Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life. – Rumi
A warm glow radiates through a frost bitten window pane as the family inside sits, gathered around a table full of food. We are all familiar with this image, as it is the one widely portrayed in the media as the ideal version of Thanksgiving Day.
I am fortunate in that my family does gather together each Thanksgiving. Yet we don’t all have the opportunity to be with our family or friends on Thanksgiving Day. What we do, however, all have the ability to engage in is the expression of gratitude. This gratitude can have a profound impact on our experience of this life, on our overall mood and our ultimate wellbeing.
Obviously, saying Thank You should extend beyond Thanksgiving. Gratitude is continuously listed by experts as one of the top factors in building a happy life. And, knowing that, how often am I really stopping to offer conscious words of gratitude?
The benefits of expressing gratitude have been widely researched, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships” [Harvard Health].
I know this – I have read the research – and, still, I haven’t managed to maintain a practice of consciously expressing gratitude each day. And why? It gets lost among the list of other things that are on my daily to-do’s. Instead, as I fall asleep, I think to myself, “I’ll remember to do it tomorrow.”
It is only with conscious and consistent expression of thanks that we receive the full benefits of a gratitude practice. And so I ask, “How can I begin to incorporate gratitude into my life, expressing it with regularity and intentionality?”
♡Gratitude Journal:
I love to journal. Regardless of how much else is on my plate, there is rarely a day that goes by where I don’t pick up my journal and jot down at least a few thoughts. As such, integrating a gratitude list into my journal would be a seamless way to take a moment and express thanks. This could be done morning or evening and would only take a moment. Imagine looking back at this list at the end of a year and seeing an extensive compilation of your many thanks!
♡Gratitude Date:
Another fun, and meaningful way that I could bring more gratitude into my day to day would be to make a habit of sharing with Daniel five good things that happened to me, or five things that I am excited about, and then having him do the same. We could do this right when we wake up, before we get lost in the chaos of the day, or right before we go to sleep, entering our dreams with a lighter heart. Sometimes I forget to share all the good that has happened in my day, as the stressful moments rise to the top of mind quicker.
♡Thank You Notes:
Last weekend, when I returned from my time in Oregon with my family, I found a bouquet of flowers and a card waiting for me. The card was from Daniel and in it he expressed how much he appreciates me and all that I do around our home. I can’t describe how much that gesture meant to me. I want to return that appreciation – not just to Daniel, but to all of the people in my life who lift me up on a regular basis. Whether it is just a quick sticky note left on a desk, a text, an email, or a handwritten letter, I want to share words of gratitude each day with someone.
♡Gratitude Meditations:
There are times when gratitude can be best experienced through the practice of going within and stilling the world around you for a few moments. I have found gratitude meditations to be especially helpful for periods of times such as these. This sort of practice can be my preferred method when I am going through something challenging and am working to seek out the good within it. There are a ton of resources available to support such a form of meditation. Some of my favorites include:
- Boho Beautiful Guided Morning Meditation for Gratitude
- Jack Kornfield Meditation on Gratitude and Joy
- Yoga Girl Gratitude Meditation
I know that gratitude is good for me, and I want to begin to incorporate more of it into my daily life. That is one of my intentions for the year ahead of me…starting to practice this now.
What about you? Do you find value in expressing gratitude? Is there room in your life to be more intentional with reminding yourself, and then sharing with others, what it is that you are grateful for? How might you begin to incorporate more gratitude?
I am happy because I am grateful. I choose to be grateful. This gratitude allows me to be happy. – Will Arnett
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