Practicing Gratitude Every Day will help Bring us Towards Inner Peace

The practice of gratitude takes discipline. But it is such an important self-love exercise that we should work on it every day.

Even if it’s not part of your routine, you probably give thanks and are grateful during celebrations and holidays. The most obvious holiday, of course, is Thanksgiving.

Holidays …

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving!

This wonderful holiday is all about food, family, friends, fun, love, laughter, togetherness (did I mention food?), and of course, being thankful.

A no-fuss, no muss holiday and where gifts are not involved. Well, maybe the welcomed hostess gift of a fabulous Pinot Noir from Oregon or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand!

Once the turkey is out of the oven, all the sides are set on the buffet, and before we eat ourselves into a slumber, we go around the table taking turns (even the little one) and let everyone know what we are thankful for.

A similar holiday, Easter.

For those who celebrate, we are thankful to God for giving us the gift of forgiveness. However, let’s pin that topic for a moment and save it for another post.

Another holiday where one might practice gratitude is New Year’s Eve, even if you are thankful that a demanding year is now behind you.

NYE provides us the opportunity of a full reconnaissance. This holiday, along with our Annual Birthday, is an excellent time to take stock in what you’ve accomplished, what you didn’t, and what you WISH to accomplish in the year ahead.

Even if you know that you have to embrace a hard year; what can you do to mentally prepare for the challenges that lie in front of you?

Our Practice

As you know, traveling along this journey with me, my birthday is a “big one” this year and I am completely taking stock in where I’ve been and where I plan on going. I encourage and support you to do the same!

Midst these wonderful celebrations and holiday festivities, we are often blessed with a witty family member or friend who can provide us with eloquent words or a thoughtful toast!
Bread
That this house may never know hunger
Salt
That life may always have flavor
Wine
That joy and prosperity will reign forever

Let’s pause here and loop back to the beginning of our conversation.

Stating the phrase “practice of” may resonate with some of you that this will be a bit of work. And if we think about this for a moment, practicing daily gratitude might be one of the easiest exercises we can do for ourselves, but for some, it might be one of the hardest.

Why is that so?

Perhaps certain holidays, or holidays in general, are difficult because of depression or a loss during that time of year. Who wants to count their blessings when in the middle of a personal crisis. Or be grateful when we fail to meet the bills, in physical or mental pain every part of every day.

I hear you; I really do! Please trust me that when I say during a negative or trying period of our lives, it is the MOST important time to practice daily gratitude. If you can spare two minutes (just 120 seconds), it will pay off in a world of good for you and can soften that hurting time to make it a little easier.

The Little Things

Being grateful for “the little things” in life is what it’s all about!

Don’t be stumped if you cannot think of anything grand that you “should” be grateful for. The simple things like the air you breathe, clean clothes on your back and a roof over your head – these may seem insignificant, but you wouldn’t be very happy missing one of these blessings.

Putting our Practice into Motion

Let’s keep our exercise, our practice easy.

What are the first three things that come to mind for which you are grateful? Jot these down in a journal or a notepad. You can create a mental list, but I highly recommend writing them down on paper for beginners.

Repeat this process every day! By doing so, you will work on replacing your negative feelings and thoughts with positive ones.

When is it the “right time” to create your list?

Naturally, anytime, however, the simple act of beginning each day with a positive mindset will set you on the best track to conquer the day ahead. How better to accomplish that than via the practice of gratitude.

Another perfect time of day is at night. Right before you close your eyes for that well-deserved rest, create a mental list. Pull from the encounters and events that happened during your day. Ponder, process, and find the moments that you can be grateful for.

What methods or tools can we use?

There isn’t a right or wrong way to weave this practice into our daily routine. I had previously touched on gratitude in both my meditation and prayer posts.

Meditation – where to begin?

The BENEFITS of MEDITATION – along with feelings of inner peace, calm, and joy, this practice will encourage (hopefully) the feeling of gratitude! And I am a firm believer that meditation can only bring good to everyone’s lives!

Prayer – a method of finding Inner Peace

I’ve read in a thousand different places (okay, that was a little bit of an exaggeration) that you should be grateful every day  …

And my favorite suggestion for you is listening to music! As you’ve probably figured out by now, music is very important to me.

Hopefully, I have already demonstrated how music can be such a powerful tool to navigate your emotions. When we select just the right song for our gratitude practice, it can make it easier, more inviting, and even more productive!

You know it’s nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

John Mayer

Thank you for inviting me on your journey to find Inner Peace. Please share with us which method you enjoy the most and if you need additional tools/resources to make your gratitude practice easier.

Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside.

Barry Neil Kaufman

Until next time … Peace and Blessings, Friends!