In keeping with the holiday season, today’s post is a simple reminder to set an intention to be grateful. If I were to represent the topics of my thoughts over the course of a day as a pie chart, the biggest slice usually represents things to do, with a tiny sliver dedicated to things to be thankful for. Furthermore, thoughts and feelings of gratitude often come and go fleetingly, without my mind resting on them and giving them the attention and focus they deserve.
If gratitude is not an ingrained habit for you, and if you find yourself drawing a blank or otherwise coming up short when trying to bring gratitude to mind, one simple exercise that you may find useful is to bring your mind to each of the following areas of your life, and see whether you can find any point of gratitude, no matter how small:
- Family
- Friends
- Health
- Food
- Shelter
- Leisure
- Civic engagement
- Spirituality
- Hobbies
- Creativity
- Growth
These are just some examples. Others may resonate for you, whether in connection with a single experience or an ongoing relationship, pursuit, or intention.
I hope your Thanksgiving was mindful and happy holidays!
