Rule # 6: Be grateful. All the time. Find something every day for which you are grateful. Make it real, don’t be grateful for things that haven’t happened yet, be grateful for what is, right now.
About three years ago, Soni and I started a daily gratitude practice. Just before going to sleep, we each say what we’re grateful that day. Even if I’ve had a bad day I find I have a lot for which I am grateful. Being grateful isn’t spiritual whitewashing, it’s not saying everything is good, when it’s not. It’s simply a way of reminding yourself that life is never just one thing. It’s never just sadness, depression, grief, happiness, joy, anger. Mostly it’s a mix of two or more of these.
Being grateful doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy either. You don’t have to be happy to be grateful, you just have to be honest. The challenge for many people is that when they feel happy, they worry it won’t last and when they feel sad, angry or depressed, they feel pressure to feel differently, because our culture has little tolerance for any emotion other than happiness. Perhaps, today you’re grateful for being sad, or for grieving someone, because it’s a reminder of how deep your love is. Be you, be grateful.
What are you grateful for today?
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