Manifesting Gratitude

There are many ways to manifest gratitude. In other words, if you are going to make the conscious decision to prioritize gratitude in your life, to enhance well-being, mood and outlook, there are a number of ways to do so.

Probably the most common is journaling. You take a notebook or a diary, and write down a sentence or two, three at the most, when you are feeling grateful for something. This can be done once a day, a couple times a week, whenever the mood strikes. Then occasionally you revisit the journal to see what you were grateful for, and when.

A similar exercise is called a gratitude jar. Picture a piggy bank, but instead of putting coins in the slot you put in either index cards or Post-it notes. The idea is to detail or describe something you were grateful for, and be sure to date it. Then on occasion, probably every few weeks or once a month, you empty the jar, and look back at what you were grateful for on any given day or time period.

A third Gratitude practice is something I call count your blessings. When you get in bed at night, before you roll over, close your eyes and attempt to fall asleep, instead of counting sheep, you count things you were grateful for that day. It’s best to do this chronologically. These are small things, mundane things. I’m not talking about being grateful for the fact you have a job or a house or a car or a family. It’s more along the lines of recounting a healthy breakfast, or an exceptional cup of coffee.Perhaps you ran into an old friend at the post office. Maybe you pulled into the gas station just as the car in front of you was pulling out, so you didn’t have to wait for a fuel pump. Simple, everyday occurrences.

All of these practices, done separately or together, will help to put you on a path to regular and focused gratitude. And that can only help your emotional state and equanimity.