I'm Becoming Addicted to Gratitude
December 16, 2011
By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter
People talk a lot about giving thanks, being grateful, giving back, mellowing out and such during the holiday season. We write feel-good blog posts. Tweel uplifting quotes. Post heart-warming FB links. Stuff dollars into the Salvation Army kettle...hug our grandmas...
Then January rolls around...and not so much...then drab, nothin-doin' February. Before you know it, we're back to snarky, snippy "real life." And, I freely admit, I can be amongst the snarkiest and snippiest. After all, there's so much material! Politicians. Trolls. Big Clueless Companies. The (gag) Kardashians (oops, went snarky there for a sec)...etc. etc. etc. Ah, well, the holiday season was nice while it lasted.
2011 was a hard year for me and mine and I'm more than ready for a bright, shiny new year of possibilities. That said, there was a lot of good in 2011, including my developing gratitude habit (addiction?) There are about a billion self-help books out there (for only $25.95!) that will "teach" you how to be grateful. But, here, I'll save you $25.95.
Keep it simple (and I think this was in a book somewhere) - every morning when you wake, think of three things for which you're grateful. Every night when you go to bed, think of three things for which you're grateful. Once you start, you'll find that it's tough to stop at just three.
For example:
My standing three every morning are: 1. The thought of that first cup of coffee; 2. Knowing the New York Times is waiting in my driveway; 3. I don't have a clock in my bedroom; I wake up any old time. Inevitably at least two or three more sneak into the brain before I put feet on the floor.
At bedtime, the usual three are: 1. I HAVE a clean, comfortable bed; 2. The cats are happy and healthy (and - um - taking up way too much space on that bed); 3. My mother lives just down the street and is comfortable and safe (Yeah, she can drive me nuts if I let her...but she's the only mother I'll ever have.)
Now, if cranky, snarky me can practice daily gratitude, I bet you can too.
"Snarky" is one of my favorite words...so is "gratitude."
Ladies like us will be just fine in 2012 :)
Posted by: April Groves | December 22, 2011 at 07:20 AM
Thanks for all the reminders in this post.
Have added "gratitude" to my daily routine
both for self and of others.
Asking others what they are grateful for renders some interesting reactions. If you hang in with it not only changes the conversation but could change the relationship. Good for you and those you serve.
With gratitude.
Posted by: Bruce Peters | December 17, 2011 at 08:07 AM