So many spiritual teachers talk about the importance of gratitude. When I understood what they meant, my spiritual practice shifted to a higher level. I understoon that gratitude is for me, not for the person or thing that I am grateful for. When I conjure gratitude, feel it and let it grow with my breath, my whole body softens. My shoulders relax, my breath is easier, everything is softer and flows. I have found a practice of gratitude transformative. It has helped me shift my baseline emotional state to a higher level.
In my late 20s, a similar shift occured for me. I had a moment that altered my being and changed the course of my life. I was in the waiting room of my massage therapist. There was a sign with a dozen or so inspirational statements. One jumped out at me. It said, "Happy is a choice." At that point, I had struggled on and off with depression for more than a decade. I believed it was my lot in life. This simple statement struck me at my core. I began to wonder if it were true. What if happy is a choice. I began to choose it. Some days it was an easier choice than others. There was a lot of hard work. And many bouts of depression along the way. Yet, happy became an ever-present choice for me.
I recently came across the book, "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor. It is a popular positive psychology book. It talks about the research that says in fact happy is a choice. It turns out people can change their baseline emotional state. They can choose habits and practices that make them a default optimist. One of the practices he recommends is naming three unique things you are grateful for each day. That shifting your perspective to what you are grateful for can increase your level of happiness.
I took on this practice and have been doing it for over a year. I write down at least three things I'm grateful for right before bed. Sometimes they are small things, like a driver waiving me to turn left off a busy street. Sometimes they are big things like the beautiful home that I live in. Big or small, the gratitude is the same. It lightens my being. This practice even for a couple of minutes a day makes a difference for me. Choosing happy is even easier throughout my day.
On Thanksgiving, I basked in the gratitude of love, my family (that I could visit via Zoom), Bob, my wonderful friends, my beautiful home and my connection to spirit and source. It's a gift to have a reminder to take stock each year. And I keep the gratitude going with three new gratitudes every day. Today I'm doing my gratitudes a little early so I can share them here with you.
I"m grateful for the Yule tree that shines beautiful light and is the perfect size for the corner of my living room.
I'm grateful that now that I use a Mac and an iPhone, I can text on either device.
I'm grategul for the pumpkin, zucchini bread recipe I found online and the delicious bread on my kitchen counter right now.
What a blessing to have these lovely things. And there will be at least three more tomorrow.
Blessed be.
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