November 27, 2020

I decided that I wanted to continue to #givethanks everyday. For years I have kept a Thankful Diary where I record a short sentence everyday of something I am thankful for. I try to "see the hand of the Lord in my life" each day.

I can't begin to tell you what a blessing that has been in my life. I like posting #givethanks because it allows me to write more than just my single sentence and I find that writing more allows me to really think about my blessings. That all goes back to a previous post I made about remembering.

So I am thankful for my Thankful Diary and the principle of giving thanks. President Nelson was right when he said the remedy to our woes and maladies is the healing power of gratitude.

I put this to the test many years ago when I was struggling with life. We were in the thick of things with finances, children, jobs, failed dreams, and just life in general. I couldn't seem to get happy. I went through the motions of everyday life; but, there was no joy. I was depressed and discouraged thinking we were never going to pull ourselves out.

One day I heard a talk about keeping a thankful diary and how it would help depression. So I decided to try it. I made a little booklet with a line for everyday for the rest of that year and I kept it by my bed. Every night I would write something I was thankful for in my little book. I noticed within about two weeks I actually started feeling better. I smiled more. I made a point that I could not repeat the same thing everyday. I had to find something different each day to be thankful for. Once the obvious things were done, I had to look deeper in my life. That is when the real magic began to happen. For one thing I noticed that my problems didn't go away; BUT, they didn't seem so big or so bad. I could deal with them and find joy and happiness in my life. I wasn't depressed anymore.

At the end of the year my booklet was done and I soon forgot to keep a thankful diary. Eventually my depression came back and I couldn't understand why. After a few years I heard another talk about keeping a Thankful Diary and I remembered how much better I felt when I kept it. So I did it again and got the same wonderful results.

Fast forward with repeating that cycle a few more times before I finally realized that I NEVER wanted to not keep a Thankful Diary again. So, I have been faithful with my diary. Somedays I'm not as thoughtful in my thanks and I don't feel as good. When I take the time to think about what I am really and truly thankful for the magic is always there.

There really is the healing power of gratitude. I never want to forget that. I am thankful for the magic of being thankful.

#givethanks

32Kylee Wilcox, Pamela Watkins Gustin and 30 others

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