DAY 88 - ARE YOU GRATEFUL?
I hope you’re following along as we countdown the final 100 days of 2022 - you can join us anytime. Learn more about the program HERE.
There’s a reason so many people speak of having or showing gratitude. There are countless books, journals, seminars, even movies about the power of gratitude in your life. And I’m a huge fan! About fifteen years ago I was going through a difficult time. I confided in a friend who had a very strong spiritual practice that included meditation and gratitude. And moreover, most of the time she seemed to be a genuinely happy, even joyful person. While we talked about a number of things, one main takeaway for me was she had a profound and deep commitment to gratitude; having it and expressing it.
When we bring gratitude into our daily lives, we begin to shift our perspectives. Gratitude fosters a different mindset, one that supports a deeper appreciation and enthusiasm for what we have. If you truly commit to taking time to evaluate your life with a lens of gratitude, you start to connect with what’s positive and working well, instead of always looking at what’s missing. While I know there are skeptics who might not believe that changing your mindset makes a difference, I am here to tell you it can have a profound impact on your life.
Part of my gratitude practice includes:
1-2x per week, list all the things from the prior week for which I am truly grateful.
Write a minimum of 5 handwritten notes, per week, to people expressing my appreciation and gratitude.
Let at least 2-3 people know that they have made a difference for me this week.
Next time a food server, cashier, or delivery person hands you something, look them in the eye and tell them how much you appreciate them. My experience is you will see a noticeable and positive change in them.
I once left a handwritten note for a hotel desk clerk, expressing how much I appreciated her effort to make my stay so welcoming. I got a call from her manager to tell me the note almost moved the clerk to tears. Apparently, that had been a particularly difficult week for the clerk. The hotel was especially busy, and they were short-staffed. Sadly, the clerk took the brunt of the guest’s frustrations. No other customer bothered to say thank you let alone do something so thoughtful as leaving a note. For this reason, I keep a small supply of Thank You cards in a notebook that travels everywhere with me. Leaving a trail of kindness is an incredible thing! Small acts of gratitude do more for me than the recipient, I assure you. When I’m having a difficult day, nothing helps me snap out of it faster than showing appreciation to someone else.