Living in Gratitude - A Spiritual Daily Practice

Today what’s on my mind is gratitude. Now gratitude is a word that most people in the world don’t really, truly understand. I didn’t know what it really meant either, to be honest with you, until a few years ago. Gratitude is more a way of being than it is momentary thankfulness. If someone gives us a gift or gives us a compliment, we say thank you. That’s polite. That’s being thankful. But gratitude, waking up each day with appreciation for another day of life, another day to be with the people we love most, that’s true gratitude.

About six years ago I started my daily gratitude practice. At least once a day I think of two or three things that I am grateful for. For me, whenever I bring my attention to the things I’m grateful for, my entire day shifts. Over time, when I began to practice this each day, I noticed that my whole life started to change. Gratitude opened up a beautiful new world of abundance for me. I’m not just talking about financial or tangible abundance, although those things do follow, I’m talking about an abundance of a full spectrum life - loving relationships, awesome days full of happy moments, a positive attitude, etc.

For me, each day before I open my eyes, I wake up and I’m grateful to my Higher Power, to God, for this one day that is given to me. Each day that we get to live and breathe on this planet is a beautiful gift and I never want to take that for granted.

If you’re still here with me, I invite you to try this practice out right now. Bring to mind just one thing that you’re grateful for. Some ideas might be:

• I woke up today.

• I slept well last night.

• I have a healthy body.

• I have a great relationship with ____. (You fill in the blank.)

• I have a roof over my head.

• I have a car to drive.

• I am grateful for my doggies.

Those are just some of the ones that come to mind for me. But what are YOU grateful for? Take a few moments and reflect on the things you are grateful for.

Now, didn’t that feel great? Notice how focusing on the blessings in your life not only brings you more joy and fulfillment, but they also help you put your attention on the present moment. Practicing gratitude daily has brought major positive changes into my life in the way I perceive challenging situations, in the way I interact with my friends and family, and in the way I feel about myself on a daily basis.

So here’s my challenge to you. If you feel so inclined, for the next week, as you’re waking up each day, turn your attention to three things that you’re grateful for even just for a few moments. See how it changes your outlook for the day. I promise you won’t want to stop after the two weeks are up.