How To Make A Gratitude Journal As A Gift

Here are the directions for creating a Gratitude Journal for someone as a gift.  I hope you enjoy.

Things you will need:

X-Acto knife

scissors

pencil

15-20 sheets of 8 1/2″ X 11″ paper

decorative paper for the cover

glue or double-sided tape

yarn or any decoration of your choice…sparkles, anything awesome and encouraging

 

Steps:

1. Cut your 8 1/2″ X 11″ papers in half, creating 30-40 pieces of 8 1/2″ X 5 1/2″ pieces. Fold those pieces in half.

2. Make a mark 1 1/2 inches from the top and bottom. On 15-20 of the folded sheets draw a dotted line in the center, about two inches long so: on the rest of the folded sheets, make two dotted lines 1 1/2 inch from the top and bottom of the page. Cut along those lines with an X-Acto knife (or whatever works best for you).

3. Take an edge-cut paper and roll one side of it up to squeeze through a middle cut paper. Repeat this until all of your sheets are connected in a bunch of mini booklets.  You’ll follow the same technique to connect the mini booklets to create one main book.  Just take the top edge-cut paper from one mini booklet and connect it to the bottom middle-cut paper from another booklet.  Repeat until the book is assembled.

4. Make the cover!  Cut two pieces of your decorative paper, 5+1/2″ X 12″, draw dotted lines on each paper 3+1/2 inches from one side…Cut the dotted lines with the X-Acto knife and fold the decorative paper into the booklet paper, just like in step 3.  Glue the decorative paper to itself so it will hold together. Repeat on the other side of the booklet to create the back cover.  Voilà…you’ve just created a handmade journal!

If the receiver of this love-filled, priceless gift has a favorite color you may want to get them a pen in that color.

Here are some Tips on how to help you write in your gratitude journal:

1.  Don’t set any guidelines regarding length or number. Setting goals like this will make journaling feel like a task. Welcome having repeats on your list, and know you can write as much or as little as you please.

2.  Focus on people rather than things. Let those people know how much you mean to them and why you are thankful for them.

3.  Keep an open mind and try not to get caught up in self-doubt or self-pity. Make your gratitude journal a positive and uplifting place!

4.  Make it a habit. On average, it takes 21 days for a habit to form, so don’t stop journaling just after a few days. I usually write right before bed or as soon as I wake up, leaving it on my nightstand as a reminder.

Much Love Always,

Sarah-Pink

Lesson #49 Our Choices Reveal Our Character

Choices. We all have the ability to make choices and when I think about it I can see that our choices reflect our character. This is just my opinion based on my life. There have been moments when my ability to choose were taken away. Mainly because I was very small or I was not physically strong enough…things like that. These days I do all I can to avoid being in a position of not being able to choose. I stay away from people and places that are toxic and dangerous for me. I think this reveals some of my character. Abe Lincoln has been quoted as saying: “Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” I love this quote.
If we choose positively over and over again, it will be reflected in our character. The same is true if we keep choosing badly. I really think our character speaks volumes to other folks.
Making good choices adds to our character which is made up of many components. Honesty, reliability, compassion, responsibility, appreciation of others, kindness, faithful, doing and saying the next right thing and more. One of my character flaws in staying in touch with people. I get over 100 messages a day here….and for whatever reason Facebook hides them so I have to hunt for them. I appreciate all the kind messages I receive and do my best to get back to people but I fall short. This doesn’t add to having good character so I keep doing the best I can to answer them.
Choose wisely sweet friends and know that I love you all. I am choosing to send you all a gentle pink hug.

Sarah-Pink Welch ©2013

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Lesson # 47 I Am…….

I am your worst nightmare, I am your dream come true.

I am addiction/alcoholism, I am the solution.

I am your mirror, I am your reflection.

I am the still pond, I am the waves upon the ocean.

I am the loud thunderstorm, I am the rainbow afterward.

I am the dry desert of sand, I am the lush garden of beautiful flowers.

I am the homeless woman sleeping on the sidewalk, I am the wealthy woman playing tennis at the country club.

I am all your hopes and dreams, I am reality.

I am the face of AIDS and cancer, I am the face of hopefulness.

I am the music, I am your silence.

I am am your fears and anger, I am your peace.

I am the greatest lie you ever told, I am the cold, hard truth.

I am the breeze through the trees, I am the tornado.

I am the book you love to read, I am the blank paper where words will never appear.

I am the birds flying in the sky, I am the ostrich that never will.

I am poverty, I am more than enough.

I am tattoos and piercings, I am skin untouched.

I am loneliness, I am the shoulder you can cry on.

I am conservative, I am liberal.

I am the road less traveled, I am the crowded highway.

I am a leap of faith, I am too afraid to try anything new.

I am acceptance, I am rejection.

I am your question, I am your answer.

I am the paradox.

I am the contradiction.

I am undefinable.

We are all connected and separate.

I am you and I am who I am.

Sarah-Pink Welch ©2013

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Lesson #44 Affirmations Change the way you think and speak, and your life will change!!!

Change the way you think and speak, and your life will change!!!

*****AFFIRMATIONS*****

This is what you will need:

1.   Get some index cards…white or colored…or some paper, a notebook or electronic device
2.   You will need colored pencils, pens, crayons, or a regular pen
3.   You will also need tape

When you have decided that there are areas in your life that need improvement or that you need to be rid of something, or you have chosen to change your life for the best, or you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired…affirmations are one of the perfect tools given to us to use to do it.

Words have power.  For we humans, when we see things in print they tend to mean more.  Our minds are the fastest, most up to date computers in the universe.

God SPOKE the world into existence.  He did not say…”sooner or later, let there be light,” He did not say, “in a little while let there be light.”  He said, “Let there be light.”  And we have the world.  Always be cautious when you speak.  I sit each day as people share with me over the phone how bad their lives’ are or how awful their job, marriage, financial situation, self-esteem, etc., is.  So, I always ask if they want to change that.  99% of the time the answer is YES!!!!

Be careful when using certain words and phrases.  I encourage you to erase them from your vocabulary.  Let’s say you want/need to reduce your weight.  If you say, I have to LOSE 20 pounds…you will lose the 20 pounds…the issue is, our minds are hard-wired to find things we have lost.  We go over and over it in our minds, consciously and subconsciously over and over again…I lost _________, I wonder where it is or where it went.  I can promise you, that weight you lost will be found and guess what, it will bring back extra with it.  If you tend to use phrases like…”So and so gives me a headache.”  “I can’t stand this anymore,”  “get off my back,” “so and so, or they are going to give me a heart attack,” “oh this day is off to a terrible start.”  Well, look at folks with bad backs, bad knees, migraines, those who have had heart attacks or strokes,  stiff or painful necks, or watch how their day turns out.  We speak things into existence.

Why is Sarah-Pink not healed of cancer/AIDS etc., if affirmations work and are so wonderful????  I cannot answer that question.  I use affirmations everyday.  All I can say is I am not dead, I am handling the physical pain, and I have a wonderful life.  So, in some sense of the word, I am healed.

Here are some affirmations you may feel free to use or please feel free to write your own.

I am not a mistake or accident.

I have purpose.

I am capable and intelligent.

I have more than enough money continuously coming into my life.  My bills are paid and I have more than enough to help others.

I do not lack anything.

I am a good steward of my money and possessions.

Every organ in my body works perfectly.

My blood pressure is perfect.

Everyday in every way my life is better, better, better.

I have let go and let God.

I have safe and healthy boundaries, but remain flexible.

I do not allow mean or toxic people in my life.

I deserve God’s best for me, in all things.

I am NOT a doormat.

My heart is not a revolving door.

I exercise in some fashion 30 minutes a day, _______days a week and I feel wonderful.

I have shed/reduced 20 pounds and feel good in my own skin.

I have faced my fears and did not die.

I am no longer filled with anxiety.  I am calm and filled with peace.

I have created a family that is not connected to me by blood, but by love and mutual respect.

I remain clean and sober and I am not tempted to drink or use.

I cannot fix or change anyone or anything but myself and my own circumstances.

I have the perfect job, with the perfect pay.  I am a benefit to my employer and the company is a benefit to me.

I am happy and excited about being alive.

I properly take the medicine my doctor prescribed to me and I am in good shape.

These are just some.  Use them as you will, create your own.

Once you have your index cards, paper, notebook or electronic device, write out your personal affirmations.  I have some of my own that are in every room of my home and my car and they stay there until I get it.  It takes 21 days of doing something to make it a habit so some of mine hang on a door, mirror, wall, refrigerator, or in my car for awhile.  Some I have had for 30+ years as a reminder…because I will not allow myself to believe the lies I grew up hearing and believing.

If you need any help, please email me at SimplySarahJazz@fuse.net or inbox me on Facebook at Sarah-Pink Welch and I would be happy to help you.

I love you all very much.

Love & Peace!!!

Sarah-Pink welch © 2012

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Lesson #43 Mars – Hunger – Mars – Homelessness – Mars – Disease – Addiction – Joblessness – Etc…

Last evening I could not sleep, so I went to the city to see my homeless kids and give them some blankets and clothing people had collected for them.  Sometimes, it takes me awhile to round the majority of them up, but not last night.  In all honesty, it was really early morning.  They all wanted to go to a place in the city called Fountain Square.  It’s a really nice gathering place, where some very cool things happen.  This time they wanted to go watch the big screen broadcast of “Curiosity,”  being shown on the Square.  That is the 2.5 billion dollar rover, which was sent to Mars in search of life.  It was 1:32 a.m. EST when it touched down.  I was watching my unusually quiet kids as they watched the big screen wide-eyed.  I flashed back to my days in grade school when we would get the chance to watch Alan B. Shepard, Jr. on May 5, 1961 go into space.  I was in awe as I remember that…but even back then I had a sense that if anyone lived on the Moon, they probably would have come to visit Earth before then.

It was while watching the early morning event with the kids that I had my “AHA” moment.  Here were these kids, who by not fault of their own were homeless, addicted, ill, and basically alone with no help in sight.  Then I glanced to my left and saw a family I met last year.  A man and his wife and their 3 children, who live in their car and eat when they can get to the Soup Kitchen or when the father can make some money doing day labor.  He had lost his job 2+ years ago and then they lost their home.  In front of us, was a teenage boy, sitting in a wheelchair, filled with excitement, while getting oxygen through a cannula.

Things began to become seem overwhelming to me.  I sat there on the Square doing math in my head.  If someone gave me 1/10th of that 2.5 billion dollars it took to send “Curiosity” to Mars, I would had 250 million dollars!!!! 250 million!!!  Do you know what I could do with that money?  I could buy land.  On that land I could build a research facility and staff it, so that we could find answers and cures for diabetes, cancer, AIDS, heart disease, Muscular Dystrophy and more.  On that land I could build a huge elementary school and middle school/high school and staff it.  I could start a job training program that would really work.  I could build a state of the art Detox facility and long term rehab facility and staff it with the best of the best doctors, counselors, etc.  There could have a huge garden, small homes for people in transition to live in, a place for people who lived there to work at some form of craft/building business and sell what was made.  They would have a salary, the community and all of its facilities would have money coming in, and it would be close to self-sustaining.  I would make sure there was an excellent clinic, dentists, eye doctors, etc..  We could even donate money for continued research in The Rainforest, where many many plants and trees are used to create incredible medications.  250 million dollars!!!!!  2.5 billion dollars spent to see if life ever has or ever could be sustained on Mars!!  Is it me?  Have I lost my mind?  Am I some kind of crazy person with absolutely no desire to live on Mars???  As I did my math and I knew I was about to have a super brain eruption, I realized that the money could have been divided among all fifty states…each state receiving 50 million dollars which could only be used for the purposes I listed above.

I don’t think I am so crazy.  I think that as much as I love the United States, I see that we are a very wasteful people, and tend to look away from things that are not so pretty and nice.

There is a saying isn’t there?  “Curiosity” killed the cat.

Love & Peace Always

Sarah-Pink Welch ©2013

Sarah-Pink’s Promise