Gratitude

How can we carry an attitude of gratitude with us daily? Here are a couple writing activities to make a gratitude a fun and easy daily practice.

Three Unique & Specific Things Each Night
One idea is to write down three things that you are grateful for at the end of every day. Make them unique and specific enough that you can’t repeat them on the list. So, not something so generic as “my mom” or “my son.” But something more specific, like, “I am grateful I got to spend an uninterrupted hour with my son this morning before anyone else woke up, because it allowed me to focus on what he wanted to eat, what he wanted to play with, what he was excited about, and what shows he wanted to watch on TV. This hour allowed me to pay attention to this little being as he evolves and notice small changes in his development and preferences.”

One Thing: Catalog of Causes
Another tip from Dan Pink’s recent book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Think of something positive in your life. Write down all of the conditions that allowed it to happen.  Then write all of the things that might not have happened.  Stop, come back to the present moment, and remind yourself that things did go your way. Was there a person who is now in your life who was not before? It may be a happy accident, and it’s something you can be grateful for.