In the morning, I begin with breath work and gentle movement. I have created a ritual, raising my arms to the sky and inviting the Healing, Loving Energy of the Universe to seep into every essence of my being that I may heal, and love, and grow in heart mind, body, and spirit. Then I acknowledge that we are all in need of healing, loving energy and ask for that energy to be extended to people in my life who may be in particular need, I name them. And then I give thanks. My next practice is to come to this site. It is a sound foundation to begin a day of gratitude. 🩷
By coming to this site and reading everyone’s reflections. My son is a way in Florida and I took his dog out for a walk early before going to work. He suddenly decided to chase a bunny but I wasn’t paying attention and took a fall. I will be fine but it really makes you think, what if I wasn’t? My phone was still in the house. I am grateful I fell on grass and I am only sore from the fall!
I have always been a bit accident prone,
so now that I’m not as young as I used to be I need to be mote careful.
It’s mostly common sense stuff, like watching where I’m going, lol.
Hope your not too sore from your fall, Robin.
it is much more expressed in simply saying thank you for efforts others might have done which was not expressed before, for daily things ohters might have enriched my life also with; or when i passed the fig tree these days, I was happy for it to be in our garden and just shortly approached it, softly spoke to it and caressed one litle branch as a greeting and thank you for being there, and went on. It would never have been like this before, this impulse that came naturally out of the moment as well the day before causes me smile right now and brings some silent joy to my heart, and may be as well has brought to our garden also. it came just natural and is felt as nourishing just as the fig nourishes us. My neighbor who looks after the garden i am sure has this being grateful in himself naturally, flowing into his garden every day and is replied to by the beauty of it so much that the people passing by are full of joy also.
I practice the art of grateful living
by using my senses to attract . . .
bees and birds to my aural canals,
the olfactory system
to bring the scents of grass and leaves,
earth and flowers . . .
even a sun-warmed stone,
exercising my ocular system
allows me to see the vast colour and textures that fill the world.
The taste buds on my tongue
bring me the infinite flavours that are available to me,
from fresh to baked,
mild, spicy and sweet,
and the nerves in my body
allow me to feel touch
on all parts of my skin . . .
different touches
for different places.
It’s an absolute amazement . . .
all of these gifts
allow me be in connection with everything around me . . .
my feet feel the tickle of grass,
the roughness of rocks,
my neck feels the warm breeze,
as it blows wisps of my hair around my face.
My vocal chords
give me the ability to speak and sing,
scream and whisper and weep,
without even thinking of their function.
All of them inspire gratitude and wonderment,
and I have kept that feeling
ever since childhood . . .
I have promised myself
that I will not take any of them for granted.
I admire those who are missing or have lost a sense or senses . . .
most of them are stronger in a way,
because they use existing senses
to compensate for those that are missing,
I have envisioned being a person
who has only one or two,
and cannot imagine the courage it must take
to practice gratitude in their little world.
I couldn’t be more grateful
for my senses than I am today,
and try to appreciate them
in everything I do
in the course of a single day. ♥
I find practicing gratitude to be difficult at times. When I sit down and actively try to list what I’m grateful for, I often find myself writing about things in my life that are there because of my own effort—like a roof over my head or food in the fridge. These are things I feel should be in my life because of the work I’ve put in. But as I move through my day, I notice I can easily appreciate the majesty of the world around me—the harmony of nature, expressions of kindness, or help given to me. I can share the joy of a new mother, the perfection of new life, the complexity of the human body. These are profound moments for me, yet they often feel quiet. And somehow, these moments are enough
You are doing splendidly,
dear Antonia . . .
when I first started keeping a gratitude journal,
it was the simplest things that I was grateful for,
but as time passed,
I reached out further
to things outside of my immediate space,
and when I did this
it kept expanding over time . . .
sometimes . . .
often,
I return to those simplest things.
On some days
I am so very grateful for the very air that I breathe . . .
these are not small things,
and it’s a wonderful feeling
when they feel quiet . . .
and you are right,
these moments are very definitely ENOUGH. ♥
I usually start my day here and in prayer. Sometimes I answer later in the day, like today. Sometimes I chew on the question internally and don’t write my answer but learn from all of you.
I am learning to stop more throughout the day and enjoy the present moment opening my heart and thoughts to a moment of gratitude.
I am aslo trying to look at the hard moments as lessons and find gratitude for what they teach me. As Carol said awhile back, asking “ What can I learn from this”
This season of my life is one of patient watching. Watching what? Nothing. I find gratitude in the moments when I can be okay with the fact that my hands are not on the steering wheel of my life. They come more frequently now, though not often enough. I want to skip over the waiting season. I didn’t think I was ready for this, but here it is anyway. All I have to do is stay awake and observe, not do. Every time I can do that, gratefulness comes a little more easily. But jeez, I wish God would come along with His magic wand, hit me over the head and – presto! I’d be magically perfect.
Often I have wished for a crystal ball to get me out of the present and know the future. These last 2 years have brought major challenges into my life. If I had known about them I would have cringed and said ” no way”. I/ we are are approaching the the other side right now. We are a bit tattered and weary but we are here with growth.
When my adult children were small and bitching about something I would tell them if I had a magic wand, I would say bling and all would be as they wished for. Then I made sure they understood that I indeed did not have one.
As I often mention, I start each day reading poetry and coming to this space. Poetry as practice reminds me that observing the smallest moment provides a pause and a chance to appreciate.
I’ve also mentioned that each day in my journal I write the day’s date at the top, then mark off a section of the page and head it “Today’s delights–“. The dash for me creates anticipation, heading toward whatever the day will bring. By writing the heading I create the space that fills with the day’s delights. It’s now on me to watch for them, remember them, write them down.
Delights aren’t quite the same thing as gratefulness. Noticing something and delighting in it can create a pause that might be followed by gratefulness, though. Ross Gay discussed his Book of Delights and the concept of finding delight in an On Being conversation with Krista Tippett (https://onbeing.org/programs/ross-gay-on-the-insistence-of-joy/). Krista mentions the growth in practicing gratefulness and they talk about the difference.
Another way I practice gratefulness is to make sure I thank the people I encounter in the day. That may mean telling someone on my team I appreciate working with them, or something specific about what they brought to a project. It means thanking my husband, with attention and sincerity, for the first cup of coffee he brings me each morning. It might not be out loud; if I’m riding my bike and a driver moves over into the other lane to go past me I wave as a thank-you. In these moments I’m grateful for having these people in my life, even if some are there only for a moment.
This question will no doubt prompt some additional moments of gratefulness today. I sometimes come back to this space at the end of the day and read the additional posts. Doing that more consistently would mean I open and close each day with gratefulness.
Good reminder about delights, Barb. My friend recently made little booklets where you list your delights. The idea is to carry it around and jot down delights as they happen. It’s a good idea, I may try it for a while and see what changes.
Mostly I just have to remember to live gratefully.
Key word being remember.
Avril spoke a few days ago about living with amazement and enthusiasm.
That really struck me as being key for me.
Amping up my enthusiasm and focusing on amazement will help me to live gratefully.
I just have to remember to do it.
I know the question asked how do I and not how could I.
But the truth is I get caught up a lot in what displeases me and I forget.
Starting the day with more enthusiasm just might carry me through.
One thing that I notice about you, Joseph, is that you are always kind. ☀️
Not a direct response to your comment, Joseph.
Your comment just reminded me of that.
Coming here, sharing, and reading all of your comments is always nourishing start to the day. Stopping to take in nature. The birds are back, including two types of gorgeous jays. Practicing compassion and/or reverence for things I would otherwise react jumpily to: the hornets building a nest in the yard, the people who left a bunch of spent fireworks in the park. Noticing the nice temperature in the house, the cute and healthy dog snoozing on the couch, the rich taste of matcha in my cup. Really, throughout the day I look for opportunities to practice. And if I’m feeling carried away by some kind of inner tornado, the sting of that reminds me to step back and look for opportunities for gratefulness, too.
“…carried away by some kind of inner tornado…” a novel way for me to say that damned Monkey in my mind keeps chattering and jumping from branch to branch. Thank you, Drea.
I posted my comment before reading this but I think I’m trying to say what you have so articualtely described. Thank you for sharing – I had started to feel I was getting this all wrong
I relate to everything you wrote, Antonia. I like how you described it, it reminds me of the slowing of time, the realization of the profound and quiet. Thank you for sharing too.
We have California scrub jays and Steller’s jays in our area, Drea. Different colors and calls; the scrub jays are the paler, higher-voiced cousins of the Steller’s. I’m also fortunate to live in a place where fairly often I can see bald eagles soaring overhead and blue herons in the inlet. Always grateful for nature’s diversity and beauty.
Thanks for the inspo to look up our jays, I hadn’t known the names. We have the Steller’s as well, and the blue jay, and very occasionally a scrub jay. I think it’s the Woodhouse’s scrub jay, it seems to prefer higher country. Such beautiful birds.
I practice living gratefully by being willing. I’ve said it here before, “Willingness is my job.” I’ve learned that God, the Universe, the Great Spirit, Life, (Pick your path) is trustworthy and transformation is its job. But it can’t do its job unless I’m willing. Willingness takes trust. It is about “losing control” which is very different from being “out of control.”
Every day is the last day; every day is the only day; What many call God is the very life in us and we are always called to be alive, fully human, not ego-driven; We are Life and Life beckons us to rise; the energy of creativity is always wishing to free us to be. Sometimes when I feel like I am trapped in a tomb, I remind myself that my willingness can makes all the difference. The stone has been rolled away. I don’t have to understand how that happened. I just have to be willing to stumble out of the tomb and get back up when I fall. All the while remembering that “falling in-to love” is what really matters. It’s the process of becoming fully human and humane.
I wrote this poem over 20 years ago when I was struggling with my understanding of the importance of willingness. I was grieving over my divorce after 35 years of marriage. I was definitely moving through a dark time.
Rebirth: The Joy and the Grief of Letting Go
It’s like having a baby.
The pain comes like a contraction.
My first reaction is to control it,
but if I breathe deeply into it,
if I acknowledge that it is real,
if I honor it, relief comes
until the next time.
That might be five minutes,
five hours or five days,
five weeks or five years—
whatever it takes to
grieve the loss of 35 years
of trying, crying, loving,
and lying.
Lying to myself,
Lying to myself,
Lying to myself,
Over and over,
Over and over,
Over and over
again.
Denial,
Betrayal,
Infidelity,
Anger,
Fear,
Depression,
and Illness.
A few of the tools
that kept
illusions going,
a few of the trips
that kept me
from owning
my pain.
Honor the pain.
Feel it.
Don’t hide it.
See it.
Don’t fear it.
You will never
rise above it any way.
Let it go.
Let it go.
Let it go.
Over and over,
Over and over,
Over and over
again.
Suppress it
and it grows.
It builds a home.
Deep down in your toes.
It feeds on your energy
and saps your strength
away
It’s like having a baby.
The pain comes like a contraction.
My first reaction is to control it,
but if I breathe deeply into it,
if I acknowledge that it is real,
if I honor it, I breathe myself
to new life.
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
In the morning, I begin with breath work and gentle movement. I have created a ritual, raising my arms to the sky and inviting the Healing, Loving Energy of the Universe to seep into every essence of my being that I may heal, and love, and grow in heart mind, body, and spirit. Then I acknowledge that we are all in need of healing, loving energy and ask for that energy to be extended to people in my life who may be in particular need, I name them. And then I give thanks. My next practice is to come to this site. It is a sound foundation to begin a day of gratitude. 🩷
By coming to this site and reading everyone’s reflections. My son is a way in Florida and I took his dog out for a walk early before going to work. He suddenly decided to chase a bunny but I wasn’t paying attention and took a fall. I will be fine but it really makes you think, what if I wasn’t? My phone was still in the house. I am grateful I fell on grass and I am only sore from the fall!
I am happy that you have had no ill effects,
dear Robin Ann,
except maybe a bruised ego . . . 🙂
we all have to be more careful
as we get older. ♥
I am sorry to hear this. I am glad that you had minor injuries. It is amazing how quickly this can happen.
I have always been a bit accident prone,
so now that I’m not as young as I used to be I need to be mote careful.
It’s mostly common sense stuff, like watching where I’m going, lol.
Hope your not too sore from your fall, Robin.
it is much more expressed in simply saying thank you for efforts others might have done which was not expressed before, for daily things ohters might have enriched my life also with; or when i passed the fig tree these days, I was happy for it to be in our garden and just shortly approached it, softly spoke to it and caressed one litle branch as a greeting and thank you for being there, and went on. It would never have been like this before, this impulse that came naturally out of the moment as well the day before causes me smile right now and brings some silent joy to my heart, and may be as well has brought to our garden also. it came just natural and is felt as nourishing just as the fig nourishes us. My neighbor who looks after the garden i am sure has this being grateful in himself naturally, flowing into his garden every day and is replied to by the beauty of it so much that the people passing by are full of joy also.
Growing beautiful food is wonderful.
I especially love fruit trees!
I practice the art of grateful living
by using my senses to attract . . .
bees and birds to my aural canals,
the olfactory system
to bring the scents of grass and leaves,
earth and flowers . . .
even a sun-warmed stone,
exercising my ocular system
allows me to see the vast colour and textures that fill the world.
The taste buds on my tongue
bring me the infinite flavours that are available to me,
from fresh to baked,
mild, spicy and sweet,
and the nerves in my body
allow me to feel touch
on all parts of my skin . . .
different touches
for different places.
It’s an absolute amazement . . .
all of these gifts
allow me be in connection with everything around me . . .
my feet feel the tickle of grass,
the roughness of rocks,
my neck feels the warm breeze,
as it blows wisps of my hair around my face.
My vocal chords
give me the ability to speak and sing,
scream and whisper and weep,
without even thinking of their function.
All of them inspire gratitude and wonderment,
and I have kept that feeling
ever since childhood . . .
I have promised myself
that I will not take any of them for granted.
I admire those who are missing or have lost a sense or senses . . .
most of them are stronger in a way,
because they use existing senses
to compensate for those that are missing,
I have envisioned being a person
who has only one or two,
and cannot imagine the courage it must take
to practice gratitude in their little world.
I couldn’t be more grateful
for my senses than I am today,
and try to appreciate them
in everything I do
in the course of a single day. ♥
And we always have them with us, Sparrow.
And use them to perceive our world.
The trick is to remember to be amazed and delighted!
I find practicing gratitude to be difficult at times. When I sit down and actively try to list what I’m grateful for, I often find myself writing about things in my life that are there because of my own effort—like a roof over my head or food in the fridge. These are things I feel should be in my life because of the work I’ve put in. But as I move through my day, I notice I can easily appreciate the majesty of the world around me—the harmony of nature, expressions of kindness, or help given to me. I can share the joy of a new mother, the perfection of new life, the complexity of the human body. These are profound moments for me, yet they often feel quiet. And somehow, these moments are enough
You are doing great Antonia!
You are doing splendidly,
dear Antonia . . .
when I first started keeping a gratitude journal,
it was the simplest things that I was grateful for,
but as time passed,
I reached out further
to things outside of my immediate space,
and when I did this
it kept expanding over time . . .
sometimes . . .
often,
I return to those simplest things.
On some days
I am so very grateful for the very air that I breathe . . .
these are not small things,
and it’s a wonderful feeling
when they feel quiet . . .
and you are right,
these moments are very definitely ENOUGH. ♥
I usually start my day here and in prayer. Sometimes I answer later in the day, like today. Sometimes I chew on the question internally and don’t write my answer but learn from all of you.
I am learning to stop more throughout the day and enjoy the present moment opening my heart and thoughts to a moment of gratitude.
I am aslo trying to look at the hard moments as lessons and find gratitude for what they teach me. As Carol said awhile back, asking “ What can I learn from this”
We have so much to learn from each other,
dear Deann . . .
every day,
coming here,
I learn something new.
Thank you for coming back. ♥
This season of my life is one of patient watching. Watching what? Nothing. I find gratitude in the moments when I can be okay with the fact that my hands are not on the steering wheel of my life. They come more frequently now, though not often enough. I want to skip over the waiting season. I didn’t think I was ready for this, but here it is anyway. All I have to do is stay awake and observe, not do. Every time I can do that, gratefulness comes a little more easily. But jeez, I wish God would come along with His magic wand, hit me over the head and – presto! I’d be magically perfect.
Often I have wished for a crystal ball to get me out of the present and know the future. These last 2 years have brought major challenges into my life. If I had known about them I would have cringed and said ” no way”. I/ we are are approaching the the other side right now. We are a bit tattered and weary but we are here with growth.
I sympathize Dawn Elaine.
I would like to have it all figured out. 😇
When my adult children were small and bitching about something I would tell them if I had a magic wand, I would say bling and all would be as they wished for. Then I made sure they understood that I indeed did not have one.
As they say,
dear Dawn Elaine,
“be careful of what you wish for.” 🙂
I begin my day with gratitude & end my day in gratitude.
🕊️🩵
What a beautiful way to live,
dear PKR,
isn’t it? ♥
As I often mention, I start each day reading poetry and coming to this space. Poetry as practice reminds me that observing the smallest moment provides a pause and a chance to appreciate.
I’ve also mentioned that each day in my journal I write the day’s date at the top, then mark off a section of the page and head it “Today’s delights–“. The dash for me creates anticipation, heading toward whatever the day will bring. By writing the heading I create the space that fills with the day’s delights. It’s now on me to watch for them, remember them, write them down.
Delights aren’t quite the same thing as gratefulness. Noticing something and delighting in it can create a pause that might be followed by gratefulness, though. Ross Gay discussed his Book of Delights and the concept of finding delight in an On Being conversation with Krista Tippett (https://onbeing.org/programs/ross-gay-on-the-insistence-of-joy/). Krista mentions the growth in practicing gratefulness and they talk about the difference.
Another way I practice gratefulness is to make sure I thank the people I encounter in the day. That may mean telling someone on my team I appreciate working with them, or something specific about what they brought to a project. It means thanking my husband, with attention and sincerity, for the first cup of coffee he brings me each morning. It might not be out loud; if I’m riding my bike and a driver moves over into the other lane to go past me I wave as a thank-you. In these moments I’m grateful for having these people in my life, even if some are there only for a moment.
This question will no doubt prompt some additional moments of gratefulness today. I sometimes come back to this space at the end of the day and read the additional posts. Doing that more consistently would mean I open and close each day with gratefulness.
Grateful for all of you here!
Inspiring, Barb!
Good reminder about delights, Barb. My friend recently made little booklets where you list your delights. The idea is to carry it around and jot down delights as they happen. It’s a good idea, I may try it for a while and see what changes.
Mostly I just have to remember to live gratefully.
Key word being remember.
Avril spoke a few days ago about living with amazement and enthusiasm.
That really struck me as being key for me.
Amping up my enthusiasm and focusing on amazement will help me to live gratefully.
I just have to remember to do it.
I know the question asked how do I and not how could I.
But the truth is I get caught up a lot in what displeases me and I forget.
Starting the day with more enthusiasm just might carry me through.
It can be a struggle at times, dear Mary. I experienced just such a day this past Thursday the 10th.
One thing that I notice about you, Joseph, is that you are always kind. ☀️
Not a direct response to your comment, Joseph.
Your comment just reminded me of that.
Coming here, sharing, and reading all of your comments is always nourishing start to the day. Stopping to take in nature. The birds are back, including two types of gorgeous jays. Practicing compassion and/or reverence for things I would otherwise react jumpily to: the hornets building a nest in the yard, the people who left a bunch of spent fireworks in the park. Noticing the nice temperature in the house, the cute and healthy dog snoozing on the couch, the rich taste of matcha in my cup. Really, throughout the day I look for opportunities to practice. And if I’m feeling carried away by some kind of inner tornado, the sting of that reminds me to step back and look for opportunities for gratefulness, too.
“…carried away by some kind of inner tornado…” a novel way for me to say that damned Monkey in my mind keeps chattering and jumping from branch to branch. Thank you, Drea.
I posted my comment before reading this but I think I’m trying to say what you have so articualtely described. Thank you for sharing – I had started to feel I was getting this all wrong
I relate to everything you wrote, Antonia. I like how you described it, it reminds me of the slowing of time, the realization of the profound and quiet. Thank you for sharing too.
We have California scrub jays and Steller’s jays in our area, Drea. Different colors and calls; the scrub jays are the paler, higher-voiced cousins of the Steller’s. I’m also fortunate to live in a place where fairly often I can see bald eagles soaring overhead and blue herons in the inlet. Always grateful for nature’s diversity and beauty.
Thanks for the inspo to look up our jays, I hadn’t known the names. We have the Steller’s as well, and the blue jay, and very occasionally a scrub jay. I think it’s the Woodhouse’s scrub jay, it seems to prefer higher country. Such beautiful birds.
I had already posted my answer to the Daily question when I read Richard Rohr’s meditation for today. Had to share it!
https://cac.org/daily-meditations/surrendering-to-love/
Thank you. A very nice read.
Thank you,
dear Carol,
for posting this today . . . ♥
Thank you Carol! That bell hooks passage was so good.
I practice living gratefully by being willing. I’ve said it here before, “Willingness is my job.” I’ve learned that God, the Universe, the Great Spirit, Life, (Pick your path) is trustworthy and transformation is its job. But it can’t do its job unless I’m willing. Willingness takes trust. It is about “losing control” which is very different from being “out of control.”
Every day is the last day; every day is the only day; What many call God is the very life in us and we are always called to be alive, fully human, not ego-driven; We are Life and Life beckons us to rise; the energy of creativity is always wishing to free us to be. Sometimes when I feel like I am trapped in a tomb, I remind myself that my willingness can makes all the difference. The stone has been rolled away. I don’t have to understand how that happened. I just have to be willing to stumble out of the tomb and get back up when I fall. All the while remembering that “falling in-to love” is what really matters. It’s the process of becoming fully human and humane.
I wrote this poem over 20 years ago when I was struggling with my understanding of the importance of willingness. I was grieving over my divorce after 35 years of marriage. I was definitely moving through a dark time.
Rebirth: The Joy and the Grief of Letting Go
It’s like having a baby.
The pain comes like a contraction.
My first reaction is to control it,
but if I breathe deeply into it,
if I acknowledge that it is real,
if I honor it, relief comes
until the next time.
That might be five minutes,
five hours or five days,
five weeks or five years—
whatever it takes to
grieve the loss of 35 years
of trying, crying, loving,
and lying.
Lying to myself,
Lying to myself,
Lying to myself,
Over and over,
Over and over,
Over and over
again.
Denial,
Betrayal,
Infidelity,
Anger,
Fear,
Depression,
and Illness.
A few of the tools
that kept
illusions going,
a few of the trips
that kept me
from owning
my pain.
Honor the pain.
Feel it.
Don’t hide it.
See it.
Don’t fear it.
You will never
rise above it any way.
Let it go.
Let it go.
Let it go.
Over and over,
Over and over,
Over and over
again.
Suppress it
and it grows.
It builds a home.
Deep down in your toes.
It feeds on your energy
and saps your strength
away
It’s like having a baby.
The pain comes like a contraction.
My first reaction is to control it,
but if I breathe deeply into it,
if I acknowledge that it is real,
if I honor it, I breathe myself
to new life.
Beautiful poem,
dear Carol . . .
I get it . . .
100%.
Thank you for sharing it with us. ♥
Practicing Stop. Look. Go. throughout my day reminds me to be present in the moment and always live gratefully.
I try to observe my desire and undesired experiences with thanks and an opportunity for self-improvement. 🌱
My Ngoc, as the old saying goes, we take the good, the bad, and the ugly.