Fall is a great time to take time and reflect on your past year.  What has gone right?  What would you like to change?  What are you grateful for?  This month we will be focusing on Gratitude.   Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Gratitude as, “the state of being grateful: thankfulness.” I like this definition because I believe this is what we could be striving for:  constantly looking for things to be grateful for; a perspective change; a reframing of our experience.   Why do we need gratitude in our lives?  I believe it’s important because we have become a society that cultivates entitlement rather than appreciation.  It’s important to take the time to reflect on our days and appreciate what we have; it actually makes us happier.   Dr. Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough and others involved in Happiness research  have found that actually “counting one’s blessing’s and incorporating  gratitude into one’s day on a regular basis increases the feelings of optimism and hope, helps build and solidify social support, and support better health and productivity.”

Some great ways to practice gratitude are to keep a gratitude journal.  This entails taking a few moments at the end of your day and writing down what you are grateful for.  The second way is to practice Naikan.  This is a Buddhist technique developed by Ishin Yoshimoto in the late 1940s as a way to reflect on yourself, the gifts you receive, what you give to others and your actions.  Naikan is an exercise in self-reflection with gratitude at its core.   Another great way to practice gratitude is to use small reminders throughout your day.  Something that reminds you to take a moment and think about what you are grateful for today.  Some people like to set an alarm on their phone that reminds them to pause during their day and be thankful.

Each week, during the month of November, I will be discussing these practices here in my blog. 

“We are what we think about all day long.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

What are you thinking about?  Is it making you happier?  If you would like help creating balance in your life, contact me at lori.growinghappiness@gmail.com, follow me on twitter  @Grow_Happiness, and on Facebook.


Peace & Gratitude