Track Your Happiness

“Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” – Sadie Delany

When is the last time you sat down and really took a close look at your life and all of the good that's in it? I know it’s hard to keep a positive outlook, especially when it seems like our world is full of negativity. Each day our mind, body, and spirit seem to be introduced to another tragedy, so how can you keep smiling and moving forward? By keeping a gratitude journal.

Yea, I know it sounds a bit crazy, but if you take just five to ten minutes per day reflecting on what's beautiful in life and writing it down, the benefits will start trickling into other areas of your life. Lauren Jessen, author of 'Youth's Highest Honor' and co-founder of Carpe Juvenis: Seize Your Youth, shared a few of the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal with Huffington post. Below are 8 benefits she has found to keeping a gratitude journal.

1. Lower stress level.

2. You will begin to feel calm at night.

3. Gain a new perspective of what is important to you and what you truly appreciate in your life.

4. By noting what you are grateful for, you will gain clarity on what you want to have more of in your life, and what you can cut from your life.

5. Helps you focus on what really matters.

6. Keeping a gratitude journal helps you learn more about yourself and become more self-aware.

7. Your gratitude is a sad zone for your eyes only, so you can write anything you feel without judgment.

8. On days when you feel blue, read a back through your gratitude journal to readjust your attitude and remember that you have great people and things in your life.

I have recently begun keeping one myself and I have to say it works. I have found that by expressing myself on paper I am able to get into a mediative state every single day because I take my journal writing time as an opportunity to truly shut out the word and reflect. It's amazing. So much so that I have been working with an amazing artist and calligrapher to create a "Spit Honey" gratitude journal. Stay tuned! I can't wait for your see them and experience the benefits of journal writing.