Gratitude
52 Weeks - Week 10
“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” Meister Eckhart
Start a gratitude practice for all the things you are thankful for. Why? Because regularly saying thank you and expressing your gratitude can have profound and beneficial effects on your state of mind and well-being. When we are grateful we feel positive emotions, remember happy times, and have a more optimistic outlook on life. Gratitude research shows that taking the time to be thankful may reduce depression, lessen anxiety, support heart health, relieve stress and improve sleep. You can turn a negative experience or a bad day around by focusing on the good things happening; or by digging deep to find something to be thankful for.
“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” Germany Kent
Here’s some ways to get started:
1. Lying in bed, before you fall asleep, think of 10 (or 5, or even just 1) things you are thankful for from your day.
2. Do the same in the morning before you get out of bed, think of things from your upcoming day you are grateful for—before they happen!
3. Keep a gratitude journal. In the morning, evening, or when you are feeling bad list or draw things you are grateful for. Write/draw different things every day.
4. Practice saying thank you out loud, to the people that do things for you—family members, store clerks, co-workers, friends—basically anyone who does something, no matter how small.
5. Practice saying thank you for something you want before you get it. This has big implications. (We will dive into this juicy topic later.)
6. Middle of the night thank you list for the times you can’t sleep, and your mind is rehashing old dramas or current stresses. Think of all the things you are thankful for, replacing the negative thoughts with positive ones. Say your list out loud.
7. Before you get out of bed in the morning, thank God, the Universe, Creation, whoever you pray/talk to for answering your prayers/requests.
8. Get up and start your day knowing your prayers are already answered!
Resources
There are many articles on gratitude research. Check out these three articles to learn more:
Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier
Journal Prompt
Get a notebook or tablet and write or draw everyday or as often as you can the things you are grateful for. It is a nice way to end your day. This is especially helpful to do when you are feeling bad. Listing three things is a good start, but you can list as many or as few as you like. Get a little notebook or list on scrapes of paper that you hang on your fridge or someplace you can see it.
Final Thoughts
You know how good it feels to be thanked for something you've done, especially when you've put lots of time and energy into it. So, you know how good it would make someone else feel about their good work. Make it a practice to look for all the ways you can express your gratitude to others during your day. When you are looking, you will be surprised and delighted at all the opportunities that present themselves. It's like magic, the more you are thankful, the more ways you find to be thankful!