Every year in November, we in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving–the day to give thanks for the abundance in our lives. We share it with our families and close friends around a table of food reflecting Mother Earth’s abundance as well as our own bountiful lives. Additionally, many people bring focus throughout the entire month of November to the attitude of gratitude.
An attitude of gratitude is “like a gearshift that can move your mental mechanism from obsession to peacefulness, from rigidity to creativity, from fear to love. The ability to relax and be mindfully present in the moment comes naturally when you’re grateful,” according to Dr. Joan Borysenko in Inner Peace for Busy People. Having an attitude of gratitude, as I learned long ago in a 12-step recovery program, is the key to feeling joy in our lives.
When we are grateful, there is no room for feeling lack or despair, worry or fear. It’s impossible to feel fear and gratitude at the same time! When we are grateful, we are dialed into the abundance in our lives. We are able to see the glass half full rather than half empty. We are focused on what is rather than what is not. We are in the glorious present moment! If we live in our heads, we are usually in the past (where regrets may reside) or in the future (where fears and longings may be). But when we’re in the glorious present, we’re living from our hearts where gratitude dwells.
It’s easy to feel gratitude when everything seems to be going right in our lives. But what about those times when we are struggling with present-moment challenges? During those times, according to Jack Canfield in the Key to Living the Law of Attraction, it’s important to “try to be grateful for even the difficult and challenging situations that arise. It is often through these situations that we experience the most profound spiritual and emotional growth. You can learn to view each apparent obstacle as an opportunity to develop a new quality, strength, skill, insight, or wisdom and be grateful for the lessons. Each and every challenge is another opportunity for growth and expansion. Rise to these occasions, and appreciate all that you are learning in the process. Keeping your attitude positive and appreciative through these times will not only help to avoid attracting more of these difficult situations into your life–it will also create a field of positive energy that will attract more of what you do want.”
When I experienced breast cancer in 2007, I initially could not find anything for which to feel gratitude–I most definitely was not grateful for the disease in my life. However, as time passed, I was able to see that because of this difficult time in my life, I grew in courage and strength, learned many things, and had many experiences that otherwise would never have happened. The wisdom and learnings I’ve experienced, the relationships I have formed, and the life path I am now on are all a result of this profound event in my life. Today, I am overflowing with gratitude for where I am today.
There are various tools and techniques that can help bring you to an attitude of gratitude. Here is a list of a few of those ideas that can increase your gratitude awareness:
1. Carry a small token, stone, crystal or some other meaningful object with you each day in your pocket or some place that you can easily access. Throughout the day, each time you reach into that place, you’ll have a tangible reminder to stop and think of something to be grateful for. As you hold or touch your small object, take a moment to breathe and really feel the emotion of gratitude.
2. Anytime you feel yourself “awfulizing” about your life or events in your life, try focusing on all the things that are right in your life. This will bring you immediately to a feeling of gratitude.
3. Start keeping a daily gratitude journal. This is a great way to begin to develop your awareness of gratitude. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process–simply jot down five things you are grateful for on that particular day. This can be people, events, or things that you are most grateful for that day. As you write them in your journal, feel the gratitude and appreciation. Remember, there is no right or wrong here. Anything–including the sun on your face, the snowfall outside your window, a kind word, a friend, or just feeling good about what you accomplished that day are all examples of what you might write down. You can do this during the day, but I prefer to keep this journal by my bed and make my list just before I go to sleep. This provides me with a wonderful sense of acknowledgment of my daily blessings as I drift off to sleep.
4. If you prefer not to write before you go to sleep, try using another suggestion given by Dr. Joan Borysenko that she learned from a Benedictine monk, Brother David Steindl-Rast, author of Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer. Every night before you go to bed, say thanks for something you’ve never thought about being grateful for before. Initially, it’s easy to come up with something new, but as time goes on, you’ll really have to dig deeper to find that something new each day. If you stick with it, however, you’ll begin noticing things to be grateful for throughout your day, knowing that you’ll need something new for that night. This simple exercise keeps you mindful and has the power to change your life.
Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important, and by far the most life-changing.” So, instead of focusing on gratitude just on Thanksgiving Day or during the month of November, why not practice a gratitude attitude daily? You might just find yourself smiling for no apparent reason and declaring to yourself and others, “Life is good!”
