I’m grateful to Blogster for this blog site, and for everyone who reads it. I’m grateful for a huge long list of other things. I’m a great believer in the power of gratitude — the attitude of gratitude, that is, not just the word.
I didn’t always understand gratitude. In fact, although I’ve known the word forever, it’s a relatively new concept to me, as a state of mind anyway. Sure, I always knew the importance of being thankful, but for me, being thankful doesn’t have the same ring to it, the same gut feel, as gratitude, and it's not nearly as powerful. I’m grateful that I learned about gratitude, and have come to understand the importance of this simple emotion in enhancing both mental and physical health.
I first began to focus on Gratitude as a specific mindset three or so years ago when an invitation to join the first 42 Day GoGratitude experiment arrived in my e-mail. Each day for 42 days, I received a zany thought-prompt about gratitude. The founders chose 42 days, because experts say it take 21 days to cement a new habit, so they doubled it to ensure that Gratitude became a habit.
About the same time I read about Gratitude as one of the keys to stress reduction in The HeartMath Solution, by Doc Childre and Howard Martin, and I found it as part of the Journey to Wild Divine biofeedback game I gave myself as a 60th birthday present.
The concept has grown, and the Internet is awash with Gratitude sites, including instructions on how to keep a Gratitude Journal, (for example, the Simple Abundance site, SleepyDust, and eHow). WebMD offers a video on Gratitude and links to articles on Gratitude and Health such as this one by Joan Borysenko.
Today my Gratitude Adventure has come full circle. GoGratitude has begun a second 42 series. This time the focus is the whole world. I derived so much personal benefit from the first round that I’m definitely in for the second. You can find out more about it and get involved yourself by clicking over to their new World Gratitude site to view a video and sign up if you wish.
Write now: a list of things you are grateful for. Or start a gratitude journal. Or write a story about an experience or person you are grateful for. And sign up for the 42 day journey.
2 comments :
Coincidentally, this past Monday I did my morning practice on Gratitude. I wrote a gratitude list, and then I did another piece about gratitude, focused on just a few of those to whom I was grateful. It felt great.
I believe in this 110%.
I've been using a meditation/visulization CD that has helped me so much. Perhaps you have heard of it, it's called
The Golden Pool of Abundance.
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