2015 and 2016 were very hard years for me. Bone-tired, grief-stricken, lost, and alone, I didn’t know which way to turn. The grief journey was harder than I could imagine.
In December 2016, I got a package in the mail that changed my life. It was from my friend, Tracy, who sent me a gratitude journal with an encouraging hand-written note about how she had begun a daily gratitude practice and how much it was helping her move forward.
That December, I wrote my first entry in my gratitude journal. I wrote in it in the evening. I wrote in it in the morning. I committed to doing 30 days and completing the journal in January. This daily practice is now a habit. The stories I hear from people who have both gifted and received a journal touch my heart. Now, let me help you put together a customized gift for someone you love.
How to Create a Gratitude Gift
Step 1: Select the journal.
The two Super Doodle Girl gratitude journals are available on Amazon (linked below).
- Grounded in Gratitude is a 30-day journal that you can use to jump start your gratitude practice.
- From Grief to Growth is a 90-day journal designed to help support and guide you through the grief process with a focusing thought for the day. It uses the same process that is taught in the Grounded in Gratitude program.
Step 2: Add some quality pens and markers.
Whenever I teach Grounded in Gratitude workshops, I hear all the stories about how hard it is to start a daily practice. There are so many reasons why we fail. There are tips and techniques to help you out, but no one ever mentions, get a good pen or marker that delights you.
Yes, delight can be motivating. The way ink flows from a pen smoothly. The dependability of the pen. The color of the ink. It does make a difference. Part of the practice of gratitude contains mindfulness of the present moment and focusing on the ink from the pen is a perfect anchor into the present.
My friends over at Marker Supply always have a great selection of both individual markers and sets. Here are some good choices to add with a journal to create a thoughtful gift.
- Stabilo Pen 68 Metallic Set (Tiny nib point that is great for the coloring pages in the books.)
- Uni-ball Vision Roller Pen (.05mm micro tip)
- Uni-ball Signo 207 (.7mm medium tip)
- Zebra Sarasa Push Clip Gel Pens – Shiny Colors, Set of 9
- Pentel Sparkle Pop Pens, Set of 8
Step 3: Get a cool bag or pouch.
Creativity on the go helps remove any barriers. You know how it is when you get busy. So go ahead and add a marker pencil bag to the gift.
My favorite travel for supplies that is large enough to hold the journal and many pens is the Travelon Organizer Bag that I wrote about in my Travel Essentials blog post.
Grounded in Gratitude is a 30-day journal that you can use to jump start your gratitude practice.
From Grief to Growth is a 90-day journal designed to help support and guide you through the grief process with a focusing thought for the day. It uses the same process that is taught in the Grounded in Gratitude program.
