A Practice of Gratitude
November is here, along with the leftover candies from Halloween is the temptation to slow down and settle into the Christmas Spirit. Yep, I am one of those people, October wasn't even over and I was drinking hot chocolate and planning for Christmas. In case you were wondering, this year the tree is going up on December 3rd!
It's too early for the real trees of my childhood but for the last few years we have been loving a hand-me-down artificial tree from my mother in law. She’s had better days, (the tree not my mother in law) our cat loves to burrow himself into the limbs and attack the ornaments. Her bows bend and gap, and the lights dont light on one side. But i'm grateful she’s ours and we are putting her up as soon after Thanksgiving as I can. This will be the first year I've ever allowed myself to bask in the holiday so early.
Normally I get bogged down with too much to do and feeling behind that the holidays have barely seemed enjoyable at all. Last year I started following Deb- have you heard of her? @christmasdoseofdeb - on instagram? The plan is to be Christmas ready by December 1st - sounds crazy, but I’m good with that in an effort to be more present and at peace this year.
Now I have been slowly making my list and checking it twice since October 15th! All this Christmas talk to get around to the point that just because on November 1st I am sitting here thinking about Christmas, doesn't mean that I have forgotten about Thanksgiving.
I would go as far to argue that getting ready for Christmas early will allow me more joy, rest, and gratitude from Thanksgiving through the New Year! One way that I foster that kind of cozy, restful spirit throughout the year is with a gratitude practice. I have been out of the habit for a while, since well before Huckleberry was born. So I would like to invite you to join me in a seasonal gratitude journal or gratitude log practice!
Daily - sit down with a cup of coffee or hot tea, just something that makes you feel good, and create a list of 10 things/people/experiences/etc. that you are grateful for.
I try to keep my thoughts in the last 24 hours. I love to make my daily list in a special notebook or journal so each page (or two depending on the size of your pages) is a day! The key here is to not go to bed until you have written your list, after a while you’ll find a rhythm where you write your list at the same time everyday. As you start, just be diligent in getting it done. Do this with me through the end of the year and you won't believe how much more joy you find in your life.
It's the simplest act of recognizing and reflecting our favorite things in life. The seemingly small, mundane, trivial day to day things are the best part of living. Sometimes we just need to be intentional and remind ourselves of that.
So here is how it starts:
Today Nov 1, 2022
I am incredibly grateful for…
Cozy smell of clean laundry
Huckleberry Snuggles
The way Huckleberry's eyes light up when he smiles and laughs
My husbands work ethic
Grocery stores loaded with food and produce
Leftover halloween candy
Banana Muffins
Wool Socks
Being able to learn anything on the internet
House plants
Now it's your turn! How long can you keep your daily list going? My goal is to make it through the end of the year. Good luck and happy gratitude season!