Enjoying Gratitude

What Are You Grateful For?

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart."  ~Jean Baptiste Massieu

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
~G.K. Chesterton

Summer is short and sweet. I love the changing seasons - they're a reminder that life is constantly in flux. Before we can become too attached to one particular season, it has already morphed into the next. Even winter, which most of us love to complain about (I'm no exception!), has its particular sweetness - on a cold winter's day, the sun sparkling off of each delicate snow crystal, the hard crunch of snow under one's boots, the feathery snow softening the aching limbs of the barren trees.

But here we are at summer's birth, with all of the sweetness it offers. The smell of fresh soil in the garden griming one's fingernails, the riot of colour exploding from blossoms eager to burst the bonds of winter, the softness of an early morning breeze caressing a cheek, the blaze of a sunset burning the horizon until only a smoky grey remains.

I'm so grateful for these things, and more. I'm grateful even for the opportunity to practise gratitude. There are measurable benefits to having a gratitude practice. The brain gets good at what it practises, and when we practise and develop gratitude, we enjoy

• Greater physical and mental wellbeing
• Increased empathy for others
• Reduced stress
• Better sleep
• Stronger willpower
• Longer-term happiness.

Developing a gratitude practice is easy and can be fun. Start by thinking of five things you're grateful for, right now. Write them down. Notice the feeling of gratitude. Where do you feel it in the body? Spend a few minutes each day contemplating what you are grateful for. Let the deliciousness of that feeling seep into your bones.

Here's a short 10-minute gratitude practice  I made that you can use to jumpstart your own practice.

If you'd like to further your gratitude practice, make a plan to come to my Healing Heart Retreat at Tamarack Lodge here. There's just a week left with the Mini Early Bird - save $100 when you register by June 30. Summertime in beautiful Haliburton is something to be grateful for!