365 Days of Gratitude Journal Ideas, Prompts and Quotes

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude produces countless rewards—physical, mental, and spiritual. The key to living life to the fullest is being content with what you have right now—and that starts with gratitude. How do you start a gratitude journal? What are the best kinds of gratitude prompts and inspiration? This article will provide the tools you need to begin your gratitude journey today.

By Michelle Segrest

If you take five minutes a day to focus on the things that make you grateful, it will completely change your perspective and inspire you to recognize and appreciate the wonderful person inside you and to see the beauty in others..

These ideas and prompts will get you started right now on a fantastic journey of gratitude that will inspire you to appreciate all of life’s simple joys that you may be missing out on currently. A gratitude journal is a great tool to keep track of the good things in life. No matter how difficult and defeating life can sometimes feel, there is always a way to find gratitude.

5 Reasons to Start and Maintain a Gratitude Journal

  1. Gratitude journaling can lower your stress level because it helps you to take time to think about the positive things in your life.

  2. Writing down what you are grateful for provides clarity in an otherwise chaotic world.

  3. When you feel down, reading through your gratitude journal can provide exactly the lift you need to brighten your day and help you to see things from a more positive perspective.

  4. Your personal gratitude journal is for your eyes only, so you can bear your soul and know that there is no one who can judge you for your innermost thoughts.

  5. Keeping a gratitude journal will help you to be more self-aware.

20 Inspirational Quotes to Inspire a Journey of Gratitude

1.   “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”—William Arthur Ward.

3. “For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.” - Charlotte Brontë

4. “Be grateful in your own hearts. That suffices. Thanksgiving has wings, and flies to its right destination.”—Victor Hugo

5. “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”—Cicero

6. “I feel a very unusual sensation—if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.”—Benjamin Disraeli

 7. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire

 8. “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”—Eckhart Tolle

 9. “Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.” – John Ortberg

10. “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” – Maya Angelou

11. “The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” – Hannah Whitall Smith

12. “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”—William James

13. “Whatever we are waiting for—peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance—it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”—Sarah Ban Breathnach

14. “When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” – Tecumseh

15. “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”—Henri Frederic Amiel

16. “I get up every morning and it’s going to be a great day. You never know when it’s going to be over, so I refuse to have a bad day.” – Paul Henderson

17. “O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.” – William Shakespeare

18. “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”—Albert Schweitzer

19. “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” – Germany Kent

20. “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

For more amazing quotes of gratitude, check out this BE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY gratitude journal that provides unique inspiration every single day of the year!

20 Thought-Provoking Gratitude Journal Prompts

You can record your thoughts of gratitude in any notebook. But sometimes, we all need a little bit of prompting to get the creative juices flowing. When looking for the perfect gratitude journal, try to find one that has a different prompt for every day. This will help you to recognize some of the things for which you are grateful, even if you didn’t think about it yourself. Undated gratitude journals are also the best fit because you can record your reflections of gratitude at any time and on any day. Here is a list of 20 awesome gratitude prompts to get you started on your journey.

  1. How do you inspire others when they are feeling down?

  2. What is the best compliment you ever received?

  3. Describe the last time you helped someone solve a problem.

  4. What are words of wisdom you would share with others?

  5. What beautiful thing did you notice today that you never noticed before?

  6. Which family values are most important to you?

  7. What is the one thing that when you think about It, it always makes you laugh?

  8. List five personal accomplishments that make you proud.

  9. What do you most look forward to about next week?

  10. What is a simple thing you enjoy with a special person in your life?

  11. What is your favorite part of the morning?

  12. Who is a work colleague you admire, and why?

  13. What was your favorite book when you were a child?

  14. List five things on your bucket list.

  15. What fear did you have to overcome as a child?

  16. What is the best advice you ever received?

  17. What is your favorite thing about the current season?

  18. What funny story do you always tell at parties?

  19. What makes you beautiful?

  20. What is some positive news you have recently heard?

For more unique, thought-provoking gratitude journal prompts like this, check out my BE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY gratitude journal!

I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you are grateful for today!

The greatest gift you can give yourself or others is an attitude of gratitude.

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