Gratitude Changes Everything

Kia Merrifield
Jun 1
2 min read

If you’ve been following my journey, you already know the last two years have been rough. I’m talking about the rough that knocks the wind out of you—personally and professionally.

There were about six months when I couldn’t do much more than sit on the couch and play Candy Crush. I showed up for the basics—my kids, meals, a shower here and there—but anything beyond the bare minimum? It wasn’t happening. I was in a fog. And if you’ve ever battled depression, you know what I mean.

During that time, I had considered creating a journal. I’d been journaling for years, but the idea of making one? That felt too big. Too hard. Too much. Until one day, I heard a sermon on gratitude. Then another. And another. And eventually, something clicked.

I started paying attention to my perspective.

I recall seeing a post that completely altered how I viewed the mundane. It listed daily tasks—getting the kids ready, going to work, cooking dinner—and encouraged people to stop saying, “I have to,” and instead say, “I get to.” That hit me hard. I screenshotted the post and stared at it for days.

That was my turning point.

I began rewriting the way I saw my life. I started saying:

I get to wake up early with my kids.
I get to show up for my healing.
I get to create again.

And with that shift in mindset, my journal was born.

I created Gratitude Changes Everything to feel like the type of journal I love to buy—hardcover, intentional, with prompts that challenge your thinking and nudge your heart. This isn’t just a “write three things you’re thankful for” kind of journal. It’s a guided space to explore your gratitude, perspective, and attitude, because all three are interconnected.

This journal is helping me heal, and it can help you or someone you love. It makes a thoughtful gift for: