A Simple but Powerful Ritual of Gratitude
In our everlasting search for success, meaning and of course, happiness, we often overlook the existing wonders of our lives. Whether we have a comfortable home, adequate finances, the blessing to be able to enjoy wholesome and nutritious food or the psychical ability and strength to move around independently, these are aspects of our life we often take for granted. As a result, we forgo experiencing happiness and contentment right here and now; instead, we continue to pursue the ephemeral idea of happiness which eludes us constantly.
The practice of gratitude helps us to bring our attention and focus onto the present moment and allows us to see the plethora of reasons we have to be happy right now. While staring out of our window on a snowy day, very few of us acknowledge how fortunate we are to live in well-heated homes. It is only when we step out into the cold that we realise how much the we appreciate the warmth of the indoors. This is often the case; we only realise how valuable something was once it’s gone and we regret not having appreciated it more while we had it.
That’s why I invite you to join me in a short but powerful ritual of practicing gratitude. You can do this at any time of the day. Personally, I prefer to do it first thing when I wake up in the morning but the ritual holds value whenever you choose to do it. All you’ll need is a notepad, a pen or pencil and 5-10 minutes of absolute focus. Start off by reflecting on the uniqueness of your life and your journey. Yes, it is absolutely unique and no two people share the exact same life path. Thus, you can start off by expressing gratitude for your journey, this magnificent journey of life which you’ve chosen to embark upon and the way it unfolds each day like a mystery. Our lives are our greatest adventure and treasure and it is the most precious gift we have so it’s always a good idea to remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be able to experience all of this wonder. Writing down a couple of lines down about the positive aspects of your life, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem, even in your most difficult moments, will help you immensely on your journey forward. Delving further, you can choose to focus on the previous day and acknowledge the things that worked out for you. Note them down and take a moment to be thankful for them. Then, you could express gratitude for things and events of the future which you’d like to happen, writing as though they have already taken place, just as you would like them to.
It’s a small exercise and it doesn’t require anything more than your time and focus but the results are palpable. Not only do you feel a sense of relief or even joy after having completed the work, you change the course of things to come with your positive attention on them.