Most of us have heard the expression “attitude of gratitude” and like the sound of it. The big question is how do we put it into practice? It’s a bit like yoga. Wearing the clothes and liking the theory does not make me a yogi. I actually have to get on the mat and begin to practice yoga to become a yogi.
I recently spent a week at a cottage with part of my extended family and brought along a jar and a little notepad of coloured paper. On the first day I invited everyone to write a list of 10 things they were grateful for. The initial reaction of my family was “10 things?! That’s too many!” But, after some complaining they set to work. When each person was done writing they folded their paper and put it in the jar. We didn’t checked to see that everyone wrote 10 things and there were no wrong answers. The point was to create that attitude of gratitude.
We focused on our blessings, the beautiful location, the time away with family and the opportunity to re-connect with each other on a deeper level. Someone said they were grateful for the Lucky Charms cereal they had for breakfast (a vacation treat), others named people they were grateful to have in their lives and one was simply grateful for the opportunity to say morning prayers beside a beautiful lake. All our attention and energy went to the positive.
A few more times over the course of the week we added notes to the jar. Each time it got easier to write what we were grateful for. And, with practice, came more meaning for each of us in what we wrote down.
No matter how big or small our gratitude list, it is always worth writing. What we focus on in life is what will expand.
What are you most grateful for in this moment? Write it down!
