It is my sincerest hope this journal will afford you the opportunity to take inventory of the big and small moments you find in each day, but also name the incredible qualities which you have to offer your friends, family, co-workers, and even to the person in line at the store you often frequent.

One thing I have learned since returning to the country is that in the midst of college, marriage, kids, and leaving my career as a teacher I lost sight of who I was and what I had to offer the world. Truth be told, I am still on the journey of rediscovering who I was, who I have become, and who I want to grow to be.

Included in this journal I share what it means to be Grounded in Gratitude, the benefits of practicing gratitude and positive affirmations, ways gratitude can be practiced, a quick-glance list of positive affirmations, a selfcare checklist to ensure you are meeting your essential needs that keep you going, and a few other resources to help reduce stress and keep you going throughout the month.

If for a second you think it may be challenging to carve out time each day to fill out a page in your gratitude journal, ask a friend to join you! I don’t know about you, but making a change in my routine can often be difficult when you’re a creature of habit. But I assure you, friend, this is going to be a habit that will change the way you wake each day, how you see the world around you, and most importantly see how important it is for you to show up every day with pride in who you are today!