A librarian who wakes up to the sounds of activity at a bustling elementary school can often feel thrown into a vortex of to-do’s and have to-do’s’ to into the next minute. And what about to-do’s for the next day, week, month … year? But what if instead of thinking of each day as a vexing to-do, we think of it as a gift?
‘While gratitude is a feeling, an attitude, thankfulness is the expression of it, for ourselves or another.’ ― Angeles Arrien
gratitude is the feeling behind thanksgiving: a feeling that we express when we thank others, or when we thank ourselves. How can we all become a bit more thankful, everyday?
One of the simplest Womanspeak practices to cultivate is the embodied feeling of saying thank you — of finding appreciation, in a conscious way, for the gifts, big and small, streaming through our lives. For me, it’s practising saying thank you to the kids at the library for cooperating and being patient; to my wife for grocery shopping for me after another long day; to myself, for my self-care practice through swimming and body nurturing; to strangers; to Mother Earth for shedding snow during a peaceful night; or to the parking car for giving me a spot at the best possible time.
After all, with so much going on every day of our lives, remembering to check in with God, who carries love and light in his hands with which to nurture us at every twist and turn, is not such a bad start.
Thus, in gratitude’s generative greenhouse, let’s seize the opportunity to engage:
Find somewhere in the house where you can get away from the buzz of outside.
Take a few deep breaths, allowing a sense of calmness to wash over you.
You might want to think about the person’s strengths — who they are, and their positive qualities, their kind words and good deeds. Then write about this in your journal, using the prompt: ‘Today, I would like to say thank you for …’
Whatever comes to mind — a person? an experience? a blessing for which you are giving praise? — write it down.
Let yourself feel gratitude clearly in your heart when saying thank you to yourself, to others, and to the universe.
When we practice cultivating gratitude we transform what we have and, in doing so, invite abundance, joy, and peace into our lives. Let’s begin practicing gratitude, together — one thanks at a time.
