Time for Gratitude

Ellie at Meditation Matters found an article entitled "Don't Like Meditation? Try Gratitude Training". She excerpted some of that to make a case for both the practice of meditation and of gratitude. In the USA, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so this week (and really, anytime) it is a good practice to ponder what we are grateful for.

So Ellie wrote and copied:

Mind you, I'd like people to do both but you could do a lot worse than practicing gratitude. Here's what a study on the process found:

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved.

And if you need help getting started, these questions are suggested:

What am I truly grateful for in my life?


Aim for five answers, and if you have trouble at first, ask yourself alternative probing questions such as:

What relationships do I have that others don’t?
What do I take for granted?
What freedoms, unique abilities, and options do I have that others don’t?
What advantages have I been given in life?
Which allies and supporters have helped me to get to where I am?

This is about truly appreciating what we have without having to lose it first. Try it. (And meditate, too!)