I've always loved writing.✍️ Not creative writing but writing to express my thoughts, feelings, and experiences using paper and ink (or my laptop or phone in this digital age). I was among the few who enjoyed composition classes in grade school where we were asked to write anything that's within the assigned formal and informal themes. I was also the first among my peers to have my own diary that even had a lock and a key, and I remember getting kilig every time I would write on it.
When I was a teenager, I put my love of writing into good use when someone gave me a book whose pages had a small space at the bottom. That space was where you would write the blessing that you received that day, and after a while I realized the small space was never enough for me. I just thought I had lots of blessings each day!😁 I still remember some of the things I wrote there: Received a call from daddy (who was working abroad); I did well during the class recitation; my Sim got promoted (I used to play The Sims on PC, hehe), et cetera. Even when that book already ran out of pages, I still continued counting and logging my daily blessings on a regular notebook just because. Was it out of habit? Or because it made me happy? I don't know. I also don't remember when and why I stopped.🤔 All I know is that I had never seriously done it again after college. I tried to revive it after Rolly and I got married, but we did it for only a couple of months. I guess the responsibilities of family life and parenthood have taken up all of our time.
This Christmas, I was thrilled to receive a very special present which literally made me shriek (happily) when I saw it on my office desk.😍 It is called The Five-Minute Journal which, according to its creators Alex Ikonn and Uj Ramdas, is the simplest, most effective thing one can do every day to be happier.
So how does the Five-Minute Journal work and how can it help you be happier? The answer is simple: gratitude.💖 The journal makes you start and end the day with thankfulness in your heart. It is divided into two sections: the morning and evening routine. The morning section asks you 3 precise questions to start your day on a positive note and set intention to make your day great. The night section helps you evaluate your day and detail how you could improve for tomorrow. Most notably, this section asks you to reflect on the good throughout your day, ensuring you end your day on a positive note.
The best part about this gratitude journal is it only takes 5 out of your 1,440 minutes a day. Probably less if you're able to think and write fast. Now I can't use my 'busy schedule' as an excuse. In the morning, I'll work on it during my muni-muni moments while having coffee, and at night, I will count my blessings while Lia counts sheep. My husband asked me if I could share the journal with him, too. He'd like to write his notes with my notes. Hmp, gaya gaya puto maya! Hehe, just kidding. Of course I said yes, I'd love for us to be grateful together and to thank the Lord together. 🙏
If you want to know more about the Five-Minute Journal, you can read about it here and you'll understand better why it's one of the bestselling and most positively reviewed journals in the world.👍 I can't wait to start with mine tomorrow!!! If you want to do this too but you have no time to purchase the physical journal, you can download the app for only $4.99. But if you're feeling stingy, I found another app that's completely free but the concept is similar. It's called GRATEFUL.
*********
Tomorrow, we shall start a new year, a fresh page. It's the best time to begin new habits! Join me as my husband and I commit to this daily challenge of counting and noting and being thankful for the blessings that will come our way, both big and small. Who knows? This might change your life.😉
Post a Comment