Do you only pray at the end of a bad day?
One day I was doing a workshop on gratitude and sharing my tips for finding gratitude on shitty days. I cover this topic often because many people find this the most challenging. It is much more natural for them to find gratitude when things are going really well. After the talk a woman came up to me and said that she had the opposite problem. She said that for her gratitude has become associated with grief, pain and loss. Gratitude is what she turned to when she got her cancer diagnosis, when her husband left her, when she was consumed by loneliness when her kids went away to college. She said that she wants to create a new relationship with gratitude. She was ready to make gratitude the friend she calls to celebrate instead of the friend she calls in tears.
At first I was a surprised by her problem. Then I had a particularly shitty day and at the end of the day before I went to bed I prayed. I hadn’t prayed in that way for a really long time. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had said bedtime prayers. All of the sudden I could relate with the woman from my workshop.
Do you only pray at the end of a bad day? Are you only grateful for what you have when you lose something or someone you care about? Do you use a written gratitude practice as a crutch to get past a hurdle? You are not alone. Many of us are saved by gratitude in this way. That is how my daily gratitude practice started; it comforted me on a very bad day. The secret is to not stop the gratitude when the shitty days turn into great days. Instead of gratitude being your crutch, it can be like a wedding ring, something you choose to wear through good times and bad.
[su_quote cite=”Dr. Seuss”]Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.[/su_quote]
This Week’s Gratitude Question
[su_button url=”http://www.ourgratitudecollective.com/activity/” background=”#178fb3″]Today was a great day! What are you grateful for?[/su_button]
My Gratitude Experience Last Week
One day I had difficulty finding gratitude. I thought about it and thought about it but very little was coming to me except for the feeling I was experiencing right then “under cover warmth”. So I went with it and just let myself do what came naturally and found gratitude there. So next came a “relieving stretch”. Then I mentally walked through my day and remembered how grateful I was for a canceled meeting earlier that morning. This gratitude worked but it felt like work. So the next day in the moment that gratitude came to me I wrote it down. What a relief that was!
Forgotten Gratitude
Last week I was also grateful for the playful fun of new dog toys, I think I had more fun than the dogs … Not turning on my computer all weekend … Warmth in our home that we created together.
A New eCard
The Gratitude I Shared Last Week
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| Sun | 10/19/2014 | I’m grateful for releasing my attachment on some clothes I rarely wear but held on to tightly … I’m grateful for a day of desserts: pecan pie, chocolate covered frozen bananas, mango sticky rice … Quiet contemplation and a commitment for morning. |
| Sat | 10/18/2014 | I’m grateful for the perfect backwards date … A delicious dinner with great friends, I finally got to enjoy Bouche … A lingering reminder. |
| Fri | 10/17/2014 | I’m grateful for halloween costume crafting on a Friday night … The arrival of the weekend just in time … A phone call that helped me find my way … Working together as a team to keep the cold out. |
| Thu | 10/16/2014 | I’m grateful for new music on cd with artwork and lyrics … I love listening and feeling and looking all at once. I’m also grateful for texts full of anticipation and desire … I’m grateful for stopping myself from a knee-jerk negative reaction and opening up to possibility. |
| Wed | 10/15/2014 | I’m grateful for waking up to the sweetest sleepy smile … I’m grateful for work and play all in a day … I’m grateful for buttery brown rice and perfectly cooked veggies … I’m grateful for another Fargo and another strong female lead. |
| Tue | 10/14/2014 | I’m grateful for under cover warmth … A relieving stretch … A canceled early morning meeting. |
| Mon | 10/13/2014 | I’m grateful for an impromptu half-day of taking in the beauty of fall … Not getting lost in the woods at dusk … Slow driving kisses. |
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My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it!
A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide.
My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can to. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336.
Created by Antonia Montoya[/su_note]