The Practice of Gratitude

Sometimes when I sit alone at my breakfast nook here in my apartment, I look around at this wall over here or that unwashed coffee cup over there and I feel a sense of gratitude that cannot be explained by conventional means. This gratitude almost always caches me by surprise because like most of us, I was trained since birth to only be grateful for things that were "given" to me and only the "good" things. These are the only things to be appreciated, to be grateful for.

Then, as I continue gazing, I realize that these things - these minor, mundane things that I usually take for granted are things that are gifts. They are gifts from that part of me that attracts what I hold in my mind. They are gifts from myself, to myself. If I've attracted something that's not as... well, attractive...as I would've hoped, that means that I have to hold a more attractive picture in my mind so that I can attract something that I consider better. That takes practice and gratitude is part of that practice.

That's right. Gratitude isn't simply an emotion, it's also a practice, a genuine spiritual practice. The benefits aren't just a feeling of closeness to your creator either. According to Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullogh, a conscious focus on the blessings in your life may have emotional and interpersonal benefits, as published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. These benefits include a sense of well being and physical health.

So the question is: how does one practice gratitude, exactly? There are a number of ways to do so and I'll be the last one to claim to be an expert on the subject but I can tell you what I do. Maybe it'll work for you too, but I urge you to find your own way. There are many personalities on this planet we call home and there are many ways to do things. I'm more than happy to share what works for me but it's good to find one's own path as well.

Okay, on with the methods of practicing gratitude.

Create a Daily Gratitude List