How to Practice Gratitude Recognize The Good In Your Life

With gratitude, I’m learning to have more contentment for all the things I have and all the things I can do, versus being disappointed with the things I don’t have or can’t do.

For example, when I see my friends celebrating their 25th or 30th wedding anniversaries,sometimes I am sad that M and I will never have an opportunity to achieve such a milestone. Then the gratitude meter checks in and I become grateful for the 24 years we did have together. It’s more than many couples get, especially with the rate of divorce in this country.

Wearing Gratitude on My Wrist

I wear a MyIntent bracelet on my wrist with the word “Gratitude.” It acts as a constant prompt to be thankful for all the things I can do. “Breathe because you can,” said my yoga teacher N in a recent class. N is right; I am grateful that I can breathe.

A Bucket Full of Gratitude

If I could put all my gratitude in a container, it would fill a huge bucket. In that bucket would be my daughter A and my son D, my boyfriend L, my BFFs L and R, my sister N, my late mom and dad and many more friends and family members.

I’d add gratitude for my beautiful home and my condo on the corner at the shore, and I’d top that with my yoga and meditation practice and the retirement I earned from my full-time job that is enabling me to live life to the fullest during my second act.

There’s more, more, more gratitude for you my blog readers who bring me great joy each week when we connect through my posts.

Ah, yes, the gratitude bucket sometimes gets blown over by negative thoughts that creep in, especially when the aches and pains of my aging body act up or I see more wrinkles on my face. Then I remember that gratitude is a practice, and it’s not going to be perfect every day...Read More...