Practical Steps to Practicing Gratitude
1. Start a gratitude journal. Depending on which author you read, suggestions range from 5 – 80 things a day. What works for me is saying ‘thank you’ to everything I encounter each day, for example a sunrise/sunset, hoar frost on the trees (especially when the sun is shining), food, shelter, warm homes and offices, clothing, colleagues, work/jobs, lessons about living peace, etc.
2. Remember: Meister Eckhart’s saying, “The most important prayer in the world is just two words: THANK YOU.”
3. Do a gratitude alphabet exercise. In your notebook, write the letters from A – Z. As fast as you can, write down I am grateful for ___________ starting with the letter A and going through the alphabet. For example: I am grateful for apples, I am grateful for bananas, I am grateful for carrots, and so until you finish all the letters.
4. Start your day by being thankful for all the blessings you have.
5. Practice an ‘Act of Kindness’ everyday.
6. Look for ways you can genuinely praise your partner, your child, your colleague, your employees, the person who serves you – such as a waitress, mail carrier, paper delivery person, police officers, etc.
7. Thank the earth for sustaining your life by providing food, air, and water.
8. Write a letter to the Universe expressing gratitude for all your blessings.
9. Thank your parents for giving you life.
10. Thank the Universe for all the lessons you have received.
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