A few years ago I began the practice of writing out a gratitude list. Usually the final paragraph in my journaling for the day. This morning my journaling began with a list of “what if” questions. What if people were to start making a gratitude list each day, making it a routine just like brushing our teeth? What if it consisted of just one gratitude for the day? How would our view of life change? Would we spend less on unnecessary stuff if we made such a list? What if we wrote it down, putting pen to paper, and not just let it rumble around in our head? I know from my own experience that I was prone to make a list of what I wanted rather than a list of what I already have. And, because of that I was seldom in a place of gratitude. I write gratitude lists.
4 Comments
Earl
I think that’s an excellent practice, Monte. I don’t create a written list, but when I find myself feeling overwhelmed or caught up in a stressful news event, I often break the mental and emotional cycle by focusing on what I am grateful for. I read somewhere that gratitude is a choice we make that replaces feelings of grief, envy, and worry. Have a rewarding weekend!
Monte Stevens
I have heard the same thing about gratitude lists. They also let us know what we already have rather than what I think I need. I have found that when I write it down I will be more prone to remember it. The “forgetter” has a history of being a powerful presence in my life.
geri oster
Yes, this practice has been a gift to my mind and soul for some time as well, Monte. And for me, writing it down is where the power is at for then it is documented as a known. It can be so easy for my mind to obsess on fear, or worry, or frustration. Pausing at the kitchen window and choosing to focus on my blessings at that moment, as Earl shared, certainly helps me throughout my day, yet the practice of making my blessings concrete by putting them before me and Creator on paper brings another whole kind of peace. Blessings all. g.
Monte Stevens
Your spot on, Geri. I do like the image of pausing out the kitchen window and making a choice rather than free running with fear (False Evidence Appearing Real). Blessings to. you, also!