Gratitude Is The Magic We Need Today

Every November, I’ve written a blog post on gratitude. But this year, this month, I urge you to embrace this simple, but powerful action because it’s just what we need. 

My experience is that gratitude feels good. It’s a wonderful mix of emotions – tenderness, contentment, relief, fullness, satisfaction, and presence. There is a small shift of direction towards hope, away from despair. And just like a plane that changes direction by several degrees, the landing can be on the island of hope, instead of in the dreary, cold waters of despair.

Why does gratitude work? 

We’re biologically wired to continually be on alert for danger, real or perceived. There is a part of our brain called the amygdala that is our threat detector and it works very well. Ask yourself at any moment what you’re worried about or what could be potentially disastrous for you and you’ll have a long list in an instant. This animalistic instinct is natural and helpful. 

But we as humans can choose to “balance the books.” While tackling the threats of the dangerous and negative, we can also seek and acknowledge that which is good. Doing this does not come instinctively, we have to conscientiously choose to add it to our daily experience. As with all new skills, it can feel unnatural at first, but with practice, the benefits outweigh the discomfort. 

My Gratitude Practice

My gratitude practice is writing in my planner three good things that happen each day. Some days it’s easy and other days, I’m really stretching. Some days the good is obvious and stands on its own – like a beautiful sunset or a stirring song. Other days I have to dig into the negative to find a positive nugget – like having the furnace repair cost less than what I expected. What I’ve come to know from this practice is that there is always, always, something good to put in the hope column.

A New Idea to Try 

One of the Instagram accounts that I follow is Emily Belle Freeman. Recently she shared the story of when her grandfather died, her grandmother had a very difficult time. After some time of being unable to move forward, she decided to type a list of 31 activities that would lift her heart. And every morning she would wake up and pick one. The list hung in her bedroom for almost 30 years and is now hung in Emily’s house. Following the example of her grandmother, Emily and many of her followers are creating a list of 31 bests or happy things this November.

I love this idea and have begun my list of 31. Rather than just documenting what is good each day, this becomes a list of gratitude action. And when our days are hard, we can wake up and pick one!

Do Your Own Experiment

The real scientist on the benefits of gratitude is you. Replace wringing your hands with writing in a gratitude journal. Change a discussion focused on what is wrong with the world into one of sharing what is still good in the world. Turn off the news a minute earlier and add to your 31 Best list. Then observe the difference in your mood and your thinking.

Summary

Gratitude is a powerful action that we control. It balances all that is negative and difficult in our lives with the truth that amidst these dark times, there is always some light. Whatever you do, find a way to bring gratitude into your day, today. 

“Gratitude makes things right. Gratitude turns negative energy into positive energy. There is no situation or circumstance so small or large that is not susceptible to gratitude’s power. We can start with who we are and what we have today, apply gratitude, then let it work its magic.”   –Melodie Beattie