How to Thank The Universe (+ Examples From My Own Journal)

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Whether you want to live a happier life, manifest your dreams fast and effortlessly, or just instantly improve your mood — learning how to thank the Universe is an absolute must.

I used to be skeptical about this whole gratitude obsession. I would think, “Well, when I get into my perfect body shape and buy my loft apartment in Manhattan, then I’ll be grateful”.

Gladly, I came to learn that it was not the right way to go about this thing.

The way I see it now is like, if you don’t know what to start with in your spiritual journey, start with gratitude and you won’t go wrong. 💁🏻‍♀️

Since I included gratitude in my daily spiritual routine, I’ve been noticing more and more positive contributions of it to my everyday life I find.

Overall, it’s one of the most important spiritual practices you can think of.

In this post, we’ll talk about the benefits of gratitude and how to thank the Universe. We’ll also look at some examples (from my own journal) and affirmations you could use to make your gratitude practice as advantageous as possible.

This post is all about how to thank the Universe.

Table of Contents

✨ Spiritual benefits of gratitude
- ➕ Other benefits of gratitude
🌌 How to express gratitude to the Universe
🔮 How to thank the Universe after manifesting
📝 Expressing gratitude — Examples
✍🏼 Thank you Universe — Affirmations

✨ Spiritual benefits of gratitude

This is one of those rare things that has NO disadvantages or negative effects. Like, zero.

1. Connection to anything and everything. This is a surprising effect but I think it works like this: When we are in a grateful state, we are also in a trustful one. And when we trust, we feel better connected.

2. More resilience when going through tough times. I always notice how much stronger I feel on the days when I write an entry in my gratitude journal.

By the way, a beautiful journal helps a lot when trying to stick to a journaling habit 🙂 Here are some of my absolute favorites:

If you are experiencing hardships one after another with no end in sight, or nothing is going as planned, cheer up! There’s a chance the Universe is trying to tell you something good. I highly recommend checking out these two posts:

What Is the Universe Saying When Everything Goes Wrong?

How To Trust The Universe When Things Go Wrong

3. More empathy. By practicing gratitude, we bring in calmness and kindness. It deters us from nitpicking and judging and makes us more accepting.

4. Fast and effortless manifestation. Manifestation is simple but not always easy. Some people do it naturally and some need time to learn. However, rule number one is the same for everyone: practice gratitude.

5. Stronger self-control. By learning how to be grateful and implementing the practice into your daily life, you are training your thinking. You are practically rewiring your brain to adopt a new, better mindset. That’s not an easy task to do and takes a lot of self-discipline.

6. Adopting healthy humility. Acknowledging and appreciating that a lot of things were given to us without us having to do anything makes us remember to stay humble.

4. More willing to give back. This comes from the point above. When we know we are a single whole, it’s easier for us to give because naturally we, as human beings, want to share our blessings.

RELATED POST: Revealed: Self Discipline is Self Love

➕ Other benefits of gratitude

Here are just some other benefits of gratitude that I find very helpful:

1. Better mood, less anxiety. There’s a quick way to test it. Close your eyes right now and list at least five things you are grateful for in your mind. I can guarantee you’ll feel a tiny spark of joy and relaxation.

2. Improved mindset. We think that to get grateful for things we have to become more optimistic… It works the opposite way. Once you start seeing the good things you already have in your life, you’re on the way to becoming more positive.

3. Stronger self-esteem. When you are appreciative of what you have and are convinced you have all the minimum you need, you need no other validation to feel great about yourself and your life. A great self-confidence booster!

5. More content, less jealousy. Why would we complain or compare ourselves to others if we are happy about what we have? Being appreciative of the abundance in our own lives makes a lot of difference.

🌌 How to express gratitude to the Universe

So with all that being said, how do we learn how to say thank you to the Universe? We are finally getting to the very heart of this topic.

There are several ways to express gratitude to the Universe.

Here are the most straightforward and beginner-friendly ones:

1. GRATITUDE JOURNAL

The most fulfilling way to express gratitude to the Universe is through journaling. This will show you how to show gratitude in words.

It’s my most frequent journaling practice so I have a separate journal for it. I also definitely recommend handwriting when it comes to journaling because it’s always more mindful than typing.

For a gratitude journal entry…

I practically imagine that I’m writing a gratitude letter to the Universe.
I usually put a date and a number of the entry so that I could see how many times so far I’ve expressed my appreciation.
I start off with something like “Dear Universe, I am here today to express some gratitude.”
I will then go ahead and list all the things I am grateful for today.
I will end my entry by saying thank you.

It’s your turn to try!

Make it as personal as you’d like. You can start your entry with greetings, or skip that and get straight to the point. It can be one page, five pages, or three lines because something is better than nothing.

Writing skills, the number of pages written, how neat your handwriting is — none of that matters. This is between you and the Universe.

I am providing an example of my journal entry later in this post if you’d like to see one way it can be done.

If you enjoyed it, here are some more journal prompts to try out:

Journaling for healing (+ free printable workbook)

Journaling challenge for self-love

Journaling prompts for creatives

3. MEDITATION

Another way to thank the Universe is through meditation.

I can never say enough about how much good stuff meditation brought into my life, so I highly recommend trying to implement it in your daily routine.

For a gratitude meditation…

Find a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position — preferably, upright with your back straight. You can sit on a cushion or a chair. Place your hands relaxed on your lap or thighs.
Close your eyes and take three deep belly breaths — in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Take a moment to enter a slow state of consciousness in the present moment.
Now you are ready to express gratitude: simply start addressing the Universe in your mind with all the thankful words. Take as much time as you need.
When you finish, spend a few moments in meditation, noticing how you feel. Then start moving your fingers and toes, and bring yourself back into this reality.

Here’s your quick detailed guide to meditation: How to Meditate… Spiritually

Here are some guided gratitude meditations you can try:

Guided 5-Minute Morning Gratitude Meditation

Guided 5-Minute Body Gratitude Meditation

Guided 10-Minute Gratitude Meditation by Breathe & Flow

2. PRAYER

This practice is very close to journaling. The only difference is that there is no writing involved, and you’d do it either in your mind or out loud.

You can create a little ritual around it or pray in a specific way (for example, some people kneel or only face East when they are praying, etc.)

I like all things minimal so I prefer it simple — anywhere, any time, whenever I feel like it. I just close my eyes and that’s all I need.

Even though I do prefer writing things down over just thinking through them (I’m a writer, at the end of the day!), sometimes it’s just the easiest way to reconnect with the Universe and reflect.

It’s not necessary to pray every day or for a long time, but I do find it helpful to send a few words of gratitude to the Universe whenever I feel like it. It immediately lifts my mood and calms me.

By the way, in this context ‘prayer’ has nothing to do with a specific religion or belief.

Given that we all believe in different things, in this case, prayer is a quiet message of gratitude addressed to an object of worship (which can be the Universe, God, Source, etc.)

🔮 How to thank the Universe after manifesting

If your dream recently came true, or some good things happened without you moving a finger, you might be wondering how to thank the Universe for manifestation.

Thankfully, it’s not complicated at all.

First, say thank you. It’s practically the same thing we’ve been doing this whole time. Choose whichever means you prefer better — meditation, prayer, or journaling — and use all the tips we talked about above. Reflect on how grateful you are for what the Universe provided for you.

Secondly, give back. Do something nice for someone. Be kind and compassionate towards yourself and others. Work on acceptance. This is the best way to show the Universe that you are cooperative and thankful.

📝 Expressing gratitude — Examples

Now, here are some examples from various dates from my own journal.

I wrote this down but you can follow the same process while meditating or praying!

FROM MY JOURNAL…

Dear Universe,

I am here today again to say thank you. I’m so grateful for being able to follow my routine every day without any interruption. I’m grateful for the freedom to be able to even choose my daily routine. I’m grateful that I don’t have to struggle financially or in any other way. I’m so grateful for having a choice in how to live my life.

I’m so grateful for yoga and meditation (I just need to learn to be patient). I’m so grateful for a healthy body. I want to take care of it even more recently because I started to understand what it means when they say that body is your temple. I now see it better than ever!

Thank you, Universe, for everything.

FROM MY JOURNAL…

Dear Universe,

I want to say thank you for yet another turn of my favorite season. I want to say thank you for the chilly weather, cool air, tree leaves turning yellow, red, and orange, for sweaters and scarves, for pumpkin spice latte, and the feeling of mystery, but also quietness, coziness, and warmth. I am grateful for my fall plans with my loved ones. I am grateful for all the inspiration that I get from this period of time. I’m grateful for the comfort and coziness of my home, and the anticipation of the winter holidays (spent in this apartment for the first time). And a Christmas tree! Finally! After two pandemic years with no Christmas tree, I am especially grateful for this one.

I’m so grateful for my blog that makes me proud and brings some sort of safe feeling — I absolutely see it working out the way I’m planning and bringing me the results that I’m striving for in the future. Like, in my mind it’s practically done.

Thank you, Universe, for everything.

FROM MY JOURNAL…

Dear Universe,

I’m so grateful I live in the city that I dreamed of as a kid. I am grateful for being safe. It’s not always safe in this city but there is a blue peaceful clear sky over my head and the freedom to go wherever I want at any time. I’m so grateful for all the things I have that help me work, grow and fulfill my dreams.

I’m so grateful for my body that I’m learning about more and more. I’m so grateful that I’m a woman. I’m so grateful for my sensitivity which helps me explore the world better and deeper and makes me live fully. I’m so grateful for my constant growth.

I’m so grateful for all the great jobs that I’ve been getting (especially, recently). I might not seem to be grateful in the moment but I am so so grateful for all the jobs. I know there are a lot more coming and I’m excited and looking forward!