I don't know what to feel about it though.
Before marketing took over, gratitude was expressed in the quietude of prayer, or through the comfort of homemade food made with a little extra attention, or through DIY gifts. And if you didn't have ideas or the time, you could always count on Archies to be the mouthpiece of your heartfelt emotions. Gratitude found its way into our lives without much conscious effort.
However, today gratitude journaling is an extension of 'mindfulness' (one might think, it is a practice meant to empty the mind and fill the heart, but okay).
Apparently it is supposed to rewire my brain into being happy. I'm not entirely convinced by that sales pitch but I'm willing to give it a try. You see, I'm a fairly happy person. Not exciteable puppy happy. More like relaxed lazy panda happy. I eat, sleep, admire my paunch and just be.
But Instagram tells me practicing gratitude with colourful ink pens in specially designed books is going to change my life somehow. I don't want to miss that bus. I mean, what if my life did turn around? I'm pretty sure it would land me in the exact same place (round, get it?). But then, FOMO.
And so I decided to give it a shot- one thing to be grateful for every single day.
Look, no judgements. I think it's a good practice. Considering that our worlds (both physical and virtual) are increasingly being shaped by the stuff we own and the fear of missing out on the stuff that other people own, it's a good idea to pause and reflect. Not very different from counting your blessings really. If it keeps you grounded and satisfied, by all means go for it. And if it has brought about a conscious change, I would love to know.
Personally though, I noticed a pattern to the things I was thankful for everyday. Invariably, my gratitude centered upon family, access to material comforts (that I'm aware is a luxury for so many out there, hence very very grateful), and on some chaotic days, even the help. I was grateful for the access to education, clean drinking water, a hot bath, food on my plate and books to read. And then I hit a dead end. There was nothing new to notice and be grateful for. Honestly, it was not very different from what I said in my prayers. But imagine making entries in beautiful calligraphic handwriting, in journals too pretty to be used.
God, you can really be spoilt for choice here. There's something for everyone- hardbound, spiralbound, dotted, lined, blank spreads, flexible covers, pocket sized, giant sized, leatherette, scented, handmade, recycled, upcycled, cloth covers, with prompts, without prompts, personalized, cartoonized. The variety is mindboggling. So before I feel the gratitude, I must deal with my poor decision-making skills and pick my journal for the task.
And this is only the beginning. If you realllly want to jump onto the bandwagon, there are other essentials you need to stock up on- a collection of washi tapes, felt tip pens, gel pens, glitter pens, paint, stickers, cutouts, and basically a mini craft store at your disposable.
Again, no judgments. If this is your artistic space, go for it! But for this to become the norm can be more of a deterrent than an act of freeing up the mind.
The pressure of living up to the emotional and financial (have you seen the price of some of these journals?!) commitment made towards developing this habit can be annoying. Uff the guilt if you miss a single day of entry! Not only has paisa then not been 'vasoolofied', you question your approach towards everything in life. So much additional stress and FOMO. Was that the purpose of this new trend to begin with?
So, what makes the best gratitude journal, for me? A little burning flame and 2 minutes of silence on the prayer mat. Gratitude expressed, signed, sealed and personally delivered to the one who is meant to know it all.
Now, would I then stick with the practice? Hard to say. Perhaps on some really tough days when I need a pick me up, I might turn to mindfully changing my mood. The very act of writing it down then, will do well in helping me switch gears.
But other than that, I think I'm going to stick with what mummies and grandmummies across most homes and religions have been doing for ages. Easier on the mind, lighter on the pocket, and suits my type C personality well.
Have you tried maintaining a gratitude journal? Did it work for you?
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