It has been another hard year for many people. Many of us are still reeling from all the turmoil and horror in the world right now and it can be a struggle to find a way forward
It may take a bit of imagination but stepping back and focusing on those things we feel grateful for might help us refind our balance.
Gratitude is a feeling which, when tapped in to every day, can help us reflect on what matters to us and makes us feel good. Often it’s the things we take for granted as we thrust forward in life, that make the difference.
A few years ago I worked with a woman who had a chronic illness and felt for a long time that her body had let her down.
Slowly over time in therapy she softened towards her body and was amazed at how much her body did for her daily to keep her in her life. “I always focus on my heart” she said “it works so hard and I often just sit with it’s beating and try to feel enormously grateful”.
Gratitude is now being recognised as a real tonic for the mind and body, by focusing on it we can truly learn to be in the moment.
Finding three things at the end of a long day to be grateful for connects us to our compassionate self and calms the mind.
My list often feels a bit insignificant; such as a great chat with my best friend, the sun on my face or feeling well after a spell of illness. Each one though, is the sum of my day and precious to me. I think of them like jewels on a necklace, that I can reflect on.
I write my gratitudes down now and as I come to the end of this year, I sit with each one again. They make me feel truly humble and hopeful for the future.
Give it a go in the forthcoming year, forget resolutions just write down what makes you feel grateful every single day.
