Six Minutes and More

Today I am grateful for:

1. comfortable shoes

2. a cozy blanket on a chilly morning

3. the inquisitive nature of our grandsons

4. hugs shared with loved ones

5. lamplight and the electricity that powers it

6. the play of light, shadows, and a brisk breeze

7. clean water to drink

8. commitment to mindfulness meditation time each day

9. the benefits coming from this commitment 

10. chocolate 

11. reasonable parents 

12. our dog Oliver curled up and sleeping 

13. the smell of coffee before and after it is brewed

14. those who helped get coffee to me to brew

15. the road workers doing construction in our area

16. laughter and smiles 

17. a willingness to be quiet, wrong, awed 

18. the various sounds wind creates

19. morning air, sky, quiet

20. connecting to Nature, Higher Power

21. ease of mind, peace of mind

There is simplicity in a gratitude list, and also an expansive energy. For something different, I set my timer for three minutes and wrote a few things on this list, went about some other activities, came back for two minutes and wrote a few more, and then a little later closed it out with one more minute of jotting down what I am grateful for this morning.

After the first three minutes, I went about my next activities a little more aware and a little more present. When I set the timer for two minutes, I already had more to write about. The time I commit to intentionally practicing grateful living impacts more than that time spent. It carries over into my day, creating a healthier and more energized perception of the world around me, others, and myself. 

It works. It really does.