one gratitude a day

Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness says "Research (shows)..people who are consistently grateful have been found to be relatively happier, more energetic and more hopeful". She suggested making a note of things you appreciate every day.

This seems so simple that it couldn't possibly make a substantial difference. Two years ago when my husband and I were going through the stress of selling our business, we found ourselves becoming angry and bitter towards to the new owners and the way they were changing the service we had nurtured for 20 years.

Desperate to try anything to break our negative nexus, we started an evening gratitude ritual. As we sat in bed at night, we recalled 5 things that we were grateful for during that day.

Some days it was hard to find the five things. We pushed ourselves to pay attention to the little things that made us smile. When we resorted to yesterday's list as a cop-out, we tried to help each other remember something positive the other had experienced during the day. It worked. We both found our moods soften and ease with this simple strategy.

Now we use it on good days and bad to remember the fragments of beauty that float through our awareness.

Some of the things in my gratitude journal back in 2009 were

• cuddling in the soft warmth of my winter doona
• fresh pink blossoms on the camellia
• the autumnal leaf caught in a spider web
• a (rare) loving hug from my nineteen year old son
• the smell of fresh coffee at my favourite cafe
• my husband's corny joke
• waking before dawn for an early walk

This week I am grateful for

• delicious feedback on my first blog entries
• my first taste of kingfish sashimi
• the crunchy texture of my new "rainbow" salads
• warm sunshine on my skin
  
• the patter of gentle rain in the evening
• my husband's joy as he completes his first woodworking project
• my evening walk turns into a light jog again

Reflections January 2012