It’s soooo easy to complain, to find the negative in a situation. One morning, I was complaining to Eric and he stopped me mid-sentence and asked,
“What went well?”
Boy did that give me a mind f#$%. Not only did he reorient my thinking pattern, but he set a boundary. He basically said, “Al, I don’t want to hear it.” Point taken.
So, grudgingly, I have begun to list everything that went well that day before I go to sleep. From the big things to the little things. And when I’m really having the case of the blah’s and can’t think of anything to be grateful for, I write, ‘I’m grateful to be alive’ over and over again.
Below is an excerpt of yesterday’s entry: *I find it help to write ‘I am grateful’ for each thing.
- I am grateful for the rain.
- I am grateful for frozen pizza.
- I am grateful for the teachers that work with my kids.
- I am grateful my dog made it outside before it puked.
- I am grateful for hugs.
- I am grateful for Eric’s breakfasts.
- I am grateful for that I can move.
- I am grateful.
Do you keep some sort of gratitude journal? If so, how do you use it?
If you missed the beginning of this series, read Part One and Part Two.