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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