2 Dates + Practice = Exponential Growth
Today I am grateful for long-time recovery friends and our shared experiences. I am also grateful for a different pace to my days while on a break from work.
There are two dates that loom especially large in my gratitude practice: February 12, 1995 and March 27, 2012. The first date signifies the inaugural entry in my inaugural gratitude journal. That was thirteen journals and 23 years ago. The second marks the launch of this blog, six years ago today, and over 1,850 posts ago.
Thank you to my friend Terrie for giving me my first gratitude journal and urging me to try the practice of gratefulness as a way to temper my propensity for ego-driven self-pity. Thank you to my sister Danita for a random email that gave me the name for this blog and the impetus to take the leap into the blogosphere.
Between the journals and this blog, that is a lot of gratitude practice. I prefer to call it living gratefully. It took practice to start living it. Plenty of practice. Both my daily gratitude journaling and my almost-daily blog have profoundly impacted how I see the world. That is the whole point.
There is a reason why my blog header says: "Building a better perception of self and surrounding world through regular practice of gratitude." It is my goal, my purpose, my hope.
It works. It really does. Living gratefully is always possible. Gratitude shared is gratitude multiplied. I can't begin to put into words how my life's trajectory has been positively impacted by mindful gratefulness. In ways, I have been putting it into words and actions though, for over 23 years now.
There has been growth in my life and in a healthier perception of myself and how I view the world and my place in it. How I view others, circumstances, opportunities. Exponential growth.
Growth that is only possible through actions. Thinking about gratitude wasn't and isn't enough. I need action and more action. How did I get from where I started, a recovering alcoholic struggling with her view of self and life, to where I am today? This person who sees herself and the world with more open-mindedness and compassion?
I got here one word, one day of practice at a time. That's it. That's all. And that is everything.
There are two dates that loom especially large in my gratitude practice: February 12, 1995 and March 27, 2012. The first date signifies the inaugural entry in my inaugural gratitude journal. That was thirteen journals and 23 years ago. The second marks the launch of this blog, six years ago today, and over 1,850 posts ago.
Thank you to my friend Terrie for giving me my first gratitude journal and urging me to try the practice of gratefulness as a way to temper my propensity for ego-driven self-pity. Thank you to my sister Danita for a random email that gave me the name for this blog and the impetus to take the leap into the blogosphere.
Between the journals and this blog, that is a lot of gratitude practice. I prefer to call it living gratefully. It took practice to start living it. Plenty of practice. Both my daily gratitude journaling and my almost-daily blog have profoundly impacted how I see the world. That is the whole point.
There is a reason why my blog header says: "Building a better perception of self and surrounding world through regular practice of gratitude." It is my goal, my purpose, my hope.
It works. It really does. Living gratefully is always possible. Gratitude shared is gratitude multiplied. I can't begin to put into words how my life's trajectory has been positively impacted by mindful gratefulness. In ways, I have been putting it into words and actions though, for over 23 years now.
There has been growth in my life and in a healthier perception of myself and how I view the world and my place in it. How I view others, circumstances, opportunities. Exponential growth.
Growth that is only possible through actions. Thinking about gratitude wasn't and isn't enough. I need action and more action. How did I get from where I started, a recovering alcoholic struggling with her view of self and life, to where I am today? This person who sees herself and the world with more open-mindedness and compassion?
I got here one word, one day of practice at a time. That's it. That's all. And that is everything.
Congratulations and thank you! I look forward to Habitual Gratitude in my inbox each morning and it is part of my gratitude practice. And grateful for our connection.
ReplyDeleteThank you Steve! Our connection is a great example of what can happen when people share gratitude and talk about how the practice of it is transforming our lives. Your "Daily Gratitudes" are part of my routine too. Thank YOU! Onward!
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