Make a Gratitude Board

A gratitude board helps keep you grounded in the moment, thankful for what you already have while looking forward to what is to come. In fact, gratitude plays a significant role in virtually every aspect of your life.

What is a Gratitude Board?

A gratitude board is … exactly that! It’s a vision board that’s all about the people, circumstances, experiences, and things in your life that make you feel grateful and appreciative.

If it sounds simplistic, consider how easily we all tend to focus on the negative. We see problems, rather than challenges and opportunities. We let day-to-day stresses weigh on us so heavily that we lose sight of the good in our lives – or worse, we lose the ability to see anything that is at all positive. That’s when we can easily turn into whiners and complainers.

If you’ve never done that, congratulations! If you have, no need to beat yourself up for it. After all, we are constantly bombarded by the negative opinions and attitudes of family, friends and colleagues, and the news media thrives on it. That doesn’t mean we have to accept such a dreary mindset!

Attitude is a choice – your choice. Right now, you can choose to make a change.

One of the best ways to achieve and maintain an enduring positive outlook is to create a gratitude board.

There is always something to be grateful for. We just have to choose to see it.

For a quick start, take a few minutes to make a list of all the things in your life for which you are grateful. If you get stuck, check out my list of Gratitude Affirmations for ideas. You’ll be amazed at how uplifting it is to simply turn your attention to the positive aspects of your life.

Even more helpful is to put that list on a gratitude board where you will see it often and be reminded that you really do have reason to be grateful.

Have you thought about…

People – For me, children and grandchildren come in at the top of the list. Also, what about special friends in your life? Nurturing family members? A mentor at work? Or maybe you’ve met the love of your life.
Joy – Do you have a job you enjoy? Are you involved in rewarding volunteer work? Do you participate in hobbies or group activities that bring you joy?
Possessions – Many of us tend to forget how amazingly fortunate we are. When we stop looking enviously at what we don’t have, there is great joy in appreciating what we do have.

If you need help getting in the right frame of mind, read my list of Gratitude Quotes. You might even want to add some of those quotes to your board.

A Gratitude Board for a Gratitude Attitude!

Now that you’ve got some ideas, and you’ve shifted into a much more pleasant place, create a gratitude board to help you stay focused on the positive. If you don’t know where to begin, check out How to Make a Vision Board for instructions and ideas.

Too busy to do that today? — Not that I encourage you to procrastinate, but if you need a day or two to gather supplies, then start right now with a short list. Pick your top 5 or top 10 gratitude affirmations and jot them down. Now keep that list handy in a pocket or purse, and every time you start feeling negative, give it a quick glance!

What if you keep forgetting to look at your list? — That’s easy. Just add an “event” to the calendar on your smartphone. Set it up as a recurring daily event with as many reminder alerts as your calendar will allow.