This Thanksgiving season, we’re exploring what it truly means to “choose gratitude.” In this guest blog, Rev. Shellie Riggs Jordan, Director of the Center for Congregations’ Southeast office, guides us through the transformative potential of cultivating gratitude as a habit. Rev. Jordan’s wisdom illuminates the profound impact a daily practice of gratitude can have on our lives.
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When our kids were young and getting a bit grumbly about something, we had a saying: “More gratitude, less attitude.” It was a reminder to them to focus on the things they were thankful for instead of the things that made them upset or frustrated. It was also a reminder to me that we have a choice in how we look at things. Psychology Today defines gratitude in this way: “Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. It is a recognition of value independent of monetary worth. Spontaneously generated from within, it is an affirmation of goodness and warmth.”
Gratitude is an emotion or a feeling that can also be cultivated as a habit. The regular practice of gratitude can change our outlook, our affect, and even make lasting changes in our brain, causing us to be more sensitive to gratitude in the future. Gratitude allows us to participate more fully in life. In other words, the regular practice of gratitude has the power to fundamentally change who we are and how we see the world.
So, how does this work? Here are eight things you can do to practice gratitude:
1. Be mindful of what’s happening around you and seek out goodness in the moment.
2. Write down two or three things you are grateful for at either the beginning or end of each day. Take a moment to pray or meditate about the things on your list.
3. Notice the small things in your day that bring you joy and take a minute to give thanks when you are experiencing that joy.
4.When having a conversation with someone, think of one or two things you appreciate about the person.
5. Recognize when someone has done something helpful or kind for you and thank them.
6. Stop for a moment and savor something that brings you joy in nature. It can be the wind on your face, the sight of the changing leaves, or a patch of flowers.
7. Ask yourself how you can be of help to someone today and then do it.
8. When you notice something for which you are grateful, take 15 or so seconds to take a deep breath and allow yourself to be filled with thanksgiving.
As we head into this season of thankfulness, may we be willing to engage in a daily practice of gratitude. May we be reminded that a practice of gratitude allows us to choose where our inner eyes look, to decide what our thoughts focus upon, to lean into thankfulness, and to find the goodness in the people and world around us.
