Hiya Pinkies! Hope you had a lovely holiday weekend for those of you celebrating Thanksgiving. I know I did.
Please welcome Pink Goddess Kim Jenkins, here today with a simple yet powerful way to start reclaiming your mojo. This exercise is especially timely in that it that incorporates the theme of gratitude – something that seems to be on the minds and in the hearts of all us Pinkies, especially this month. Thank you, Kim, for your wisdom and inspiration. Take it away!
I was introduced to the power of keeping a gratitude journal back in 2003. I am a realtor, and at the time I was involved in real estate coaching, through which I met many inspiring people who were doing more than me in the field of real estate – and just about every other aspect of life as well. I was taught to focus on becoming the “whole” person by setting goals in all areas of my life. As someone who is willing to try things that support my growth as a human being, I decided to give this gratitude journal thing a try.
The Power of Gratitude
Not knowing where to start, I asked a friend of mine who suggested that I simply focus on what went right each day. So each night before bedtime, I would write down as many things I could recall that went right. My first entries looked like this:
- Finally made it to the office by 8:45am
- Worked out 35 minutes
- Had a delicious dinner.
- Relaxed with hubby after work outside by the pool while girls went swimming.
Reflecting back on these entries reminds me of the time in my life when I began doing this exercise. My real estate business was good, listings and sales were coming in from various places, the kids were healthy, we had a roof over our heads…you know, the basics of life were being taken care of. However, my husband had just been in a very bad motorcycle accident a few months before, and after 40 days in the hospital, he was home, in a wheelchair, recovering. I can sit here now and recognize the powerful synchronicity of learning to be grateful amidst less-than-favorable conditions. My gratitude journal reminds me how we were taken care of by so many people while he was unable to work. People held bake sales for us, donations poured in to help with bills, friends and family helped me with the house and kids, and so much more. Despite the horrific accident and the resulting consequences, life didn’t stop. I had two young children to attend to, a household to maintain and a business that required daily attention. Focusing each night on the things that went RIGHT was the beginning of my powerful mindset change. To this day, my optimism and gratitude for life carry me through the darkest days. No matter what I’m feeling, I can ALWAYS find something to be grateful for and immediately begin to shift to better feelings.
The 10/10 Journal
Around 2005, my “What went right today” journal took on a new life. Credit goes to a man named Matthew Ferry, who introduced me to the “10/10” journal. It’s called the 10/10 because your goal should be to write a minimum of 10 things you are grateful for and 10 things you want to draw into your life, or attract. The idea is that by being grateful for what you have, you allow more of what you want to flow to you. You will begin living your life in a state of gratitude and, at the same time, be open to more prosperity. Saying Thank You to God, the Universe, Source, whatever you choose to call the amazing Energy that exists all around us is a powerful way to learn to focus on the good in life. As you physically write down what you are grateful for, over time a powerful shift takes place in your mindset.
The power of our thoughts is severely underrated. Your thoughts can create good as well as bad. Are you always afraid of getting sick? Guess what? Chances are you’re going to get sick. Are you fearful of how you’re going to pay your bills? Yep, your bank account stands a good chance of staying empty. Concerned that your flight will be canceled or your computer will breakdown or your night out with the girls will be postponed due to some unforeseen circumstance? Again, chances are you’re right.
Ten Gratitudes
But what if you began a daily ritual of gratitude? What if you learned to expect things to go your way? You can start small and eventually work your way up the scale of gratitude as you learn to embrace the process. Start with “I’m so happy and grateful that _______ (fill in the blank).” Here are some examples:
- I’m so happy and grateful that I learning to feel grateful.
- I’m so happy and grateful that my hair turned out great today.
- I’m so grateful for the yummy soap I showered with this morning.
- I’m so grateful for my car. It’s not the greatest car, but it gets me to work where I can earn a paycheck to support myself and my family.
- I’m so grateful for all of my 10 fingers that allow me to hold this pen and write this gratitude list.
When I first started doing this, I would be grateful for every little coin I found on the street and in that moment I would say, “I am grateful for these wonderful sign of abundance. I attract money everywhere I go.” You even can play little games with yourself when you find yourself in circumstances of frustration and anger. Sitting in traffic, you can be grateful for the forced time of slowing down and the opportunity to listen to an audio book or motivational CD. Don’t allow the circumstances to affect whether or not you will be happy and joyful. Just choose to be that way by focusing on your gratitude list. You can choose to find the perfection in every situation or you can moan and groan about how things never work out for you. Which thought feels better?
Ten Wishes
The second part of the 10/10 exercise is to write down what you want to attract into your life. Be bold! They may not all come true within the next 30 or 60 days, but the time is going to pass anyway, so keep on writing and dreaming and wishing. Some of my early journals show things I wanted like:
- I want to attract one perfect new customer every week.
- I want to attract a free cup of coffee.
- I want to attract a new desk and computer for my girls.
- I want to attract clarity of what I want.
- I want to attract the perfect healthy weight for me!
Once you write them down, close the book, forget about them and go on with your day. Get out there and meet people, do your job with a smile, take a little extra walk around the corner, do whatever you feel inspired to do.
Delegating the To-Dos To The Universe
Finally, as you really get into doing the 10/10 ritual, you can begin to “delegate” your To-Do lists to the Universe. There are things we all want to do, be or accomplish, but our minds are full of negative chatter that often keeps us from being all that we are capable of being. If we write down a really large goal, more than likely a little voice comes out of nowhere and tells you, “Hey stupid, there is NO way you’re going to accomplish that!” Instead of listening to that voice, simply say to yourself, “I have no idea how I will accomplish this, but I am delegating the HOWs to the universe, I will remain open to the signs and will take action when the time is right.” Then….let it go. Allow God to take over and mix up a serendipitous concoction of people, events, circumstances and situations that you would never have dreamed possible. Because of your practice of gratitude and attraction, you will then be in a state of allowing, a state of possibilities, and of course, a state of perpetual gratitude for your life.
Will You Try It?
So Pinkies, I encourage you to go out, get yourself a simple little notebook and try this exercise for 90 days. Each day, write down 10 things you are grateful for, 10 things you want to attract and what you need to delegate to the Universe. Trust the process. Don’t keep score. Enjoy the miracles that occur. Then – and this is super important friends, go out and tell someone else about it who needs a shift in their life. Invite them to try it out. Encourage them to try gratitude. We can make our world better one person at a time by helping each other believe in ourselves and in each other.
Living a life of miracles and mojo,
Kim
Tags: 10/10 journal, God, gratitude, gratitude journal, kim jenkins, law of attraction, manifestation, miracles, real estate, realtor, to-do, universe
Kim, I love this! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. A friend just gave me a book The Answer by John Assaraf & Murphy Smith and it reminds me of this exercise in some ways. The book is all about manifesting the business & personal life you wish to create. It’s funny how hard it can be for some of us to even ask for what we want. I found the most challenging exercise in The Answer to be the one that asks me to visualize exactly what I want. What do I want? If I can have anything in life, what does it look like in minute detail? Wow. Tough one. But if we can’t dream it, we can’t do it, right?
But it all starts with gratitude. Right now, I am so grateful that I just finished my book and delivered it to my editor last night, that I had such a wonderful visit with my beloved family for Thanksgiving, that we made it home safely & my daughter didn’t have any meltdowns during two long days of travel, that amazing people keep showing up in my life to direct my path, and that all of you PInkies are here to remind me of how fulfilled my life is. Wow. I feel blessed.
Dreaming away….
Lissa
Kim, this is so beautifully put! Thank you for the reminder and for new thoughts!
I know for myself, I need to just look around myself for a moment and see so much to be grateful for!
I AM Grateful to receive your wonderful words this morning!
Many blessings,
Jean
I love this idea. I will get myself a nice book to write in tomorrow and will give this also as a gift to my closest people this Christmas. I am so grateful that I read this article today!
Lissa,
I’ve not heard of that one, so thank you for the tip. Yes, it can be challenging to ask for what we want. I’m often not sure what I want either. Sometimes I just ask for peace, joy, happiness, contentment and fun…and then allow the experiences to make their way into my life that bring on those emotions. Or…we do tend to know what we DON’T want, so we could ask for the opposite of those things. Either way, keep on dreaming. Recently I just started clipping things out of magazines that appeal to me…sometimes I have no idea WHY…but I clip them anyway and keep a picture journal. I believe the reasons will come, but for now it’s fun to build it.
So many good books, so little time.
Have fun with your dreaming. Congrats on the completed book, and thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this forum.
XOXOXOX
Kim
Ahhh Jean,
That kind of interaction can be a real boost!
THANK YOU for your wonderful comment! I feel sooo happy when I feel like my words touch someone. I know, for me, this journal was a serious life-changing practice and continues to be so to this day. I hope it will be for you as well. I think you’ll be amazed at how focusing on the smaller things will really help you appreciate life more every day. We take so much for granted…this practice helps us to embrace, enjoy and share it with others. I’d love to know how it goes for you over time. Check in with me anytime and share.
Cheers to gratitude!
Kim
Maya,
You’ve embraced the concept already by choosing to buy yourself a special book dedicated to the practice. I hope you look forward to waking each day and writing down your “grateful for’s”. The fact that you want to share it with others is a gift in itself. I hope the people you touch appreciate you!
Much love to you,
Kim
Shortly after being diagnosed with post polio syndrome and I needed to make a major shift in my life, a friend suggested I do a 30 day journal with envisioning a day in the life after I left my full time work, what was I afraid of and what would I look forward to – it was a very powerful tool and much of what I envisioned has manifested in my life. I am so grateful for every step I take both physically and spiritually. And now God has blessed me with another tool – what a wonderful practice. I keep a gratitude journal and say my gratitudes and affirmations every morning but now I will be able to focus my practice and also expand it to 10 things I want to attract and what I delegate to the Universe. Thank you so much and thank you Lissa for creating Mojo Monday! Much love, Mary Mc
Mary,
It’s so great to hear of people’s success stories, especially those with such a profound shift as yours. Thank you for the confirmation that the practice of journaling really does work! Our manifestations may not always be exactly what we asked for, but quite often the end result is even better than what we wanted, or, more suited to what we actually need. Wishing you all the best with your delegations and attractions! Thank you for your comments.
XOXO
Kim
Love it, love it, love it!
You got me thinking all day today, Kim…
My gratitude overflows….that part’s easy. But what DO I want?
Hmmm….
Still pinking…uh, I mean, thinking…
xoxo
Thank you Kim, this is exactly what I needed to read today. I am having a hard time lately. I have moved and been experiencing many changes in my life. I really need to keep this 10/10 journal. Thank you for the inspiration.
Caren,
Sorry to hear that you’re having a hard time. I do hope this exercise will help you move through the challenges with ease and grace, knowing there is something better coming for you. In every moment, there is something to appreciate. And sometimes, if just appreciating your sadness or challenges is all you can muster up…that’s okay. Be with the emotions, get grateful for what you can, and move on. Much love to you!
Kim
Great post Kim and oh so true. I remember back a few years when I was struggling with all of the things that were happening and I finally threw in the towel and said “I quit” to the Universe. I can’t do this anymore – please take over. That was a Monday – the next Friday the Universe gave me a solution to my dilemma. I listened and did what I was told. By listening and following I received immense personal healing and a year later what the Universe told me was going to happen, but I didn’t see how it ever would, did! It’s been an amazing journey!
Hey Kim,
I too have been there with the whole “I quit” thing…and amazing how quickly the answers came. They don’t always come that fast, but I sure like it when they do. You are a great testament to how this works by doing your listening and following. May your journey continue to be amazing….
XOXO
Kim
That was beautifully written Kim. It is about time I started a journal like this. I am thankful to have a friend in life like you. It is so hard to remain positive sometimes with this economy especially as a business owner. Who knows what will happen in the next few months but I am thankful for what I have and for what I will keep.
Carol,
Wow! I’m so honored that you came out and read my post and commented. Thank you. Your support is amazing in so many ways. I am going to mail you something so you CAN create your own journal. I’m having a workshop at my house in January and I’d love for you to be a part of it. It could be the beginning of a whole new mindset for 2010.
XOXO
Kim
What a great post Kim! Thanks for sharing it. You have inspired me. I’ve been feeling like I needed to get back to the basics (I read “The Law of Attraction: The Teachings of Abraham” a couple of years ago and used to keep a journal similar to what you write about here). I’d like to go back to that exercise!
Leslee,
Thank you for your nice comments. I love hearing I inspired people….we all inspire each other! I hope you do start your journal. It would be fun to share our wins online together.
XOXO
Kim
I have kept this open in a window on my browser ALL week, just waiting for the right moment to read it entirely.
I strive to focus on gratitude and I thank you for the reminder. Something I have not ever tried before is the other aspect of the 10…I am really looking forward to applying this in my daily life, knowing that my focus will shift to more and more positive things and life will bring me more joy because I will be open to receiving it.
Thank you for the blessing!
Hi Amy,
You made me laugh because I do the same thing! When I find something I really want to read, but the content is super long (as in mine above LOL), I leave it open, or “favorite” it to read later.
In any case, good for you that you finally got around to it. Better late than never, right? I hope the new aspect of adding to your gratitude list will bring you to that place you desire in life…that we all desire in life. Blessings to you as well!
XOXO
Kim
[...] I met Grateful Kim through Twitter and the blogosphere. She wrote a comment in reply to one of @Whyisdaddycryin’s posts that had me cracking up. I immediately knew I had to check her blog out. Her message is extremely positive and uplifting. In a conversation this weekend with my husband I even quoted Kim as an “expert” when we were discussing raising our girls and dealing with the differences and disagreements we may have with them as they grow up. You can read her blog here and follow her on Twitter here. She was also recently a guest blogger on Owning Pink. [...]