What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word gratitude? For many, it’s the annual American tradition of Thanksgiving—spending time with family, watching football and eating an inordinate amount of food. For others, it might be something they are grateful for, such as family, friends, or an exciting opportunity to do something new.
The word gratitude wasn’t something I thought about very often until recently when I read Arianna Huffington’s book "Thrive,"a memoir and self-help hybrid that emphasizes the importance of finding time for reflection and introspection amid the chaos of our daily lives. In her book, Huffington writes, “Gratitude works its magic by serving as an antidote to negative emotions. It’s like white blood cells for the soul, protecting us from cynicism, entitlement, anger, and resignation.” As I read this, sitting in my pajamas over winter break, I couldn’t help but think: who couldn’t use some more positivity in their lives? Surely I could benefit from this tidbit of insight.
I am an avid collector of small notebooks and journals, so I promptly grabbed one of these off of my shelf, and wrote four words on the first page: I am grateful for... Then I flipped the page and started writing.
I decided that I needed to incorporate gratitude more into my daily life. I had found myself in a vicious cycle of being stressed, worried, and constantly complaining about something. In reality, though, how much did I really have to complain about? My solution to this problem was to write down, on a regular basis, at least one thing I was grateful for that day. Sometimes it was as simple as being thankful for good snow for making snowmen. Other days had more sentimental entries regarding friends, experiences and specific moments that I cherish.
Over time, I noticed two things: 1. that thinking of things I am grateful for became easier and more enjoyable the more I wrote about them, and 2. my mind began to automatically take note of these moments throughout the day. I started to become more positive, my mind sought out things to be grateful for without me even realizing it. Not only that, but little moments began to take on a much more positive significance in my mind. I developed a greater appreciation for things I had often taken for granted in the past, like quiet weekend mornings and that person who always holds the door open for me. Suddenly, there was so much more positivity in the world all because I was recording it in my teensy journal.
So what can you do to instantly add more positivity in your life? Take a minute or two out of your day to think or write about something you’re grateful for. Add it to the “notes” section on your phone, jot it down on a sticky note, or even just think about it when you’re shampooing your hair in the shower. By thinking about gratitude on a regular basis, you’ll start to notice that there’s an unbelievable number of things to be thankful for.
Here, I’ll start you off with a list of my own: as I write this, I’m grateful for my college dining hall being open until 11 p.m. I'm grateful to tea for fueling my fingers as they type. I'm grateful for the convenient placement of a nearby power outlet so that my laptop battery doesn't die.
Now it’s time for you to make your list! It might sound cheesy, but hey—who doesn’t love some extra cheese?
