Christmas Challenge

I AM THANKFUL! Journal

Happy December! I have a challenge for you, that can change your life! I’m calling it the “Christmas Challenge.”

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in my blog, about the benefits of writing in a Journal each day. There are many reasons to journal your successes, and happy experiences, each day. One of the reasons is that journaling those experiences hardwires your brain with positive memories of the day. That means you are building success, and gratitude, as habits in your life.

So, here is my “Christmas Challenge”. Each day, between now and Christmas, journal at least 5 things that you are thankful for. It can be an experience you had that day, or something that came to mind during the day, that you are thankful for!  They can be big things, or little things. When you journal them at the end of the day, be sure to write what you are thankful for in a full sentence. As you write down the specifics in full sentences, you will help your brain to process the memory of the gratitude, and hard wire that memory into your brain.

Here is my example from yesterday:

1. I am thankful for the wonderful dinner meal I had with my Mom.

2. I am thankful for the beautiful sunset God created tonight.

3. I am thankful for finding just the right Christmas gift for my friend today.

4. I am so thankful for central heating in my house that keeps me warm and toasty when it is so cold outside.

5. I am grateful for the book orders I got today, that are helping me to have more money to give to others in need.

Now, take time to have a “Selah Moment.”

“Selah Moment”

The exact meaning of “Selah” is not known, but It is thought to mean “stop and listen,” or “pause and reflect.” Another possible meaning is “to praise, or lift up to God.” All of these meanings fit what I call a “Selah Moment.”

After you have your list of at least 5 things you are thankful for,  select one of those things on your list, and think about it for a minute, or two. This pausing to reflect, is what I call it a “Selah Moment”. Close your eyes and remember what you are grateful for, and relive the moment in your mind. Remember the experience. Praise, and lift up to God, your thanks and gratitude for that moment in your life today. Smile, sigh, and /or laugh, about what you are thankful for today.

If you do this every day, by the time you celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, you will have developed the habit  of gratitude. You will have a new habit of looking for, and remembering, things you are thankful for each day. Your new habit will make you happier and healthier!

If you need a new journal to write all of these in, we have some great ones on our website. Our “I AM THANKFUL!” Journal is perfect for the “Christmas Challenge!” You can also learn more about how your brain works to build new habits in my “Master Your Mind” series of books.

I’ll be posting one of the things I am grateful for each day during the Christmas Challenge on my Twitter account, and on Facebook. Why don’t you join me? If you take the “Christmas Challenge!” you will be guaranteed a Happy December!

#ChristmasChallenge “SelahMoment #MasterYourMind