Thoughts on gratitude


I really appreciate the blog series my husband is doing right now. It is inspired by a book that we are both reading for our book club: 365 Thank Yous. It’s a wonderful story about a man/dad who is down in the dumps; his business is falling apart; his relationships with his family & friends aren’t great. One day he gets the idea (I would call this a spiritual idea, “angel” message or the Christ) which tells him to write thank you notes! It’s New Years Eve when he gets this message so he vows to write 365 thank you notes in the New Year. The rest of the book (which I haven’t finished yet) is about how this practice transforms his thought, life and relationships.

It is a delightful book. I get such a sense of joy when reading it, and it reminds me how the simple act of gratitude can really brighten my day. I may even start a “thank you” note project of my own! (My husband is doing his thank you note project on his blog.)

What is it about gratitude that makes us feel so light and joyful? It reminds us of the good in our lives and puts Good at the forefront of thought. The human mind is so prone to magnify evil or the negative. Often this mind ruminates over the past. It’s like a treadmill of worry and fear. Apparently, humans think 2,000-3,000 thoughts per day. And I’ve heard that 70% of these thoughts are the same each day. We have to jump off this same old treadmill of thought and think differently! And gratitude is a fun, light way to do that.

 

It’s only by opening our eyes that we will see more…

I’m grateful for this lovely post written by my husband. Thanks, John, for inspiring us with these wonderful ideas!

It’s Only By Opening Our Eyes That We Will See More.

Inspired by the lovely book, A Simple Act of Gratitude, I have been taking very specific and conscious moments in my days to just give gratitude.  This recognition of the good in my days has made me more aware of the immense good that is here!  It’s only by opening our eyes that we will see more….

Gratitude journal


I have a gratitude journal where I jot down lists of the things I’m grateful for.

This morning I decided this would be a great way to start the day. There is a line from a hymn which says “Our gratitude is riches, Complaint is poverty…” (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 249)  I knew that the practice of gratitude would open me up to see all the good, all the ways our Father/Mother is expressing Herself.

I had a great weekend with friends. We did a lot of awesome activities and it was really fun. At first I thought I would write down the things we did and the friendships I had that I was grateful for. But I was moved beyond that to really be grateful for the qualities I see & feel expressed, which give proof that the Source of these qualities is real and tangible.

My list went like this:

Thank you for

  • Spirit
  • Love
  • Truth (these are synonyms, or other names for Deity. And I knew that from this Source comes the following that I am grateful for…)
  • virtue, integrity, honesty, kindness, willingness, innocence, affection, tenderness, patience, meekness, kindness, compassion, non-judgemental, no condemnation, purity, joy, unselfishness.

It is such a blessing (and healing) to get to experience and/or express any of these qualities.

What are you grateful for today?