1After my critique in last week’s post about the lack of creativity around the Thanksgiving table:
It could be the Thanksgiving Dinner version of gratitude where, when we go around the table everyone parrots that what they are grateful for is “family and friends!” (Isn’t there anything more you can express gratitude for?! Stop copying!)
I realized I should throw my dear readers a bone when it comes to gratitude.
After spending years at practice, actively re-focusing on what there is to be grateful for, what I can appreciate and what I enjoy, I can definitely harken back to how hard it is to see these things before you get practiced at looking for them.
So here is a worksheet for you, if you’d like to get better at a focusing on what there is to be grateful for in your life. (When we have gratitude for what is around us, it becomes more natural to have gratitude for ourselves.) Complete each of these starters with as many items as you can think of, and be creative! The more you are able to list, the better. This is training for your brain to get sharper at finding gratitude in your life.
What can I be grateful for:
In my work
In my relationships
In my abilities
In my home
In my spirituality
You can also find gratitude in each of these for OTHER PEOPLE. Ie:
I can be grateful that my partner has a job he loves.
I can be grateful that my coworker is learning new skills that she is excited to learn.
I can be grateful that my brother is finding solace in his prayer life.
When you don’t have this guide in front of you, an easy go-to for ON THE SPOT Gratitude is:
~What can I appreciate about THIS MOMENT?~
Use your senses:
Is the temperature you are in comfortable?
Does it smell nice where you are?
Is your chair comfortable/do you appreciate that you get to stand or move around in this moment?
Can you appreciate the silence/sounds you currently hear?
What other sensations are you experiencing in this very moment that you can be glad about? What surrounds you that is worth appreciating?
The more apt we become at feeling gratitude regularly, the more ease we feel within ourselves. There are always things to appreciate around you, but if you aren’t intentional about looking at them, you will always be distracted by what you need to get done/remember/solve. It is important for your brain to get used to seeing what you feel gratitude for in your day-to-day.
Saying Grace - Body Acceptance Project post 37557169