Do you have a daily gratitude practice? A habit or a routine that helps you maintain an attitude of gratitude?
Many experts agree that practicing gratitude has a powerful positive impact on our lives. One reason why is because an intentional daily gratitude practice trains your brain to look for things to be thankful for.
Check out this brief video …
As today’s video explains, you train your brain’s reticular activating system to filter for the positive … and in doing so, you actually start noticing more of those things. It’s like when you buy a car and then start seeing that make and model of car everywhere you go.
At the same time, as you notice more positive things, you don’t give as much brain bandwidth to the negatives. As Germany Kent says …
“Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
~Germany Kent
Personally, I’ve tried different routines for keeping a gratitude journal. I’ve tried writing in the morning. I’ve tried writing at night right before bed.
I’ve tried writing in a separate journal solely devoted to gratitude, and I’ve tried writing things I’m grateful for each day in my daily planner.
As much as I believe in the power of gratitude, nothing has stuck as a regular daily habit. And that’s why I like this idea of the gratitude jar so much.
The jar is a physical, visual reminder to practice gratitude each day. Seeing the jar fill up throughout the month is encouraging. And I’m motivated to put a new note in each day so that the jar doesn’t end up only half full at the end of the month.
Because that would feel like a failure. And I don’t like to fail.
Are you that way, too?
If you already have a gratitude practice that works for you, there’s no need to change it. (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.) But if, like me, you haven’t found something that you can be consistent with, give the gratitude jar a try.
And let me know how it works for you.