A sure fire way to feel better, from wherever you are right now, is to really get the hang of Gratitude.
I’m not talking about simply walking around telling everyone you’re grateful (it’s a bit of a trend these days, in case you hadn’t noticed) or half heartedly saying ‘I’m thankful for………’. I’m talking about deep, genuine appreciation for all you have in your life and if you’re reading this, there’s a lot! 1 – you can actually read and 2 – you have a device that can access the Internet. Awesome!
My friend and I were chatting today and realised we’re really appreciative of the pillows on our beds at night. We laughed, saying ‘who even thinks about their pillows!’ But, there’s many, many people in the world who don’t have a pillow to rest their head on and more who don’t even have a bed to sleep in.
Yet here we are, in an abundant Western society with homes, beds and pillows aplenty and how often do we truly tune in to all these amazing comforts with sincere thankfulness?
You want to feel better? Start right now by writing a list of everything you have around you that makes your life more comfortable. Sit quietly, take a few slow deep breaths and think about how all these various things play out in your life and bring you comfort and ease.
Now write about the people and animals you encounter who enhance your life experience and help you to learn. Even the ones who don’t seem so nice are teaching you valuable lessons if you take the time to look for them. There’s much to be grateful for even when there’s conflict present.
Write about nature and your surroundings. Do you live near trees, gardens, the beach? Can you look up and see the sky? Can you hear the birds?
Write about yourself and don’t judge. You have so many gifts within you and an abundance of skills and talents you’ve developed but odds are, you take them for granted and forget what an absolutely wonderful creation you are.
You get the message. Just write and write and write about every single thing you have at your disposal that if you didn’t have, would make your life quite different. And if you can’t write it down, think about it, many times a day.
Get creative, come up with new things each day, share this exercise with your family and friends and Every Day Gets Better.
Such a wonderful reminder about the gratitude of being grateful – it often gets lost in the flurry of silly daily stuff.
A wonderful message Wendy, thank you.
I’m grateful for you Mary! ❤️?
So TRUE Wendy! When worry, depression, fear, doubt, resentment, anger…you name it comes up–jotting down and focusing on what’s GOOD and RIGHT in my life turns everything around! Thank you for the reminder to focus on gratitude and be active about it–not just passively being grateful but to pay attention and direct my energy towards the blessings that I am surrounded by today. Now. Thank you for sharing your beautiful writing!
It’s my absolute pleasure to share Sahra. Thank you for sharing your experience of focusing on the good in your life and the excellent results you get. And thank you for your kind comments on my writing. I appreciate you joining me on my blog. ?❤️
What a good idea – yes, the gratefulness thing can seem a bit forced when it’s done publicly. Looking around me now, I do feel grateful for this tablet that enables me to communicate with people on the other side of the world, and my rabbit, Ginger, who gives me comfort and a sense of purpose. <3
Me too Sara, I totally appreciate my iPhone and iPad! Right now, I’m in my cosy lounge room surrounded by dogs and cats and the house and neighbourhood is so quiet. So much to be thankful for. Sending happy thoughts to you and Ginger ❤️?