Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small
Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh
Gratitude is an
important part of living a quality life. It’s a go-to resource for me whenever
I’m filled with the negativity that comes from anxiety and worry.
I can complain
about the thorns on my rose bushes, or I can bask in the glory of the
sweet-smelling, intricately delicate blooms made up of glorious shades of every
color. Which will I choose?
Research has found
those who focused on daily blessings are more optimistic, vigorous, pleasant,
and better able to handle life’s troubles. Their sleep is better, and they are
sick less often. They are more charitable and make greater progress toward
their goals.*
Gratitude mantras
are part of my daily meditation routine.
Begin your daily journal with a thankful
statement.
Here are some of
mine:
“I am grateful for
the compassion I see around me.”
“I love the
empathy I have developed for others.”
“I am thankful for
understanding in my life.
Write a Gratitude Journal
Every journal
entry, I start with something I’m thankful for. It creates the tone for the
path I want to follow throughout my life.
Middle-of-the-night gratitude mantras:
Sometimes I wake
in the night when I’m worried about something. The best way for me to go back
to sleep is to repeat several mantras over and over.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do
that. Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope
Our life is frittered away by detail.
Simplify, simplify. Henry
David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings
Let go and let God. Origin unknown
Create your own
mantras—ones that speak to the personal issues you are working though
Gratitude Visualizations
Every morning when
I meditate, I like to do a couple of gratitude visualizations. I always use
somethings that I think will cross my path that day.
When the wind
blows, the pines in our backyard whisper in the breeze. Pines smell deliciously
like a forest. They are my giant protectors. I have watched them grow from
small seedlings to large guardians of the backyard. If they can grow so
straight and tall from small seedlings, then I know I can grow straight and
tall as well.
Make up your own
visualizations from things in your surroundings. We do have a beautiful world.
Keep
gratitude in the forefront of your life. Those who include gratitude in their
lives are healthier, sleep better, and have less illness than those who don’t.
*Emmons
and McCullough, in the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology,