Even if I don't feel grateful . . .
Today I am grateful for our new quesadilla maker and for phone conversations with my sister Aileen and my friend Sheila yesterday.
Random thoughts about gratitude have been bouncing around in my head since a conversation I had with some other folks in recovery yesterday morning on this very topic. Let me just start by saying I wasn't feeling very grateful (or very friendly even) at the time. For no particular reason, though I suspect hormones were a factor, I was not a happy camper. As my friend Jill calls it, I was feeling "itchy-scratchy." Perpetual dissatisfaction also rang true.
But I didn't skip writing in my gratitude journal. I didn't skip pausing to acknowledge that, even in spite of a nasty attitude, I could think of several reasons to be grateful. My friends and our conversation were a good start to returning me to a more peaceful state of mind. A nice 4-mile run, even if it had to be indoors, also helped a lot.
The power of gratitude. Even when I don't feel grateful, I can take actions to practice gratitude. Invariably, sooner or later but usually sooner, I am beginning to feel grateful. And from there my perception improves, the pity party tends to look less inviting, and I return to giving my time and energy to productive and positive thoughts and action.
The habitual practice of gratitude works. It really does. Even if I don't feel grateful when I start, the actions lead me there.
Random thoughts about gratitude have been bouncing around in my head since a conversation I had with some other folks in recovery yesterday morning on this very topic. Let me just start by saying I wasn't feeling very grateful (or very friendly even) at the time. For no particular reason, though I suspect hormones were a factor, I was not a happy camper. As my friend Jill calls it, I was feeling "itchy-scratchy." Perpetual dissatisfaction also rang true.
But I didn't skip writing in my gratitude journal. I didn't skip pausing to acknowledge that, even in spite of a nasty attitude, I could think of several reasons to be grateful. My friends and our conversation were a good start to returning me to a more peaceful state of mind. A nice 4-mile run, even if it had to be indoors, also helped a lot.
The power of gratitude. Even when I don't feel grateful, I can take actions to practice gratitude. Invariably, sooner or later but usually sooner, I am beginning to feel grateful. And from there my perception improves, the pity party tends to look less inviting, and I return to giving my time and energy to productive and positive thoughts and action.
The habitual practice of gratitude works. It really does. Even if I don't feel grateful when I start, the actions lead me there.
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