I've recently started making a daily practice of gratitude. Every morning or evening (sometimes both!) I write in a little notebook that I like to call my gratitude journal about various things I am grateful for. I've expressed my gratitude for lots of different things, from the beauty of a vase of lilacs in my bedroom to the intense kindness and welcoming attitude of my boyfriend's mother.
Just writing down things I am grateful for every day can turn my morning grumpiness into a wonderful feeling of contentedness - a much better way to start the day! It can also turn my day around when I feel stagnant or deflated. Reminding ourselves of the small pleasures in life is such a wonderful practice, because it stimulates our sense of awareness, which helps us live our lives in the moment, and makes it difficult to take things for granted.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as recognizing the wonderful things and wonderful people in our life and taking a moment to appreciate them, in writing, vocally or just mentally. It can also mean taking the time to do something nice for someone who we appreciate, for thanking our mothers, for caring for an animal or object that may be a little neglected. Gratitude's brother is appreciation. Both of them make us feel good, and make others feel good. And I know everybody likes feeling good, so why not give it a try?
What can you be thankful for today?
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