“A Thank you is an embrace from the heart.”
—Lenore Skomal
As a big believer in practicing gratitude, in order to be more grateful, I find the practice most beneficial, when its hardest to do. In a time of crisis, worry, fear, change, uncertainty, etc., its so calming to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and start mentally rambling off my list of things that I am grateful for. By incorporating the practice on a daily basis, it makes it much easier to reset one’s thinking but returning to this calming practice.
Several people have suggested they always find the same things on their list. Of course I am always grateful for my husband and our 30 year partnership, ups and downs included, and our high functioning self-sufficient, well adjusted children, for my business which has survived the recession, for my good health, my friends,etc., but from daily practice, I have learned there are such small things to be grateful for, which really aren’t small at all. My list today includes things like being grateful for fuel in my gas tank, my legs that allow me to walk, clean clothes to wear to work this morning, for another day with my bigreddog, for a tomato or two on the vine, for coffee in my cup, for the grocery shopping being done last night, for the sun coming thru the blinds, for one more farmer’s market in Parkland tomorrow morning, for a class to teach this morning, for my fingers that nimbly allow me to type, for inspiration from Toi’s blog, for the woman who are peacefully protesting to make positive changes in the lives of so many families effected by prescription drugs, for new possibilities and certainly, not small at all, for all of you and for another day in paradise.
I challenge all of you to keep (or start!!!) practicing gratitude every day. Do it silently or write it down. Naturally thankful for the big things, I encourage you to dig deep and look for the small things. Share some of the small things YOU are thankful for. It’s amazing how the small things become big and how filled with gratitude you will feel.
At the end of each day, since February, I write at least three things for which I was grateful that day. They have recently included being grateful that I hesitated at the traffic light (don’t know why) and avoided an accident with someone who ran the red, that my knees don’t hurt so much anymore, that all my students showed up every day for FCAT last week, that the breeze made being outside for recess enjoyable. Tonight, I am grateful, Bonni, for the book you lent. Namaste.