Creating Space

“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

As we begin our month of focusing on gratitude, let’s start by creating space for this practice. You may want to explore the physical and mental space that will work for you. Let’s start with your physical place. There have been many studies (we’ll talk about these next week) that illustrate the impact of writing down who and what you’re thankful for. Something about giving those positive thoughts a place on a page adds meaning to them. So you may want to get a notebook and an awesome writing utensil to dedicate to this practice. Choosing a consistent time of the day can also be beneficial, however I believe any time you are recording your gratitude, it is powerful. I often begin my day with this practice, but I’ve also heard that some people sleep better at night when identifying what they’re thankful for right before they go to bed. The best place and time is whatever works for you. 

Making mental and emotional space for gratitude may feel more challenging than creating physical space. Every day, your brain is going a mile a minute, jumping from necessary tasks to the next student crisis to your own personal responsibilities. You may wonder how there is even time or mental energy to pause and consider what you’re thankful for. This is a valid feeling. If a gratitude practice is new to you, be patient with yourself and give yourself lots of grace. The intention behind this process is to invite more freedom and mindfulness in your life, not add one more thing to the to-do list. It may feel a little like a new muscle being strengthened at first. So perhaps, you simply begin with one statement a day. You can try this one, for starters:

Day #2: Share a new skill you’ve learned that you’re thankful for.