when i first began, i admit i had to think pretty hard about what i was grateful for that day. but every day i practiced this ritual, i noticed it became easier to identify one thing. at some point, the 1"x4" pieces of paper felt limiting because there were so many events/people/interactions that i wanted to acknowledge at the end of the day.
but let me tell you, i was surprised that i could even do anything every single day for an entire year! (i'm sort of non-committal in that way.) but here are a few reasons why i think it's become a daily part of my life:
- it was simple. wrote down just one thing i was grateful for that day. didn't have to be the most significant, most important, most whatever...just one thing.
- limited parameters. because i only had a limited amount of space to write, i knew it wasn't a big commitment of time - maybe only 30 seconds! that comes down to 182 minutes (or 3 hours) total time spent for the entire year.
- barriers were removed. the paper was cut, the pen was always there, and i left the jar unscrewed, so i didn't even have to twist it on or off. (i can be super lazy about certain things.)
- created a ritual. i wrote down my one thing right before i jumped into bed. it became part of my night time ritual after flossing, brushing my teeth, & washing my feet. (yes, i wash my feet every night!)
if brene brown is right about gratitude and joy being inextricably linked, then this three hour commitment was by far one of the best investments i could've made this past year. joy certainly abounds!
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It is so true that when you dwell on the good things in life, the bad things don't seem as grim or gruesome. Not that it will always make it easier, but it will help you to remember that, although you maybe had a bad day, there are still good things in it. You may just have to dig a little deeper to find them.
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