Gratitude. Lately, so many people talk about gratitude. Of course, they do. Thanksgiving arrives the day after tomorrow. I fell short in blogging lately, and that never makes me feel good. Plus, if I neglect posting, it seems like someone with the same website and various email addresses replies to almost all my posts. Should I have gratitude for this new biggest fan of mine? I suspect he looks a lot like that commercial where the robot uses laser eyes to destroy a cup of coffee (how dare he?) and then his laptop.
What is gratitude anyway?
I could give you the Merriam-Webster version. Yes, I linked it for you. I might be a word nerd. Gratitude encompasses a state of being. It means having an attitude and specific characteristic for a person. When you daily look for reasons to give thanks, gratitude grows. I can offer thanks to people or to God. Maybe I display it best when I do both. It never takes me long to find reasons for thankfulness, so by practicing it constantly, gratitude becomes part of my inner makeup. I no longer search for reasons to say thank you, neither to God nor people.
Several years ago, out of personal necessity, my sister, Wanda Strange, created a five-year gratitude journal. Every morning, I take a few minutes with Abundant Heart to record one thing for which I am thankful that day. I get to look back and see thoughts from previous years. Interesting to review 2020. I love having a tool that helps me remain grateful.
How do you maintain gratefulness?
In a world that feels so bleak sometimes, gratitude doesn’t always come easy. But I also know all of us have far more blessings than we deserve. Take a look around. And as a writer, take a moment to jot down everything you see that makes you feel thankful. Then, tap into senses. What do you hear, smell, touch, taste that elicits a whispered, “Thank you?” If you still didn’t find anything, be thankful you have those senses to use. Some people don’t.
A final thought. When did you last thank someone for holding a door open? When did you last hold the door open, regardless of whether someone expressed thankfulness to you. On the radio, I hear, “If you can’t find a kind person, be one.” Well, if you can’t give thanks, perhaps you can try giving someone else a reason to thank you.
Regardless of what you do this Thanksgiving, look for extra reasons for gratitude. Then write them down where you can revisit them from time-to-time.
Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t let the tryptophane keep you from writing this week.
FYI… Our groups will not meet in December, but plan on coming back strong in January.