It is finally here! 2009! My start of 2009 is of course, resolutions, the taking up kind, rather than giving up...I am making a plan to practice GRATITUDE and THANKFULNESS.
It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of life, rudeness of people, not being or seeing the people that you love and care about.
Time flies by, and we miss out on all the moments that we will never get back, and wish we could have, would have, or should have been there or done that.
I am slowing down. Taking time for things that MATTER. Things that are bigger than me. Things that need to be appreciated, that were previously overlooked. Things that are right here in my own backyard. My home, my husband, my family, our finances, our health, our pets, our friends, others who are in need of help or have no others to turn to.
Even though the state of our overall economy is in dire straights at the moment, GRATITURE and THANKFULNESS need not cost anything but a feeling, an emotion, and time.
Here is a part of my plan...
1. Keep a Gratitude List or Journal
I plan to write down at least five things each day that I am grateful for in list form in a journal of sorts. Want to try this with me? You might think that at first, it would be hard to come up with different things each day, but even I was surprised at how expressing gratitude in this way caused me to recognize that I have so more to be thankful for than I ever could have imagined. I keep this little journal with me so that when I have a few moments, I can jot down things when I have a moment.
2. Express Your Thanks Out Loud
Tell others that you are GRATEFUL or THANKFUL for them. Do it while you're eating dinner with your family or friends, go around the table and share one or two things that you're thankful for. What's especially great about this simple habit is that your actions may inspire others to see things they had not seen before or that it may start a pay it forward, where others start expressing their thanks out loud. Try not to take the efforts of others for granted. Thank them for their kindness and helpfulness in your life.
3. Write a Letter of Thanks
When you feel thankful for certain people in your life, be bold enough to say it out loud or put it in a letter. One of the great tragedies in life is that, too often, we just don't know what we mean to others. You can take one small step toward changing this by writing a letter of gratitude to an old friend, co-worker, mentor, or friend. Just recently, my DH and I lost a very special person in our lives, and had not told him how thankful we were for his kindness and work with others. We are pledging to not let this happen again. Shout it out loud, drop them a note--need to keep writing those Thank You cards!
4. Be Grateful for the Challenging Times
In the last 6 months, our lives have changed a lot, financially, healthwise, work wise. We are grateful that my DH has a job, while I do not have one. We have learned to be thankful and grateful for what does come our way. We do not let these snippets of work with misc. income sources go by without a huge debt of gratitude. Share with your others some of the challenging times you've gone through in life that you're also grateful for. We have had lessons in creative meal planning, not wasting food, the priviledges that we do have and many of these lessons have shown us alternative ways of coping without being sheltered, strapped, or leaving us with the feeling that we are being punished! We have rediscovered the local hiking trails and parks (free) the library (also free) and other fun things to do that are either free or low cost, that we might have otherwise passed up before! How have you grown through your most challenging experiences, and what good has come out of them?
5. Make it a Habit
Learning to be truly grateful can change your life. One way to continue a new "attitude of gratitude" is to create a habit around your thankfulness. For example, you might set aside a certain time of day to reflect on what you're grateful for. Sometimes it can help to do something ritualistic at the same time, such as make yourself a cup of tea. Then, as you're sipping the tea, consider what you're grateful for. Each time you make a cup of tea, reflect on your gratitude. Over time, this will begin to seep into your everyday thinking, and you'll realize that you have much in life to be grateful for! Whatever you do, keep practicing gratitude and thankfulness. You will start to see a happier you, a less stressful you, and a joyful you!
What a great reminder. Love your attitude! Here's to a FABULOUS 2009! :)
Posted by: Dena | February 15, 2009 at 04:57 AM