The Practice of Gratitude
The practice of gratitude is much more meaningful than simply giving thanks, or expressing appreciation for a gift you have received. Practicing gratitude is an individual choice we all have, that is extraordinarily powerful. It is a way of being in life that can alter how we see and experience the world around us. I invite you to consider taking a small step in this direction of practicing gratitude, and experience the shift in your own life.
Many of us may have been taught, while growing up, to be grateful for all that we have. Our caregivers often reflecting on how much more we have, than they did when they were our ages. Many of us may have also been taught to say “Thank you” as we received a gift as a child. And if we didn’t like it, they might have said something like, “You should still be grateful they thought of you”. Many of us may have begrudgingly followed our caregivers requests, not fully grasping the benefits of the lesson they were attempting to instill in us.
Our caregivers begin teaching us lessons in the opportunities that present themselves. Such as the lesson of being thankful or grateful, when we “ought” to be. There is, however, a much greater and more powerful purpose that is connected, which we could all benefit from throughout our lifetime. It is ultimately the choice we have, in every moment, to practice gratitude. It is truly not necessary to wait for a moment that we “ought” to be grateful for.
As a human species, it is easy for most of us to notice the negative of our experiences. Some might even argue, it is second nature to us. Whether it is that we are under stress, tired, suffering from a physical ailment, angry, sad, bored, etc. – we take on this negative focus and weave it throughout the moments in our day. Sometimes it shows up in us being irritable, inpatient, tearful, resentful, or even hopeless. And yet, we can exercise the practice of gratitude to shift our experiences.
There are many moments throughout the day that we have choices to make. From the very moment we wake, we choose when to open our eyes. As you read this, you may disagree, and believe opening our eyes is automatic. I invite you to notice the moment, the next time you wake, when you make the choice to open your eyes. I further invite you to then practice gratitude in that same moment, for waking one more day.
As I write this, I am not naive to realize that for many of us, life can feel extraordinarily challenging. And this is why I am writing about the practice of gratitude. I believe that this practice has the power to help ease many of the struggles and heart aches that come to us in this life. The practice of gratitude gives us the power to shift our perspective, as the quote from President Abraham Lincoln states, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses”. In essence, the practice of gratitude is us choosing to notice the positive in any, and all, the moments of our life.
My hope in writing this blog was to share the lived experience of my own practice of gratitude, and how it has altered the experiences I have had in my own life. It is possible to make a choice, when times are tough, to shift our perspective and find something in those moments to be grateful for. Before we can really do this in those tough moments, we must exercise this choice, as often as possible, in our lives. Not just wait for the tough moments.
A daily practice, of naming one or two things you are grateful for in that day, is one simple way to start. Or, if that feels like too much, you can try to end each week with a list of one, two, or three things you were grateful for. Or, you can do both the daily and weekly practice! If you have a family, and would like to incorporate the practice of gratitude as a family, you could create a family gratitude jar (https://josierobinson.com/journal/family-gratitude-jar). Or you can also modify this, and create a workplace gratitude jar with your colleagues!
There are many things we can be grateful for in our lives, if we really pause and try to notice. We can be grateful for the sun, or the clouds. For pleasant smells and sights. For laughter and unexpected silly moments. For a kind person we cross paths with. For the chance to help someone in need. For breathing. For walking. Or for waking, for one more day.
There is not one way to practice gratitude. In fact, if you were to do a Google search on practice of gratitude, “About 77,000,000 results” will appear! You could find articles on the benefits, the science, activities, exercises, etc. So please – do a search and explore your options! Today, I am grateful to have had the chance to write this blog, and share this idea of the practice of gratitude with each of you who has read. I do hope the opportunity to experience the practice of gratitude will have a positive impact in your life, too!
Written by
Natasha Varela, LCPC
Addictions Department Clinical Intern at Mutual Ground