Practicing Gratitude
I was so inspired a year or more ago when the blog living400lbs.wordpress.com would post a list of things she was grateful for each week. I began to do it myself on my personal journal (livejournal, Oh I have so abandoned you) and enjoyed the process. It was for myself, after all, and so I kept at it like something to check off my to-do list. I started out very mindful, but ended up blowing it off. Bummer. So I wanted to talk about practicing gratitude not just in list form (though I’ll do one), but how we can incorporate this in our daily lives, too.
One thing my husband and I do, and have since day one, is to say “Thank You” to each other for little things and big things. When he holds the door for me I thank him. When I do the dishes, he thanks me. When we have sex, I always thank him! Ha-ha! It’s that simple. And it sounds like a no-impact thing, but I can assure you, when you’re out in the world practicing this, it makes an impact! We’re all so jaded going about our daily lives that when we do interact with strangers we forget to step outside of ourselves and to simply be polite and kind. When you say Thank You and smile at a stranger? You might just make their entire day! Because You know, sometimes, you don’t get that kind of nicety from anyone for weeks on end, ya know?
I also have a notebook at the cafe for daily gratitude. People can write in it at their leisure. Some sign their entry and date it, others simply leave their sentiments anonymously. I love this because of the sheer variety! Some get deeply religious in their gratitude entries. Some wax poetically about the fabulous weather or the many privileges they live with. And then there are the ones from kids which can be everything from “I love my mommy & daddy” to them being ever so grateful for their cat and their friend Jessica to some more creative stuff. There are lists and poems and all sorts of unique creativity.
And seriously? Just a note from all of us hard working service industry professionals: Say thank you and tip your barista/server/etc! We work so fucking hard and get little if any thanks. Retail folks, too! So much work! I cannot even tell ya! Just a smile and a thank you can go a very long way! If you leave a giant mess at your table? Please leave at least a 15% tip. I have found that it’s the rudest, most demanding and above all messiest of customers that leave ZERO tip! Thanks, I now have to spend the next fifteen minutes scraping up unidentifiable substances from the table and surrounding areas rather than serving other customers. Ahem. Sorry, rant.
Gratitude doesn’t have to be for things or people. I am most grateful for my health! Seriously! If I had a health problem, not only would I be sick, I’d also be homeless right now. While I acknowledge my privilege and health and all of that, I think it is important to keep these positive things in mind no matter what is going on in your life. I’m a firm believer in putting your highest hopes and wishes out into the universe. No matter what you believe, I think it helps keep some sanity, if nothing else.
Here is what I am grateful for right now:
My health. The air I breathe. My body and it’s various parts.
My husband. My friends. My companion animals.
My apartment. Food in the fridge. Access to more.
Being able to own/operate a cafe even though I gain no personal income.
The people I meet everyday at the cafe.
A reliable car. The security that a cell phone brings me.
The fat community all over the world and the amazing people I get to interact with.
What are you grateful for? How do you practice gratitude?