I’m writing this for those who asked what ever happened to Gratitude Sunday?…
.
My nightly ritual for over ten years was to write down what I felt grateful for that day, before falling asleep. There are many studies about the benefits of gratitude on health and I know from experience that when I take even a moment to appreciate something in my life, I feel better. Every time I choose to focus on something I feel grateful for, my worries lift a bit and I breathe more deeply. (And breathing deeper always makes us feel better.) It’s good for my heart, it freshens my perspective, and brings me joy- so I keep practicing gratitude every day. You know another gift that practicing gratitude gives me? It continually reminds me of what’s really important.
.
In 2011 I started what I called Gratitude Sunday here on the blog, sharing bits from my daily gratitude journal in this space each week. I thought Sunday was a good day to reflect on the week before (it was typically a quieter day for our family and better for slowing down.) I found that sometimes when I was rushing and working to get what I wanted, I could overlook what I was blessed with in my life right then. Gratitude helped bring me back to the present moment. And I knew that if I didn’t appreciate what I had, it wasn’t likely that I would appreciate what I would get in the future either.
.
In 2011 I started what I called Gratitude Sunday here on the blog, sharing bits from my daily gratitude journal in this space each week. I thought Sunday was a good day to reflect on the week before (it was typically a quieter day for our family and better for slowing down.) I found that sometimes when I was rushing and working to get what I wanted, I could overlook what I was blessed with in my life right then. Gratitude helped bring me back to the present moment. And I knew that if I didn’t appreciate what I had, it wasn’t likely that I would appreciate what I would get in the future either.
.
In 2017 I decided to shift to monthly gratitude posts, rather than weekly, which was a better fit for me. Also, I started taking nights off here and there from my own personal gratitude journal. I still feel that ending your day on a note of gratitude is the very best way to end the day, and I’m glad I had that daily practice for so long because it’s been very nourishing for my spirit, but I appreciated the flexibility to take a night off when I felt like it. In 2018: “monthly” posts became here and there posts, which I felt good about. I love to write about something when I feel inspired to, rather than because I feel like I should. And you know what? I stopped writing in my gratitude journal altogether. I still looked for things to be grateful for each day, but I no longer wrote it down.
.
When the inspiration for Gratitude Sunday came to me, I didn’t want to just share my gratitude lists with others, I envisioned a group of us practicing gratitude together. I loved when people started joining with their lists each week! Eventually I decided to change Gratitude Sunday to The Gratitude Tribe, but later the name was in use elsewhere, so these days my mantra is simply: Be Grateful Every Day. Even though I no longer have the regular gratitude posts on this blog for people to join along with, I hope that people will join me in practicing gratitude every day. When we practice gratitude, it’s so good for our well being. It’s a simple, yet profound tool for self-care. Gratitude can become a quiet center of calm in our lives, something to return to as a spiritual practice whenever we feel overwhelmed, heavy with worry, or just plain out of sorts. I believe it’s one of the most loving things we can do for ourselves.
……….
I’ll leave you with this quote I adore: “It is not happy people who are grateful. It is grateful people who are happy.”
I’ll leave you with this quote I adore: “It is not happy people who are grateful. It is grateful people who are happy.”