You may forget the little things that you’re grateful for in your life. However, if you have them in plain sight, it can help you reinforce your gratefulness. Therefore, why not write them down, and keep them close to you? If you find you are overwhelmed by negative feelings, refer to your list. It can serve as a way to reset your negativity.
Think of all the things you’re grateful for and start listing them. If you get stuck, think about the people in your life. Who makes you happy? List out the aspects of what those people do to make you happy. If you love the way your spouse smiles at you, write that down.
It can be something simple, such as reading the newspaper on the train. The point is, no item is too small to add to the list. Perhaps, you love the jokes that the coffee person tells you when you get your cup of coffee and your muffin. That goes on the list, too.
Your list should never be complete as you will find new experiences and people to add to it. Each day, there is potential for people to make a small difference in your life. But, remember that you make differences in other peoples’ lives as well. Try to make those experiences more positive than negative. If there are people around you, who bring you down, either avoid them or try to help them to be more positive.
If you are the one bringing people down, you need to try and reverse this. The list will be a big factor in helping you. Negative and bitter feelings stem from not appreciating your life and all the things in it. That’s why keeping a list is so important.
You can choose to write this list on a piece of paper, or you can store it electronically. It doesn’t matter how you store it, but you want it to be accessible. Commit to reading it and update it regularly. Add to it as you find more things that you are grateful for in your life.
Maintaining this list could be the basis for a book that you write about appreciating your life. By publishing your list, you may help others do the same. When they read your ideas, they may get inspired to be grateful. Their list will not likely be the same as yours, but people are different so it’s only natural their list would be different. There is nothing wrong with this.