“Sometimes we’re so busy chasing all the things we haven’t got that we forget to notice all the things we already have, the people in our lives and the fortunate circumstances in which we live.”
One of my earlier blogs, Rise and Shine…An Attitude of Gratitude, talked about how my gratitude practice came to be and the important part gratitude plays in my life. It’s my mainstay, my manifesto for living, my therapist, my guide and my fundamental source of joy.
I can’t say I would be the person I am today if I didn’t have a formal gratitude practice. I’ve relied on this practice to get me through some of the darkest and most difficult times of my life. Gratitude sets things straight for me, clears my head, re-centers me when needed, gives me an attitude adjustment and allows me to live a full, joyful, peaceful, meaningful and purposeful life. Without a gratitude practice I, too, may have slipped into the dark world of depression like so many of my family members and members of society.
Being a self-proclaimed gratitude junkie has its benefits. How so? Well, I’ve been in the dark, have had troubled times, been broken open and broken down, at times didn’t know how I’d take the next step (literally and figuratively), been surrounded by death and losses and torn apart by life circumstance…..like we all have been subjected to in life. However, the art of finding gratitude in those moments has always been a game changer. In addition, I am able to commiserate and understand how we all get knocked down and find it difficult to get back up because I’ve lived it and have shared in the pain we all feel during such times. These experiences allow me to speak from experience and, more importantly, from the heart.
We all come across people who sometimes are in such a troubled or sorrowful state that they can’t seem to fight their way out of a paper bag. I’ve actually had people say that they have a hard time finding one thing for which they can be grateful. This I find hard to believe, but sadly there are troubled souls like this out there. Can you relate? Perhaps you’ve been there? Like I said, I think we’ve all been there in varying degrees. Perhaps you find yourself currently taking up residency in this state? Perhaps you are in a perpetual state of loss, grief, or darkness? Perhaps you don’t know how you’re going to get through the next hour or the day?
What we all must tap into is the knowingness that our nervous system can NOT be happy and sad at the same time. All it takes is a few seconds of identifying something we are grateful for, and our nervous systems shifts. We feel lighter, happier, and more hopeful. The more we do this practice and make it a routine, make it our default setting and our modus operandi, the more we will experience unimaginable shifts in our psyches, in our bodies and in our hearts.
It’s common for me to have numerous books and journals containing writing prompts on the subject of gratitude. So on this beautiful, first day in July, a sunny Sunday morning where the birds are chirping outside my window in the early morning stillness, I will share with you some prompts that will help you to keep your gratitude flowing.
The first one is more of an exercise and is especially useful if you do not have a gratitude practice. My intent is to list a month’s worth of prompts to set you on your way. While some of these require some thought, there may be days you’re just not into digging so deeply, so you can simply start with “I am grateful for” and list 2-3 things. By all means this is more than enough! You are more than enough. Now that is even a good place to start!
- Start by listing everything you are grateful for. List the big things, the little things, and everything in between. Write until you can think of anything else. And then write some more. This will kick off your gratitude practice and help you see just how much you have to be grateful for.
- What is one aspect of your daily life that you don’t always take time to appreciate, but that you’re actually grateful for?
- What are some of the things that are constants in your life – things that you’ll always find comfort in, things that you can always be grateful for?
- What is one thing your parents taught you that you are grateful for?
- What are three of your physical characteristics that you are grateful for?
- What are three of your personality traits you are grateful for?
- What are three personality traits that you are grateful for in others?
- Write about one person who has taught you the most. What did they teach you and why are you grateful to have learned from them?
- What is one thing in nature that you are grateful for? What is something you can do to show your gratitude for this?
- Who is one person who is grateful for you? What have you done to make their life better?
- What are three things you are truly grateful for about your job (or hobby if you aren’t currently employed)?
- Do you have a spiritual practice that you are grateful for? What does it mean to you?
- Write about one book that you are especially grateful for. How has reading it changed you? If you could thank the author, what would you say?
- What is one talent that you possess that you’re extremely grateful for?
- What are you most grateful for about your home? What do you appreciate most about living there?
- Why are you grateful to have been born during this time?
- Who is a person or group of people from the past you’re grateful for? Why? What about them do you most appreciate?
- Write about something that has changed over the course of history that you are grateful for?
- We all make choices every day in our lives. Which choices have you made that you are the most grateful for?
- What is one thing your body can do that you are grateful for?
- What are you most grateful for about all the latest advances in technology?
- What animal are you especially grateful for? How do they make your life better?
- What music are you the most grateful for? Is there a song or musician who inspires you?
- Write one thing for each of your five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) that you’re grateful for
- What is one way you’ve changed that you’re grateful for?
- What are you grateful for about the country you live in? What are you grateful for about the specific part of the country you live in?
- What is one surprise you’ve experienced that you were (and are) grateful for?
- Have you ever been helped by a stranger? If you could tell them how grateful you are for them, what would you say?
- If there’s anyone who you generally dislike, what is something about them that you’re grateful for?
- What is the most empowering thing you’ve ever done? What about this experience are you grateful for?
- When you look back on your life thus far, what are you the most grateful for?
Darlings, may you find gratitude in the littlest of things, as well as the biggest of things, and may you be inspired to commit to a daily gratitude practice. If you already have one, as I do, may we find ways to deepen the practice and enrich each other’s lives!
Inhale Love & Light…Exhale Grace & Gratitude, JTC
Inspire Love Serve 