Being thankful and expressing gratitude is a simple but powerful practice that can be used throughout the day to keep us centred on those things in life that we are blessed by. I know, sometimes life can feel so bad that we feel sure there is nothing TO be grateful for. So, again this is something we have to intentionally do regardless to whether we actually feel thankful or not. It will take practice! It’s also a waste of energy and soul destroying to feel bad or guilty that we don’t appear to feel grateful during difficult times. We’re even less likely to feel good about developing the practice if we invite guilt & shame on the journey, so decide for this practice that they’re not welcome, ok? So simply notice how you’re feeling and thinking and accept it is where you are at and you’ve probably got a very good reason for feeling that way. But you don’t want to continue to feel bad do you? None of us do ~ not really!  So let’s explore gratitude. Expressing gratitude can start with the word savouring:

Savouring  is the use of thoughts and actions to increase the intensity, duration, and appreciation of positive experiences and emotions and in the domain of positive psychology, It has also be referred to simply as the up-regulation of positive emotions.

or can be described:

to give flavour to; season; to have experience of; to taste or smell with pleasure; relish; to delight in … enjoy savouring the moment.

When you’re having your morning cuppa, It’s good to start the day with reflecting on and then even stating 5 things that you are grateful for. Taking a mindful moment throughout the day to savour your experiences such as eating nice food, appreciating the scenery, savouring a latte or smoothie or listening to your favourite music can help you to notice what you can be grateful for. Then before you fall asleep in bed at night affirm another 5 things that you have been grateful for throughout the day. If you have just gone through a crazy day, then watched tv and possibly drank alcohol before falling into bed exhausted then you’re likely to wake up with the same state of mind in the morning, with nothing resolved or cleared from the day before. Expressing gratitude is a simple but effective practice so don’t underestimate the power of it to bring positive change into your life.

So, take a moment to centre yourself with a few therapeutic breaths and then with intention express 5 things that you’re grateful for. If you’re struggling to think of anything then your senses can really help. Remember how you savoured throughout the day and you can express your gratitude for the colours or beauty that you saw, or the fragrances or food you could smell. The sound of the music or the children playing. I know the same sound of the children may have driven you crazy earlier BUT reframing your experiences into a gratitude moment is necessary to change your experience from negative to positive.

Remember only YOU have the power to change your experiences and cultivating the attitude of gratitude is more powerful than you think. So I’ll start you off and you can finish this sentence ~ today I’m grateful for …

Love and blessings to you, always,

Sam

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