Practicing Gratitude: The Art of Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends! I hope your weekends were full of family time, delicious food, and gratitude! I was recently going through my books while doing a house-wide purge (don’t worry – I couldn’t part with a single book!), and I came across the gratitude journal that I started a few years ago. I flipped though the pages with a smile on my face, reminded of small daily moments that I felt were worthy of writing down. Sadly the habit didn’t stick, and I haven’t used the journal for a while.

Too often in life, it is easier to focus on the negative. It is easier to tell a story about the irritating driver that cut you off than the person that took a moment out of their day to hold a door open for you. Practicing gratitude is challenging. It’s a hard thing to recollect the small moments in life, almost insignificant moments, that add up to a whole bunch of significance and positivity. When you focus on the positive, all of a sudden your perspective shifts and you realize that your day wasn’t so bad after all.

In an effort to bring that positivity back into my life, I’m going to start practicing gratitude again, and pick up where I left off in my gratitude journal. Have you ever tried it? Writing down three to five things at the end of the day that you’re thankful for is a perfect way to unwind, relieve stress, and recalibrate for the day ahead. I highly recommend it! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a list of things that I’m grateful for. What’s on your list?

• Waking up slowly on Saturday mornings, when the air in the house is cool, but under the blankets is delightfully cosy.
• The crisp crunch of autumn leaves under my feet.
• Wide open Alberta skies at sunrise and sunset, full of vibrant cotton candy colours that no camera can capture.
• Red wine and clinking glasses.
• Cracking open a new book for the first time.
• A husband that knows me, almost better than I know myself.
• Throwback Thursdays 90’s rap music on the radio, which leads to solo dance parties in the car and singing at the top of my lungs.
• Double date nights with good company.
• Putting the needle down on a vinyl record.
• Conferences that motivate me to create and do.
• Supportive creative community and new friendships.
• Quality family time and conversations with my 3-year-old niece.
• Crossing things off the to-do list.
• The feeling of coming home.