It’s early morning; the sun is barely peeking over the horizon, and I’m in my pajamas, still a tad groggy, padding barefoot across the kitchen floor to get the cup of coffee Jean has lovingly prepared for me. Java in hand, I step into the office and pull the iPad from my desk, and then head back through the kitchen and out onto the deck, where I pull a chair out from the table and sit back to start my morning routine.
I open the iPad, but I’m not looking at Facebook, checking my e-mail, or reading the morning’s news; there is time for that later. This particular morning ritual is much more important to my day than checking the status updates of other early risers.
I open the “Writings” app and sit back to think for a minute or two before I begin to type. And this is my thought:
“What am I grateful for today?”
It is a simple question, but the answers can have significant results, not only in how I approach my morning but also in how I view life.
My gratitude practice began in June of 2011, and I have kept up with it almost daily since, although my weekend practice tends to be hit-and-miss. Each morning, the routine is the same. I take about five minutes to think of four things: Three items of gratitude and one thought about how I will make my day as good as possible.
That’s it. Three things for which I am grateful, at that moment while sitting in the early morning light, enjoying the quiet before rushing headlong into the day. Some days, I am grateful for big things, like family, and having a roof over our heads, but my gratitude is not limited to earth-shattering revelations; most days, I am grateful for simple things. Here’s a sample from January 10, 2012:
“I am grateful for exciting football games.”
“I am grateful for egg on bun.”
“I am grateful for the ability to execute plans.”
“I will make today more joyful by doing what is in front of me in a mindful, happy manner.”
Some days are more profound, but you get the idea. I come up with a quick list of three things for which I am grateful, plus another statement of how I will make the day more “deluxe” (the original intent was how I would make my day more “joyful”, yet “deluxe” to me imparts so much more meaning, including joyful, but also relaxed, groovy, and productive).
Zenhabits.net author Leo Babauta has a great post on gratitude and how it can transform your life. His practice is slightly different from mine. “Take one minute in the morning (make it a daily ritual),” he writes, “to think of the people who have done something nice for you, to think of all the things in your life you’re grateful for. You won’t get to everything in one minute, but it’s enough. And it will instantly make your day better, and help you start your day off right. Can you think of a better use of one minute?”
Perhaps Mr. Babuta’s mind works more quickly than mine, but one minute isn’t enough for me. My daily gratitude practice is not a race, ticking off items as quickly as I think of them. I take five to ten minutes, thinking, “Hmmm… what am I grateful for today?” Often I will think of something that happened the day before, or perhaps something will catch my eye as I am pondering, or maybe I will think of someone in my life for whom I am grateful.
But no matter what, I never draw a blank. Even if I wake in a foul mood, I can always find those three things for which I am grateful.
I try to make the practice positive, in both thought and in deed, even going so far as to avoid the word “not” in my practice. Positivity is key. And if I am grateful for something that actually might not be so great, I try to re-frame my statement so it comes out in a positive manner. If I am going through a difficult time in my life, I try to be grateful for being able to see another morning. If I am up against a difficult problem in my work, I try to be grateful for challenges.
My morning ritual has, over time, changed the way I look at life. I am not as quick to anger, and I think I have become more accepting of other people. I may have even learned to sometimes hold my tongue.
All because I spend a few minutes each morning with my coffee and an iPad, thinking of things for which I am thankful.
It’s not a bad a fantastic way to start the day!