reading this.
One small notice is enough.
If at any point feelings become overwhelming, or you have immediate health concerns of any kind, please seek support from appropriate healthcare professionals. The reflections and practices shared here are gentle and ongoing, and they can take time. I offer support through Reiki and my own lived experience, but I’m not a medical professional, and my work does not replace medical care.
More journaling templates can be found as they are added and regularly updated, here.
You don’t need to do anything with these words. If you’d like to explore this further, a simple practice has been included. Be gentle with yourself.
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