The Thanksgiving holiday is a great reminder to express our gratitude, but how can we maintain a gratitude mindset the rest of the year?
We feel better when we express gratitude as it’s impossible to feel stress when you focus on being thankful. We just need to stop for a moment each day and reflect on all the positives in our life, but why does that seem to be such a challenge?
In October I attended a wonderful conference led by Robert Holden, author of Be Happy, Authentic Success and other great books focused on helping people look within for the keys to living a great life. During the conference Robert emphasized the importance of having a daily spiritual practice to force ourselves to just stop…pause for a few moments and get in touch with ourselves.
I like to meditate and have wanted to keep a gratitude journal, but with my work and travel schedule found maintaining either practice a challenge. However, I realized travel was just an excuse and it was time for me to commit to both as my own daily spiritual practice.
This week I surpassed the 21 days that it takes to create a new habit with my daily meditation and gratitude journal! I’ve not been perfect, but close enough to know that the practice is now a part of my daily routine and really does not take any extra time out of my day.
Surprisingly, technology apps were the key to my success. On my phone I downloaded the Insight Timer app that includes a meditation timer plus guided meditation options. There is a very nice 1 minute guided meditation which I’ve listened to on a couple of really busy days…who can’t find one minute to pause and meditate?
On my tablet I downloaded a Gratitude Journal app as my iPad travels with me and when at home is kept in the family room where I relax at the end of the day. Now I stop and take 5 minutes at the end of the day to enter positive moments for which I am grateful into my journal app.
My experience of committing to a daily spiritual practice is an important gift to myself. Moments when you stop and reflect on the good parts of your day put the frustrations into perspective. Quiet time in meditation or prayer brings a calming peacefulness to the day that allows solutions and new ideas to come to mind.
Maintaining a gratitude mindset is a decision each of us can commit to doing. We may need to lower our expectation of the time required and look to technology to help us stop and pause for a few moments.
It’s an irony that in the world where we are often over-connected due to technology that we can find the tools that help us turn inward for a few moments.