Gratitude - the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful
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‘Gratitude’ derives from the Latin ‘gratia’, which, depending on the context, translates as ‘grace’, ‘graciousness’, or ‘gratefulness’.
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In my random google search history you will find, ‘can your brain be re-wired?,’ Why? I am certain when I got sick, my brain was re-wired. It was something I didn’t realize until I was home and recovering. And I don’t think I learned of the full magnitude until years later.
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The one thing I learned in the hospital was gratitude. Gratitude and grace. Gratitude is more than an emotion to me. I am almost certain I can find something to be thankful for in every situation. Gratitude starts with noticing goodness. Plain and simple. After you start noticing goodness, you start to realize you don’t just have to find goodness to be grateful, you appreciate the little things. You live a life of gratitude.
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It has been said that gratitude is a memory of the heart. I love the concept. It is so true. Every day I spent in the hospital is a memory of heart. And the thing is, they aren’t bad memories, they are memories of my heart and I am thankful for each one of them. I am thankful for each doctor, each procedure, each nurse, each poke, each prod - they made me who I am today. Through this experience, gratitude was hard-wired in my brain.
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I don’t think it takes a hospital stay and life threatening illness to become grateful - to live a life of gratitude. Start small. Start today. A journal is a great way to start. Each day, write three things you are thankful for. Do this for a few weeks to create a habit and that habit will turn into a lifestyle.
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Additional journal prompts include:
Write a thank-you letter.
What made you smile today?
What are you learning about yourself?
What prayer(s) have you seen answered recently?
Write about your favorite season - why is it your favorite season?
How often do you pause and appreciate the present moment?
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keep pushing through