Gratitude: behind the buzz word
Gratitude has been a bit of a buzz word in recent years and not always in a good way. It is easy for ‘gratitude’ to be used as a blocker. “There’s always something to be grateful for” can easily be used as a “don’t focus on the bad stuff!” This shuts us down when it comes to recognising and dealing with the challenges in life.
That’s not what we’re talking about here when we talk about habits for success though.
Thinking and Thanking: a Foundational Habit
The approach I advocate to those I work with works alongside the other two Foundational Habits that I introduced in my earlier blogs; play and journalling. These work together to help us to create more to be grateful for, without needing to hide from the challenges. In the simplest terms, play can help us to enjoy life and find balance, journaling can help us clear out the crap and recognise concerns and challenges, and our gratitude can help invite in more of the good!
The simple gratitude practice known as Thinking and Thanking opens us up to observing the little moments in each day when things just perfectly fall into place for us in a way that seems like magic. The parking space right outside the door when you’re running late. The deadline that was feeling too tight that gets moved. The friend you were thinking of who just happened to call at that moment.
Take note and say thank you
At the end of each day it can feel delicious to take note of all those wonderful little moments and all the other things that you have to be grateful for and to say thank you to whatever higher power you may believe in and invite in more of the same tomorrow.
It’s a simple and powerful way to end your day. Plus if you do it just before you fall asleep you doze off in a lovely warm haze of good stuff!
The practice of Thinking and Thanking is as simple as it is beautiful. So, how do you get a Thinking and Thanking habit off the ground?
- In bed, just as you are getting ready to fall asleep, take a moment or two to reflect on the day that has gone by.
- Notice the moments that were really fabulous, all the little things that you are grateful for. They might be big, they might be small. Also notice the little magical moments where things just coincidentally worked out perfectly for you. The pieces that just fell perfectly into place without you even needing to do anything.
- Then say thank you to whatever it is that you believe in – you may call that God, Allah, Mother Earth, the universe or even yourself! But send out some gratitude to that higher power and then ask it ‘can I have some more of this tomorrow please?’
What you will find over time is that you get more! Is that magic? Or is it psychology, and by looking for more, you’re finding more? I don’t know and frankly I don’t really care, it works!
Your Challenge: Give gratitude a chance
So, I invite you to spend the next week trying Thinking and Thanking as part of your bedtime routine. And do come over to my Facebook group, Soulfire Community, and share how you get on.
To find out more about foundational habits, coaching tips, and the services I offer make sure you have signed up to my newsletter.
