22 Mar Flourishing Through Morning Gratitude Practice, Motherhood TV
How do you start your day? Do you wake up feeling happy? Excited to get started? Grateful for each new, beautiful day? I do. At least, NOW I do.
It wasn’t always that way, however. Perhaps you can relate more to how I USED to wake up each day–feeling tired? Stressed? Like you have to rush out of bed and hurry to do the million little things you don’t really want to be doing?
I felt this way for too many years, especially as a mom. Finally, last year I noticed that every time I woke up, I immediately heard myself saying, “Hurry up and…”. “Hurry up and get the kids up for school,” “Hurry up and get that article finished,” “Hurry up and rest!” It was all too much!
I began to wonder, “Isn’t there a better way?” And then I remembered my daily morning gratitude practice.
I’d started the practice years before, during one of my toughest life trials, but (as we so often do) had forgotten all about it. I’d gotten off track.
I recalled how I USED to start the day…
Waking up feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and grief stricken, I’d force myself outside for a walk in the morning sunshine to move my body and get a little light therapy, and then? I would focus on the blessings. All the gifts I’d been given, starting with my feet I was walking upon, up to my heart that kept beating, no matter what, to my breath steadily increasing as I walked yet always there, grounding me.
And then, I’d pray. I’d pray a prayer of gratitude, listing as many people, places, events, and things I could think of for which I was deeply grateful. I’d ask for nothing. I’d simply notice and thank God.
And 30 minutes later, I’d return home smiling, full of love, and ready to love my family and do the work I’d been given to do, all because I’d taken the time to REMEMBER the things I am grateful for.
Watch my Motherhood TV episode, “How to Use Daily Gratitude Practice to Flourish,” for more ideas and strategies, here.
Gratitude Practice–Essential to Flourishing!
We can all do the same.
Not only does daily morning gratitude practice enable us to wake up on a brighter note, it enables us to LIVE more gratefully, and to flourish.
I used to fear I wasn’t meant to flourish. In fact, it was only last spring that I realized I even had the fear. “I’m just meant to overcome, and overcome, and then become, and overcome some more,” I heard myself saying. It surely felt that way, but it wasn’t true. I had to deal with my insecurities and fears and realize I WAS meant to flourish.
And so are you.
We all are. Flourishing is our birthright, our ultimate blessing, our destiny!
Even if you don’t believe it’s possible for YOU–yet–it is. Yes, you were born to flourish. (Read, “The Positive Psychology of Flourishing: What is it? And am I doing it?” here.)
“But how?” you ask. That’s the big question on everyone’s mind–“How?”
Enter gratitude. Daily morning gratitude practice is one of the simplest, most profound ways to experience a flourishing life. The research proves it. Clinical experiences proves it. My personal experience proves it, and so can yours. (Read, “10 Benefits of Practicing Gratitude”)
How to Start a Daily Gratitude Practice & Flourish!
There are many ways to practice gratitude, but there are some key things to remember:
1) It has to be a PRACTICE. Yes, any moment of gratitude focus is good, but if you want all the benefits of flourishing, gratitude needs to become a daily practice.
2) It’s simpler than you think. Gratitude practice can be simply thinking about your blessings or noticing the beauty of the world around you. It might be thanking your children, spouse, or friends, or saying a meaningful prayer to thank your Higher Power. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be.
3) Gratitude is about noticing. It’s about paying attention, seeing the good, and taking it in. Too often, we fail to practice gratitude simply because we fail to notice the good. Stop. Take a breath. Find 5 beautiful things around you, in you, in others. Take it in.
4) Expressing gratitude is even better. Positive psychology research on gratitude shows that expressing our feelings of gratitude has a powerful effect–on us, and on the receiver. In fact, one of the best ways to immediately improve your joy in life, according to the research, is to do what’s called a “gratitude visit.” Write a note to someone you are deeply grateful for. Then, show up at their front door and read it to them in person. This one activity has been shown to profoundly increase satisfaction, love, and joy–in other words, flourishing. Notice what you’re grateful for; then, share it with those you love.
5) It doesn’t HAVE to be in the morning, but…. Of course, we should focus on gratitude all day long. Ending the day with gratitude, either by writing, pondering, or praying about what we’re grateful for, is a powerful practice, too. But imagine how much better each
6) A grateful heart is a flourishing one. As we see and feel and express gratitude, we ARE flourishing. And the more we do it, the more we flourish.
Don’t Miss Out…
Don’t miss this simple, powerful way to bring more love and joy and peace into your life.
Watch the Motherhood TV episode above to learn more daily gratitude practice skills, ideas, and tools, and then start now.
Think of 5 things you’re grateful for. Write them down. Speak them out loud. Show your gratitude to all around you. And you WILL flourish!