The Gratitude Experiment

THE
GRATITUDE
EXPERIMENT
by David Rudd
THE GRATITUDE EXPERIMENT
© 2020 Rudstone Solutions
All rights reserved.
ISBN 9798582015055
Printed in the USA
This book is dedicated to
Marianne, Emma, and Liam,
for whom I am most grateful.
THE GRATITUDE EXPERIMENT is also available in a
print version at amazon.com.
You can find more resources similar to this one at:

discoverthebible.store.
INTRODUCTION
I like t-shirts. I especially like shirts with logos of my favorite
sports teams. I also have a problem getting rid of old t-shirts.
Earlier this week, I put on a shirt that I calculated to be at least
10 years old. As a result of my inability to let go, my shirt
drawer is overflowing with Spartan, Tiger, Red Wing, Lions,
Liverpool, Warrior, Trojan and Bruin shirts.
Let me be clear. My drawer is not overflowing because of any

one shirt. It is overflowing because I have SO MANY shirts.
Ephesians 5:20 says, "giving thanks always and for everything

to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
The key words here are "everything" and "always".
Colossians 2:7 is a parallel passage. Here Paul is encouraging

a group of Christians to live consistently with their roots in
Jesus' example and teaching. This is accomplished, according
to Paul, by "overflowing with thankfulness." Saying, "thank
you" every so often is nice, but a quick prayer of thanksgiving
once a day is hardly "overflowing."
Causing anything to overflow requires filling it with more than it

can handle. If you want to overflow with thanksgiving, you
must FILL your life with more gratitude than you can handle.
This means being thankful even when you don't feel like it.
Begin your day by giving thanks (you can start by thanking

God that He woke you up).
At various points throughout the day (meals), give thanks.
At the conclusion of your day, give thanks.
When things go well, give thanks.
When others treat you with kindness, give thanks.
When things go poorly, give thanks that they aren't worse.
When others treat you with malice, give thanks that you are
being treated like Jesus was.
You can always find something for which to be grateful. The
more you thank God, the more you'll be rooted in His Son.
This journal is designed to help you be more grateful. I

recommend you use it every morning. I can’t imagine a better
way to start the day than by being grateful.
Each day, you’ll begin with the “reflect and refresh” page.
You’ll have a chance to experience the endorphin rush of
checking off the box because you accomplished the previous
day’s goal. Then you can consider what is coming. You’ll
briefly think through the upcoming day from a positive
perspective.
Then, it’s time to be grateful. Every day, you’ll be challenged to

list reasons you are grateful. Some days it will be easy and
others it will be more difficult. However, every day, you’ll be
glad you did it.
Your gratitude moment will end with a challenge. Every day

comes with an action plan to help you cement your gratitude
with positive reinforcement. By the time day 30 rolls around,
you will be a person characterized by gratitude and likely
characterized by joy!
Remember…
GRATITUDE IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR ANXIETY,

and
GRATITUDE IS THE GATEWAY TO CONTENTMENT.
LET’S GO!
THE GRATITUDE EXPERIMENT | DAY 1
List five people for whom you are grateful. Include two or three
sentences to remind yourself of specific reasons you are
grateful for each person.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will contact one of the people listed above and

tell them specifically why I am grateful they are in my life.
BEFORE I START | RECAP AND REFRESH
Did I complete yesterday’s goal?
▢ YES
▢ NO
What challenge do I expect to face today?
What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?
Who are the people I am excited to see today?
What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

today?
1.
2.
3.
For every letter of the alphabet, list one person in your life for
whom you are grateful.
A N
B O
C P
D Q
E R
F S
G T
H U
I V
J W
K X
L Y
M Z
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will choose 3-5 people on this list and send

them an encouraging text or email.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Spend some time thinking about the gift of family.
One great memory from my childhood is…
I'm grateful for my parents because...
I'm grateful for my heritage because...
I'm grateful for my siblings because...
I'm grateful for my children because...
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will contact one person from my family and

thank them for the blessings they have brought into my
life.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Looking back, you can see how the moments that seemed
hard were actually preparing you for something else. If you had
never encountered difficulties, you would never have
experienced victories!
One past struggle or which I'm grateful is...
From that difficult time, I learned...
Right now I'm struggling with...
AND I am grateful for this struggle because...
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will choose to find something helpful and hopeful

even in the most difficult situations.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Today you will be presented a myriad of opportunities to make
good choices. Those good choices will lead to good
consequences and positive growth. Make a list of 10
opportunities you'll have today and think about how you will
use those opportunities well.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will seize the opportunities which come my way

and I will use them to grow and improve.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Life is full of wonderful gifts!
What is the most recent gift you have been given?
Who gave it to you? How did this gift make you feel?
What was the best birthday gift you ever received?
What was the best Christmas gift you ever received?
What gift have you received that has lasted the longest?
What gift have you received that was the most useful?
What gift has brought you the most joy?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will focus on what I have been given instead of

what I am missing. I will look for opportunities to give
small but meaningful gifts to others.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Grateful people have selective memories. You can choose to
focus on the good that you remember instead of being
controlled by the difficulties of your past.
A memory from my childhood for which I am grateful is…
A memory from last year for which I am grateful is…
A memory from last week for which I am grateful is…
A memory from yesterday for which I am grateful is...
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will create more good memories which will

inspire more gratitude in the future.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
And God looked at creation and said that it was “Very good.”
I am grateful for the sun because...
I am grateful for trees because...
I am grateful for the wind because...
I am grateful for flowers because...
I am grateful for the rain because...
I am grateful for the grass because...
I am grateful for the stars because…
I am grateful for oceans and rivers because...
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will slow down, look around me and enjoy the

power, diversity and beauty of nature.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Work is often considered a curse, but employment brings many
blessings as well.
Lessons I've learned at work for which I am

grateful:
People I work with for whom I am grateful:
Financial and material benefits I have received

because of my work:
The reason I am most grateful for work:
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will work hard and I will inject joy into the lives of
those who are working with and around me.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
We must eat to stay alive and eating right is important for our
health. But God also gave us food for our enjoyment!
Make a short list of your favorite foods
Which restaurants provide the best dining

experience?
Where do you purchase your groceries?
Make a list of the farmers you know.
Where do you get desserts/snacks/coffee?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will say "thank you" to as many people as

possible whom I know to be involved in food service and
delivery
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Teachers make our world better. They invest a massive amount
of time and energy into the children of our communities. Make
a list of ten teachers for whom you are grateful
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will contact one teacher I know who is making a

difference and tell them, “Thank you.”
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Take a few minutes and think about what is in the different
rooms in your house. Make a list of 20 items in your house for
which you are thankful.
1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will give something of mine to someone else

who needs it more.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Every day we see incredible beauty all around us, but because
we see it every day, we’ve become blind to it. Think about
nature. Where have you seen incredible beauty in the world
around you?
What natural beauty have you seen that is green?
What natural beauty have you seen that is blue?
What natural beauty have you seen that is red?
What natural beauty have you seen that is yellow?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will pause in the middle of my busyness to

notice the beauty around me.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Make a list of 10 places you have been (whether you lived
there or just visited). Write a short sentence describing what
you liked most about each place.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today, when negative thoughts sneak into my mind, I

will kick them out and replace them with fond memories
of the places I have visited.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Think about last weekend. Whether it was a struggle or the
best weekend ever, you can find a few reasons to be grateful
for what happened.
Who are five good people with whom you spent

time last weekend?
Which day of the weekend was best? Why?
What was the best meal you had last weekend?
What is one thing you did last weekend that you

hope to do again soon?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will be proactive and make plans so that this

coming weekend will be even better than the last one.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Think about the person in life with whom you are most
connected. It may be your spouse or your best friend or even a
business partner. Make a list of 10 reasons you are grateful for
that person.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will go out of my way to demonstrate my

gratitude to the person who means the most to me in life.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Everybody makes mistakes. We all must choose whether to let
our mistakes weigh us down or whether to use them to grow. If
you choose to learn from your mistakes, you can also be
thankful for them.
What mistake did you make when you were young

that taught you an important lesson?
What mistake have you made in the past year

from which you learned an important lesson?
What big change have you made in your life

because of a small mistake?
What mistake have you avoided because of the

lessons you learned in the past?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will notice my small mistakes, be careful to learn

their lessons, and be grateful for second chances.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Although technology can sometimes be frustrating and has
occasionally unhealthy side-effects, it also makes our lives
much easier and keeps us connected with loved ones. List 10
technological inventions for which you are grateful
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will remember to be thankful each time I

experience the benefits of technology.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Life is about learning. Every day is an opportunity to finish in
better shape than you began. You can make these
improvements by seizing every opportunity to learn.
Who do you know that consistently makes wise

decisions? What is one lesson you have learned
from this person?
Who do you know that makes regular investments

in your life? What is one lesson you have learned
from this person?
What is the most powerful lesson you have

learned in the past month?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will seek an opportunity to learn valuable

lessons from the people around me.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
We are fortunate to live in a time and place when we have
access to far more than we need or could want. Think about
the different stores where you are able to shop and provide for
yourself and your family. Write down the name of a store for
each letter of the alphabet.
A N
B O
C P
D Q
E R
F S
G T
H U
I V
J W
K X
L Y
M Z
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will speak encouraging words to the people I

encounter in stores and restaurants.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Animals come in all shapes and sizes. Some serve as
companions and others provide services for us. Some animals
are fun to just watch. List 20 animals for which you are
thankful.
1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will show kindness to an animal or I will donate

time or money to a shelter.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Our life is easier and safer because of public servants. Make a
list of 10 public servants (firefighters, police officers, etc.) you
know.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will send a “thank you” email or text to at least

one public servant.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Not only can we be thankful that we have clothes to wear, but
we have comfortable clothing and stylish clothing. Think about
the reasons you can be grateful for your clothing.
What was your favorite outfit when you were

young?
What is the “fanciest” outfit you have ever worn?
Do you prefer to dress up or be comfortable?
What color is most prominent in your wardrobe?
What are your favorite shoes?
What does your favorite t-shirt say?
What do you wear at bedtime?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will donate at least one outfit to a local thrift

store.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
It is easy to complain about government officials, but gratitude
is always better than bitterness. Write down the name of 10
politicians or civic leaders for whom you are thankful.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will tell three people why I appreciate our

political leaders.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Sometimes joy can be discovered in the small details of life.
Think about what you drink throughout the day.
What is your favorite drink to start the morning?
Coffee or tea? Why?
What is your favorite fruit juice?
What was your favorite drink as a child?
What is your favorite soda/pop?
Where have you tasted the best water?
What is your favorite “before bed” drink?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will buy a drink (or drinks) for someone else.

▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Gratitude doesn’t have to only be focused on the past. You can
also be grateful for the future.
What opportunity tomorrow are you most excited

about?
Who are you going to invest in tomorrow?
What good will you do tomorrow?
What are you looking forward to in the next week?
Who are you most excited to connect with in the

next week?
What is your big goal for the coming year?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will prepare myself to do something great

tomorrow.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Everybody loves to eat. Using the alphabet to start each word,
list an item of food for which you are grateful.
A N
B O
C P
D Q
E R
F S
G T
H U
I V
J W
K X
L Y
M Z
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will make a donation (either financial or canned

goods) to a local food pantry.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Think about the past week. What are the best things that
happened in your life?
What was the best thing that happened Sunday?
What was the best thing that happened Monday?
What was the best thing that happened Tuesday?
What was the best thing that happened Wednesday?
What was the best thing that happened Thursday?
What was the best thing that happened Friday?
What was the best thing that happened Saturday?
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will take action to make this my best day of the

week.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Every person is unique, including you. Write down 10 reasons
you are unique (or 10 abilities you possess) and be grateful for
the good you have been given.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will use my unique abilities to improve the life of

everyone around me.
▢ YES
▢ NO

today?
1.
2.
3.
Go back to Day One of this experiment and think about the 5
people for whom you were grateful. Now finish like you started!
List five more people for whom you are grateful. Write a short
sentence or two describing what you appreciate about them.
ACTION PLAN
▢ Today I will contact one of the people listed above and

tell them specifically why I am grateful they are in my life.
YOU DID IT!
I hope these thirty days were beneficial for you. I know the
habit of gratitude has been transformational in my life and I
hope it will continue to be in yours as well.
The journey doesn’t have to end here. You can repeat the
experience by either buying a new journal, or using a blank
notebook and creating your own gratitude categories.
If this has been a healthy experience for you, please pass it on

to someone else. There is no one on this earth who won’t
benefit from a little more gratitude.
Finally, THANK YOU for buying this book. I am extremely

grateful for you!
THE GRATITUDE EXPERIMENT is also available in a

print version at amazon.com.
You can find more resources similar to this one at:

discoverthebible.store.

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THE

You can ﬁnd more resources similar to this one at:

Let me be clear. My drawer is not overﬂowing because of any

Ephesians 5:20 says, "giving thanks always and for everything

The key words here are "everything" and "always".

Colossians 2:7 is a parallel passage. Here Paul is encouraging

Causing anything to overﬂow requires ﬁlling it with more than it

Begin your day by giving thanks (you can start by thanking

This journal is designed to help you be more grateful. I

Then, it’s time to be grateful. Every day, you’ll be challenged to

Your gratitude moment will end with a challenge. Every day

GRATITUDE IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR ANXIETY,

▢ Today I will contact one of the people listed above and

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

▢ Today I will choose 3-5 people on this list and send

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

One great memory from my childhood is…

I'm grateful for my parents because...

I'm grateful for my heritage because...

I'm grateful for my siblings because...

I'm grateful for my children because...

▢ Today I will contact one person from my family and

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

One past struggle or which I'm grateful is...

From that diﬃcult time, I learned...

Right now I'm struggling with...

AND I am grateful for this struggle because...

▢ Today I will choose to ﬁnd something helpful and hopeful

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

▢ Today I will seize the opportunities which come my way

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

What is the most recent gift you have been given?

What was the best birthday gift you ever received?

What was the best Christmas gift you ever received?

What gift has brought you the most joy?

▢ Today I will focus on what I have been given instead of

Did I complete yesterday’s goal?

What challenge do I expect to face today?

What was the best thing that happened to me yesterday?

Who are the people I am excited to see today?

What are the 3 most important tasks for me to accomplish

A memory from my childhood for which I am grateful is…

A memory from last year for which I am grateful is…

A memory from last week for which I am grateful is…