The Transforming Power of Daily Gratitude
by Coach Jill Martin Duncan
As we step into the Thanksgiving season, our hearts naturally turn toward gratitude. But how can we better understand and harness the power of gratitude each day of the year?
The Wake-Up Call: Tracking Thoughts
Several years ago, I was introduced to the idea of tracking positive thoughts. Christian music artist Hilary Weeks shared an experience that changed my life. She learned that the average person thinks more than 300 negative thoughts each day. To test that number, she bought a small counter to track every negative thought.
After about a week, she felt discouraged. Focusing on negative thoughts only created more of them, following the law of attraction.
So she tried something else. She began tracking positive thoughts instead. As she focused on the good, she continually found more good.
A Family Trial and a Tender Mercy
This insight came at a crucial time for my family. A tragedy occurred between our local school and our home. In the middle of this deeply sad and traumatic event, I witnessed miracles and tender mercies surrounding my children.
We needed a higher focus and something we could control. That is when I bought our first set of clickers. Each family member chose a color, decorated it, and started clicking. I do not know how deeply it affected my children, but it has blessed me profoundly. It has trained me to see the good, no matter the circumstance. I’ve learned that I almost always find what I am seeking.
A Hill, a Bike Ride, and an Unexpected Lesson
Every year, I join dear friends for a women’s road biking event. We choose themes, wear bike-friendly costumes, and enjoy a girls’ night in Logan beforehand. It is one of my favorite traditions.
One year, I decided to push myself and signed up for the 70-mile ride, knowing it included a long, difficult hill. I heard sometimes riders hopped off their bikes midway, so I gave myself permission to do the same.
But when we reached the hill, something unexpected happened.
The climb grew steeper. A few riders around me slowed, fell, or walked their bikes. My legs burned. My lungs tightened. And still, I kept pedaling.
“To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.”
Without thinking, I began silently counting my blessings…literally naming them one by one:
• My sweet husband…
• My legs that could pedal…
• My friends who introduced me to biking…
• My seven beautiful children…
• My faith…
• The warm sun…
• The gift of being alive…
Then I began saying them out loud. As the words came, strength came with them.
My body was still tired, but the heaviness lifted. Clarity, energy, and light filled me.
What I Learned on That Hill
Gratitude is fuel.
Gratitude is power.
Gratitude comes from the Lord.
This lesson has stayed with me through many challenges. When I shift my focus from hardship to blessings, joy and strength follow.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
Gratitude does not require pretending life is perfect. It requires seeing God in all things so we can be perfected in Him.
Why Gratitude Changes Us
Gratitude elevates us spiritually. It lifts our frequency and attracts joy, healing, and hope.
Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto studied how positive and negative words affect water. He showed that water exposed to loving, grateful words form beautiful patterns, while water exposed to negative words becomes distorted and discolored. If humans are mostly water, how are our thoughts shaping us?
Some suggest the frequency of love and gratitude measures around 540 MHz. Healing increases as frequency increases. Gratitude literally strengthens our ability to heal.
President Thomas S. Monson quoting Cicero taught, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.”
Practicing Daily Gratitude
Begin with Gratitude Journaling
I used to journal at night until I realized how much I loved beginning my day with gratitude. Each morning, I pray and write at least three things I am grateful for. I also reflect on the previous day and list three blessings from that day.
If you prefer digital tools, use your phone or a gratitude app. Do what fits your life. For me, handwriting gratitude feels grounding and real.
Record How God Shows Up
Elder Henry B. Eyring once encouraged us to ask, “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?”
He kept a daily record of God’s hand in his life and later shared it with his family. Imagine receiving a gift like that from a parent or grandparent. A written testimony of God’s goodness becomes a treasured inheritance for generations.
Start Clicking
Using a counter to track positive thoughts has been transformative for me. I have clicked through bike races, running events, family road trips (especially with a blended family), and stressful seasons. I have given countless clickers as gifts. I keep one on my hiking backpack, in my car, or anywhere I might need a reminder.
Buy one. Use it. Watch what happens.
Gratitude in My Work
At the beginning of every life coaching session and the end of every foot zone, I offer gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the privilege of serving others. The trust clients extend to me on their healing journey is sacred. I am deeply grateful to be involved in this work on His behalf.
Join us on our YouTube channel to watch our interview with Jill and Macey as we discuss how to Harness the Power of Gratitude
