Day 7

Word of the Day – Gratitude

True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Gratitude is the word that is the key to happiness within. Being grateful not only shows the brighter side of life to you, but also helps you to calm your stress and anxiety.

When you begin a day with a beautiful note of gratitude, the days reflects all the beautiful gifts to you in return. In mindfulness, gratitude holds a special place as gratitude helps to open your heart to the art of acceptance. Living your life with gratitude helps you notice the little beauties—like holding your child in your arms, a warm hug from your mother, a gift from your friend or simply the smile on your face.

Gratitude can be found in the first hour of the day, the moment when you see the sun peeping inside your window when you wake up in the morning. But the truth is, each of these small moments together creates a mindful environment where you breathe peace.

The web of gratitude helps to build a meaningful connection between the universe and you. Eventually, it helps you to strengthen your ability to notice the good things in life. But, here comes the twist. It is important to know that gratitude is not just about being thankful for the good things in your life, but it is about being thankful for everything in your life. There are things in your life that might initially seem bad, but when you pause to ponder about these things, the reflection of your thoughts gives you an opportunity to learn and grow. Part of gratitude is recognizing these blessings in all things. But, it’s always hard to accept the misfortunes in life and being grateful to them.

Today, we will do a little act of gratitude so that we can walk one step closer to embracing peace of mind. 

Here begins the day of Gratitude.

The task of the day:

We all know about the gratitude journal. Keeping a daily journal of gratitude helps you to count your blessings in life. But, today we will write a letter of gratitude. Sit in a peaceful corner of your room with a paper and pen. Then, think about the one you wish to say thanks. Maybe your mother, your father, your siblings, your child, your best friend or someone very special to you. One other way is you can choose life or the universe to write your gratitude letter. Whoever or whatever you wish to send a note of gratitude today. Just sit and start remembering the reason to be grateful to that person or life or something else that you have chosen to write the letter. Be calm and quiet, don’t be hard. Relax, take a deep breath and start with a note of love and affection. You will see words flowing like a river. Short or long, don’t be bothered about the length of the letter. Just pour your emotions and let your heart speak.

Quote of the day:

Counting your blessings is a silent way of being meditative with gratitude.

– The SaFfron Storyteller

Affirmations of the day:

I am grateful for all that is good in my life. I am equally grateful for all that is bad in my life as I learn to grow from my mistakes. I am grateful to life for every breath I take, every move I make. I am grateful to my parents, my teachers, my siblings, my children, my friends and all the person who has a kind heart. I am grateful to the universe.

 
Write in your journal:

Today is all about showing gratitude. So write in your journal everything about gratitude. Write the names of the persons you are grateful to have in life. About the good things in life. Even about the nice experiences in life. Everything and everyone you want to be grateful for, just write in your journal. Also write down your own realization after you write the letter of gratitude. Always try to note down your own realization after you are done with the task of the day. This way, you will gather more clarity about things present in your life. 

The last step of this process:

Before you leave the place, assure yourself by saying: “Today I learned to be grateful for everything in my life. This state of gratitude opened my heart to forgiveness. Gratitude helped me to learn the art of acceptance. All this paved the way towards inner peace. I dedicated a few minutes to calm the mind and to be aware of this present moment only. I will let this peace of mind stay with me for the whole day. I will come back tomorrow with a new purpose and try to learn a new way of living mindfully.
I am here to receive more peace and more calm in my life.”
This is all for today. We will come back here tomorrow once again with a new way of mindful living. Till then, be grateful, be mindful. 

(This post is a part of my A to Z series on Mindful Living, titled “More Peace, More Calm”. This is also a part of Blogchatter A to Z Challenge. Read all the posts of this series here.)