bird13

Right now I am really fighting this. I'm gonna post this b/c I read something tonight, and I think we always need a reminder anyway. I'm upset with certain things that are not going my way in life, or just, things I want more of in work, etc,life. However, I forgot to practice gratitude for what I already have.

I read somewhere today when we practice that- and in turn have a great attitude about gratitude (lol) more is poured onto us. phew. That is so hard for me to do! But I know I am not practicing this daily and only focusing on what I need more of.

Mango blast

Writing down what I'm thankful for helps me a lot. It doesn't have to be big things, just whatever I can reach out towards at the moment. Sometimes it takes a while to start, but it gets easier with practice.

Can you name 5 things you're grateful for? Big or little. Then add to it from there.

One meditation my youngest son and I like to do, especially at bedtime, is going from a to z with things we're thankful for. Any thing at all. A - I'm thankful for apples. B - I'm thankful for beauty. C - I'm thankful for curiosity. .. or maybe cats, cucumbers, Christ, chuches, coffee, etc. We're not very creative with z. It's usually zebras.

bird13

thanks keeping the faith. I did read that the repeated exercise makes the habit and then it comes. Feels so forced right now. I will start writing..

Mango blast

Forced is okay, imo. It took quite a while for me to start thinking differently. I'm thankful that it works!

lillamy

I really like Ann Voskamp's way of doing gratitude -- she has a book (I think it's called "One Thousand Gifts") where for every day, she gives you guided lists for what to look for: Things like "One word said to you, one thing you saw, one thing you heard".

That made it easier for me, and I liked reading those "guided gratitude lists" in the morning because I actually did go looking and expecting things to be grateful for.

Thank you for reminding me that I need to get back to expecting things to be grateful for.

FireSprite

There is literally power in the written word.... putting thoughts down on paper helps manifest our desires. We are creating something unique every time we journal our thoughts, draw a picture, etc.

Gratitude is something I've worked hard at & I feel pretty good about it now. That wasn't always the case & some of my early recovery days were practically gratitude-free.

When I struggled, it helped to think out of the box/out of MY life. Here's an example that helped me: Say you use an electric alarm clock every morning & rely on it to wake on time for work. Think about the number of people who's combined efforts make that possible - the clock designer, the factory & workers that mass produce the parts & pieces & then those that assemble those parts into this finished product, the electric company for providing power, etc.

Even when I can't find my gratitude for the "big stuff" I can bring it down to this "low" level where I CAN find gratitude for a bunch of people that I have never & will never meet.... and then I can work my way back up to the more personal stuff.

Timeiskey

In my Coda meeting, we are on step 3 and that happens to also be where I am as well. What I got out of my meeting last night was that step 3 (Made a decision to turn out will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.) is about gaining that gratitude, or at least learning to live with it. Today, I have told myself repeatedly, thank you God- even though it was a tough morning for many reasons. So, I took the gratitude and my appreciation and did something for myself- I went on a very long bike ride. I had fun- all by myself, for myself, and simply for the fun and the exercise.
I don't think it always easy to keep that gratitude at the forefront of our day. My Coda meeting really helped reorient me and gain a better understanding of what gratitude meant for me. I am very grateful to have this resource. I am grateful that it has led me to a 12 step, to a better understanding of myself, and to the hope and faith that things will continue to get better as long as I work on it. Big Hugs.

AnvilheadII

here's an awesome site about gratitude/happiness:

Things To Be Happy About

you can set the daily page as a home screen or a favorite and get NEW things to be happy about each day

Things To Be Happy About

there's also a Wisdom Well and a Karma Cabin and a Fun Mtn!

LemonGirl

Haha!!! Totally silly! Totally cute!