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Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have Into What You Want
In this concise, inspirational guide, bestselling self-help guru Melody Beattie offers the ultimate distillation of what she has learned about gratitude, surrender, and acceptance---and explains how to create what we want in our lives.
4 pages, MP3 CD
First published November 13, 2010
204 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Melody Beattie
67 books1,030 followersMelody Beattie was an American self-help author best known for her groundbreaking work on codependency. Born in 1948 in Minnesota, she endured a traumatic childhood marked by abuse and early substance addiction. After achieving sobriety, she became a licensed addiction counselor and began writing to help others navigate emotional recovery. Her 1986 book Codependent No More became a bestseller, selling eight million copies and helping to bring the concept of codependency into mainstream awareness. Over her career, she authored 18 books, including Beyond Codependency, The Language of Letting Go, and Make Miracles in Forty Days. Though her work is often associated with Co-Dependents Anonymous, her books were independent of the program.
Beattie’s personal life reflected many of the struggles she addressed in her work, including four marriages and the loss of a son. Her writing often drew from her own experiences with grief, addiction, and healing. In early 2025, she was forced to evacuate her Malibu home due to wildfires and died shortly after at her daughter’s home in Los Angeles from heart failure.
Beattie’s personal life reflected many of the struggles she addressed in her work, including four marriages and the loss of a son. Her writing often drew from her own experiences with grief, addiction, and healing. In early 2025, she was forced to evacuate her Malibu home due to wildfires and died shortly after at her daughter’s home in Los Angeles from heart failure.
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August 8, 2014I started this plan about a year and a half ago, when I was living with a mother who was dying, an alcoholic brother, and 2 addict. I began by putting each of these people on my gratitude list every morning, as well as things like ~ "I'm grateful that: I'm immobilized by apathy, I don't want to change another adult diaper, I'm constantly criticized by my brother, I cant' give any more.", etc. I kept a little spiral notebook by my bedside and wrote within the first 10 minutes of waking up. If I forgot to do it, I'd grab anything and make my lists then. I cannot tell you the miracles that have come about in my life as a result~ my Mom did pass away, we were being evicted from her house, one of the addicts died on the streets, friends came from out of the woodwork to move all my stuff (and there was plenty)into a new place that I never dreamed I'd have, my brother reduced his alcohol consumption greatly, other relationships were restored, and I'm living the dream. Melody Beattie has lived the life of an addict/alcoholic and also being a flaming codependent. Her writings are tried and true, and THEY WORK because she knows she's not God.
December 11, 2013
I recently embarked on a 40 day gratitude journey based off Melody Beattie's book Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have into What You Want. ) The basis of this journey is that you bring an awareness to the events in your life and to your emotions by being grateful for each thing that happens - regardless if you give it the judgment of good or bad. This experience involves enrolling a partner that you're willing to trust yourself with and be vulnerable with as they will be reading your daily gratitude list. (My partner and I use an online journal.) There is no offering of opinion from either party. In fact, the daily gratitude lists aren't discussed. They are simply read. This is in part a way to hold yourself accountable but also a way to be open and vulnerable because you know someone else will read even the deep dark things you may have written.
I encourage anyone who wants to create a change in their life to read this book and begin the 40 day journey. The daily gratitude writing truly helped me both see and create miracles. Not only did I complete all 40 days but I've committed to carrying on the miracles. It has become a part of my daily routine. I look forward to writing out what I'm grateful for even if it means writing that I'm grateful for feeling hurt, or angry, or for lashing out in hateful words. This process enabled me to have all of my experiences, accept them as just what they were, and have gratitude for them without shame or guilt.
If that's not miraculous, I simply don't know what is.
I encourage anyone who wants to create a change in their life to read this book and begin the 40 day journey. The daily gratitude writing truly helped me both see and create miracles. Not only did I complete all 40 days but I've committed to carrying on the miracles. It has become a part of my daily routine. I look forward to writing out what I'm grateful for even if it means writing that I'm grateful for feeling hurt, or angry, or for lashing out in hateful words. This process enabled me to have all of my experiences, accept them as just what they were, and have gratitude for them without shame or guilt.
If that's not miraculous, I simply don't know what is.
January 18, 2011
This was not anything like I expected it to be. I was impressed, embarrassed, and a little awed by it. Yes I will try her exercises, we all can use miracles - and her process has no new age glitter to it, just common sense. (but its some of the hardest common sense to do of all...)
January 13, 2013
I love this book. Have been doing the project with a friend for over a month. It is WORKING!
April 18, 2014
The idea of a 40 Day Miracle seems a bit bizarre and new age. How can I just think myself into the position that I want to be in? Especially when nothing else has worked. The truly bizarre part of this book is the idea that professing gratefulness for the bad things can do any good.
I have only been practicing for two days now. I am doing the exercise, strange as it sounds. And yet, I find myself feeling better. Already. I feel like what is happening is that my thoughts and feelings have been creating a log jam so that I can't progress in life. No, my problem hasn't been solved, but for 10 minutes a day I am clearing out the junk.
What really makes sense about the book is that we need to actually feel our feelings. We spend so much time tamping down these feelings, and not recognizing them for what they are and what they can do for us.
I have only been practicing for two days now. I am doing the exercise, strange as it sounds. And yet, I find myself feeling better. Already. I feel like what is happening is that my thoughts and feelings have been creating a log jam so that I can't progress in life. No, my problem hasn't been solved, but for 10 minutes a day I am clearing out the junk.
What really makes sense about the book is that we need to actually feel our feelings. We spend so much time tamping down these feelings, and not recognizing them for what they are and what they can do for us.
September 19, 2013
Took me a few months longer than forty days but I got my miracle.
November 2, 2018
I really like the central idea behind this book-- the miracle exercise, which is basically taking 10 minutes in the morning to be grateful for the things you feel negatively about, without trying to turn them around into positive things. So in this way it is different from a typical gratitude list where you only list all the positive things. The effect doing the exercise produces is that you end up acknowledging your negative thoughts and emotions, which in turn helps you release them. While the author mentions God/a Higher Power in the book, I feel like the ideas are very much in line with a lot of other things I've been reading about spirituality, meditation, and Buddhism-- that we need to sit with our emotions without judgment, even the "negative" ones (because "negative" is just a label), that so-called negative emotions aren't wrong and shouldn't be avoided, etc.
Before embarking on the 40 days of doing this activity, you're supposed to write down a list of miracles you want-- goals that you feel are out of your reach, that you cannot get using your own abilities, things that are out of your control. I really like the author's insight that essentially, what everyone's goals are are really about self-love. This is true for my own goals as well. Anyway I'm started the miracle exercise today and I'll see what happens in 40 days.
All in all, I think the idea in this book is really great and I believe it's worth doing. The idea of the miracle exercise deserves 5 stars. But the book itself is kind of repetitive and there's actually not that much content, I guess because the miracle exercise itself is really really simple. But that's fine, it really doesn't need to be complicated. I just think this book could have been a pamphlet instead, but probably no one would take it seriously then.
[Update, October 2018: It works!]
Before embarking on the 40 days of doing this activity, you're supposed to write down a list of miracles you want-- goals that you feel are out of your reach, that you cannot get using your own abilities, things that are out of your control. I really like the author's insight that essentially, what everyone's goals are are really about self-love. This is true for my own goals as well. Anyway I'm started the miracle exercise today and I'll see what happens in 40 days.
All in all, I think the idea in this book is really great and I believe it's worth doing. The idea of the miracle exercise deserves 5 stars. But the book itself is kind of repetitive and there's actually not that much content, I guess because the miracle exercise itself is really really simple. But that's fine, it really doesn't need to be complicated. I just think this book could have been a pamphlet instead, but probably no one would take it seriously then.
[Update, October 2018: It works!]
April 13, 2016
I gave this book 4 stars because I believe, when it comes to personal growth, if you can take away one solid lesson learned from any experience you are better off than when you started. I read many of the previous Goodreads' reviews of this book and I think, to a certain extent, I agree with them all because it's a matter of individual needs and perspectives. Self-help books are personal in nature and we tend to look for one that fits nicely in our comfort zone. Change is difficult and we want something that will make it less so, perhaps even easy. Some people thought this book was too short, some thought it was too long, some look for research to back up the ideas presented, others eagerly jump in with hope and wanting. In my opinion, the book is short and easy to understand, thus requires little investment of time or effort, so even if you don't jump on board with the 40 day project, you are likely to find a nugget of inspiration somewhere in there. As a therapist, I know self-help is about moving one foot away from the other (nope, not always 'in front of'), this includes small steps and large steps. Melody Beattie is not a researcher, she does not hold a PhD or head a large corporation - she speaks and guides from personal experiences, many as an alcoholic - which to me makes her real. While I don't relate to those exact experiences, nor am I as new age as she seems to be, I found a nugget that helped me move one foot away from the other.
December 1, 2013
The message of this book is hopeful and radical, even if the writing doesn't quite keep up. Beattie challenges us to practice expressing gratitude for ALL aspects of our lives, the good and the bad. We don't have to feel grateful; we just have to bathe all of the experiences of our lives in gratitude. It's an upside-down concept that is supposed to make you truly grateful for the life that you do have. Worth a read for the ideas and the practical presentation of "Project Miracle," a 40 day experiment in which one writes, for ten minutes a day, everything for which they're grateful: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
March 21, 2011
I really enjoyed the basic concepts of the book that feel that are helpful and enlightening. However, I felt the book lacked depth and more case studies on ways to apply the basic concepts. I would like to have read more personal accounts so that I can better understand the practical application of Ms. Beauttie's ideas.
September 16, 2018
Great read even if you don't believe in miracles. It's basically a guide on becoming more positive in your outlook and having gratitude about life, good and bad. She doesn't say it, but the whole "...you change and things change around you..." complements this book. It's about four hours in audiobook format.
May 16, 2013
Worth a try!
June 14, 2023
I've found myself being grateful for really weird things in a totally amazing way. Today I sat on the toilet and was like "wow I'm so grateful for this properly installed toilet seat in my house"😂 😂 🤪
March 18, 2022
It’s a good exercise that could be summed up in one chapter. Lots of sad stories of people that solved all their problems with the techniques, and lots of admonishment of ‘do it everyday or close the book’, which is not to my taste.
January 8, 2023
Oh thank you Melody Beattie for reminding me the only one I can change is myself. Gratitude for this practice, and for you reading this audiobook in your own voice. I'm starting Melody's easy-to-follow miracle exercise today.
I even had a dream about this book: "Make Miracles in 40 Days" and another, "Change the Brush", were next to each other on my table. I woke up wondering about the other book... and upon contemplation, believe it was my inner compass or higher power telling me that it was time to up my gratitude game, which I've been doing for a few years upon waking. Just as you need to change a paint brush to do the detail work in the corners of a room, or change your toothbrush every often, it's time for me to change the brush in my gratitude practice - and likely other parts of my life too.
Note if you listen to the audiobook - either take notes as you go along, or search Miracle Exercise (it's sadly not on her website), in order to start the 40 day exercise.
Update January 2023- bought the book - re-read, needing a refresher course. Back to more miracles!! This works!
I even had a dream about this book: "Make Miracles in 40 Days" and another, "Change the Brush", were next to each other on my table. I woke up wondering about the other book... and upon contemplation, believe it was my inner compass or higher power telling me that it was time to up my gratitude game, which I've been doing for a few years upon waking. Just as you need to change a paint brush to do the detail work in the corners of a room, or change your toothbrush every often, it's time for me to change the brush in my gratitude practice - and likely other parts of my life too.
Note if you listen to the audiobook - either take notes as you go along, or search Miracle Exercise (it's sadly not on her website), in order to start the 40 day exercise.
Update January 2023- bought the book - re-read, needing a refresher course. Back to more miracles!! This works!
October 16, 2016
It seems like it's another gratitude exercise book. The twist here, which I like, is Beattie's approach to negative emotions. Although I feel like it wasn't explored very much in depth, I appreciate the advice to be honest and acknowledge where you are to start the change. Her own personal stories were quite intimate and honest. There are some samples in the back of the lists that I found helpful.
The 40 days is a bit of a misnomer here since even Beattie suggested that change may or may not happen in that time frame. I'm always cautious of claims like that as true change in perspective can take long time (the example of Dr.Joy took over a year). Thus, take the good parts and not limit yourself to that timeframe.
The 40 days is a bit of a misnomer here since even Beattie suggested that change may or may not happen in that time frame. I'm always cautious of claims like that as true change in perspective can take long time (the example of Dr.Joy took over a year). Thus, take the good parts and not limit yourself to that timeframe.
July 22, 2014
I listened to this book through Audible. Melody Beattie is not the best at reading...but it does add a personal touch to the message.
Not sure if any miracles will occur but I am going to give it a try. It seems to me what she suggests is a way to acknowledge your problems and work through them with a positive twist. Drum up some good karma and maybe learn how to accept what-is while keeping ourselves open to new things.
Found my Miracle Partner and hopefully she will accept. Let's see what happens. If miracles do happen, I'll give it more stars.
Not sure if any miracles will occur but I am going to give it a try. It seems to me what she suggests is a way to acknowledge your problems and work through them with a positive twist. Drum up some good karma and maybe learn how to accept what-is while keeping ourselves open to new things.
Found my Miracle Partner and hopefully she will accept. Let's see what happens. If miracles do happen, I'll give it more stars.
August 23, 2014
I've started. I don't have a friend to share this with, but that's okay. I don't mind. I'm don't do well with sharing anyways.
This is a great book.
I don't have the privacy to do this in written form, so I will take the steps needed to have my privacy to write...or this just won't work at all, not if I can't establish complete privacy.
This is a great book.
I don't have the privacy to do this in written form, so I will take the steps needed to have my privacy to write...or this just won't work at all, not if I can't establish complete privacy.
September 6, 2016
She had some good insights, but overall, this is one of the most repetitive books that I have ever read. The premise is that practicing gratefulness for good things as well as negative things/feelings can create miracles. It was pretty much a simplified version of mindfulness. It could easily be a twenty page pamphlet rather than a full book.
December 27, 2010
I saw this on the new acquisitions' list, and was intrigued by the title. I'm not sure what I think about it, even though I'm nearly finished with it. I do know one thing though: I wish I had a reading partner for this.
April 12, 2012
Just O.K. You can sum up the book's advice in just one sentence (maybe a paragraph) and the rest is filler, as another reviewer said. The author mentions a few times that she was under pressure to complete another book, so maybe it would have been better if she had more time.
March 11, 2018
Very simplistic, very short. I am glad I picked it up from the library. I just started the exercise, so I might change my ratings after the 40 days are up. However, I felt as though there wasn't a lot of meat in this book.
April 16, 2011
Elegant in it's simplicity but there seemed to be a lot that was pure filler. I am grateful for the book however.
June 23, 2012
Great book for anyone feeling stuck in life.
August 26, 2012
I read this book in less than a day. What a revelation! I am going to try the program for 40 days to see what miracles I can make. So excited.
January 5, 2013
Good book...gives an insight on applying gratitude exercise in our daily life and turning all miseries into mystery..
April 7, 2015
Another way to make a gratitude list. A more negative way it seemed.
December 13, 2021
I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author.
What an interesting concept. I've only just finished the book, so I have not actually begun the actual exercises, but at 10 minutes a day, it's not like there's some fantastical amount of effort I need to put into this. That said, I've found myself beginning to just say "thank you for ____" when I catch myself in a place of complaining or criticizing myself or others. If anything, it's a great way to quickly acknowledge how I'm feeling at the moment and I usually find after that moment of acknowledgement, I tend to stop ruminating on the thought. Hopefully this is a rule of the exercise instead of an exception, because I definitely like moving through the thoughts instead of having them take over hours of my day.
I think this book might be a bit confusing to you if you're not a member of a 12-step program, as she references concepts from 12-step programs throughout the reading. At one point she even specifies working the 12 steps. Probably not helpful for those who've never attended a 12-step program, but, I'll also say that if anything in this book resonates with you and you've not ever checked out a 12-step meeting, you might want to give one a try.
I'm not currently on board with her suggestion to find a partner in this. I'm thinking I'd rather experience this the first time through individually (which she says is also acceptable). If I'm seeing something significant, I might see if a friend is interested in joining me later down the road. I can see how it would be really important to select a friend who's on board with just listening (or reading) instead of trying to push you for continued growth.
I'll admit this is a bit of a step away from what I've been learning in the past about Law of Attraction. Acknowledging and THANKING the negative? But Melody gives a great analogy of how this works. She describes trying to paint over layers of old wallpaper being like trying to layer over our crusty, distorted, negative feelings with shiny positive affirmations. Just like in the wallpaper analogy, the old wallpaper isn't going to let the new coat of paint remain and be successful. The negative gunk is still underneath and those old base layers need to get cleared out and cleaned up first before that shiny new top-coat gets applied in order for it to stick.
What an interesting concept. I've only just finished the book, so I have not actually begun the actual exercises, but at 10 minutes a day, it's not like there's some fantastical amount of effort I need to put into this. That said, I've found myself beginning to just say "thank you for ____" when I catch myself in a place of complaining or criticizing myself or others. If anything, it's a great way to quickly acknowledge how I'm feeling at the moment and I usually find after that moment of acknowledgement, I tend to stop ruminating on the thought. Hopefully this is a rule of the exercise instead of an exception, because I definitely like moving through the thoughts instead of having them take over hours of my day.
I think this book might be a bit confusing to you if you're not a member of a 12-step program, as she references concepts from 12-step programs throughout the reading. At one point she even specifies working the 12 steps. Probably not helpful for those who've never attended a 12-step program, but, I'll also say that if anything in this book resonates with you and you've not ever checked out a 12-step meeting, you might want to give one a try.
I'm not currently on board with her suggestion to find a partner in this. I'm thinking I'd rather experience this the first time through individually (which she says is also acceptable). If I'm seeing something significant, I might see if a friend is interested in joining me later down the road. I can see how it would be really important to select a friend who's on board with just listening (or reading) instead of trying to push you for continued growth.
I'll admit this is a bit of a step away from what I've been learning in the past about Law of Attraction. Acknowledging and THANKING the negative? But Melody gives a great analogy of how this works. She describes trying to paint over layers of old wallpaper being like trying to layer over our crusty, distorted, negative feelings with shiny positive affirmations. Just like in the wallpaper analogy, the old wallpaper isn't going to let the new coat of paint remain and be successful. The negative gunk is still underneath and those old base layers need to get cleared out and cleaned up first before that shiny new top-coat gets applied in order for it to stick.
January 8, 2026
So many things in our lives seem unattainable. We believe it will take a miracle to regain our previous fitness level after an illness or surgery, write the book that lives in our hearts, recover from complicated grief, or repair an important relationship. This book shows you how to co-create miracles. I received the book from a friend a few months ago. Immediately, I put it aside. Then, as I was preparing for a 2026 Book Club at my local library, I picked it up and began reading in earnest. Personally, I’ve been following Melody’s recommendations for less than a week, and I already see results. Here’s the kicker. You will likely feel resistance in many ways. You may not believe it’s true, or it’s true for others, but not you. Take a chance. Do the work, which is a little preliminary understanding of what you want, and then ten minutes each day. Yes, that’s the time commitment! What have you got to lose?
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June 25, 2025I read about the practice described in the book on a writer’s substack. I started doing what the other writer described but sought out this book to get the information from the originator.
I’m up to 30 days at this point. Did I expect a miracle when I started? Do I now?
No, maybe, I don’t know. I didn’t yet incorporate all the parts the author describes so it’s not yet a good test. I thought it sounded like “morning pages” from “The Artist’s Way” which I had found helpful in the past. And I am finding it helpful in a similar way but also finding it helps me process feelings and thoughts differently.
I’m up to 30 days at this point. Did I expect a miracle when I started? Do I now?
No, maybe, I don’t know. I didn’t yet incorporate all the parts the author describes so it’s not yet a good test. I thought it sounded like “morning pages” from “The Artist’s Way” which I had found helpful in the past. And I am finding it helpful in a similar way but also finding it helps me process feelings and thoughts differently.
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