Make every day Thanksgiving

“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

They say that happiness is found in the moment.

Found. Not because happiness is ever lost but because we lose touch with it.

What comfort there is in knowing that it’s always there, waiting for us.

Grateful people are happy people.

This has been been repeatedly shown and no-one is surprised.

“The more I understand the mind and the human experience, the more I begin to suspect there is no such thing as unhappiness; there is only ungratefulness.”~ Steve Maraboli

The practice of gratitude reconnects us with our happiness. We know that it’s truly our own happiness because gratitude is the heart reflection of what matters deeply to us. It is personal. It’s ours.

At its heart, gratitude is human nature’s mindfulness. It causes us to stop and connect for a time with an inner source of happiness (connection, striving, accomplishment, learning positive feelings, meaning).

Some come by a grateful attitude naturally, others need to apply effort. In both cases it works. It draws our attention to what is already in our lives that is deeply satisfying and rewarding. Any time we want to for as long as we want to.

Rituals exist (even if they’ve fallen out of practice) to support a life of gratitude – as simple as a verbal, mental, or written thank you, grateful gestures, and ritualized moments of pause to take stock (“grace” on a small scale, Thanksgiving on an annual, communal level).

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

The daily gratitude practice is simple but powerful.

First commit to a moment of pause once a day (before bed, on the way to work or school, before eating, as you wake up).

“Find” your feeling of gratitude. What is one thing in your life for which you feel deeply grateful? Drink it in and feel it. Savor it.

Take one moment more to reflect whether there is anyone with whom you would want to share your gratitude and send them a silent message of thank you.

Just allow gratitude to move in next to what already is in your life, cultivate it and watch what grows.

“[Gratitude] turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie