A Day of Gratitude

Hello, friends,

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, and the end of the year coming, I am anxious to learn how to live in gratitude more and more for what is in my life at this time. I felt called to develop this Day of Gratitude just this morning, and worked to get it up before the end of the day. I'm so happy to share it with you and hope that you find the exercises that I've found and/or written to be helpful to you this holiday season.

I plan to spend my whole day tomorrow working through these various experiences as a way of beginning my celebration of Thanksgiving, and I intend to continue through Christmas and into the new year. My approach is to do it all in one shot, having a kind of "retreat" in my own life all day tomorrow. I know not everyone can afford to do that. That's ok; the exercises work as stand-alone activities as well, so pick and choose what looks good and go for it any day, any time.

Whatever way you use to Experience and Express more gratitude in your life is worth it! I hope you'll share with me and others by commenting here about what is helpful for you, and how you found using any of these activities.

Enjoy and be In Joy!

~Kristin

A Day of Gratitude
(C) 2011 Kristin Firestone
Developed by Kristin Firestone
for Thanksgiving 2011
(www.kristinfirestone.blogspot.com)

Suggested Schedule

8:00 am - Morning Meditation: Anchoring in Grace

8:30 am - Waking Up to Thankfulness and Getting Ready

9:30 am - Establishing an Attitude of Gratitude

10:00 am- Your “Usual Business” (You may have work to complete or errands to run. Or maybe you’ll spend some time catching up on the news, or exercising. Remember to maintain your awareness of what you are doing while you are doing it and, of course, to experience and express gratitude as it comes up throughout this time.)

11:00 am - Reflecting on People As Gifts

12:00 noon - Eating a Meal

                          

1:00 pm - Counting Your Blessings (Watch Them Grow!)

2:00 pm - Praise and Worship

2:30 pm - Resting, Playing, Time with a Friend, Time in Nature, etc.

4:00 pm - Sharing Gratitude: Writing a Gratitude Letter        

5:00 pm - Resting, Eating a Meal, Going Out, etc.

Before bed - Thinking Thankfully

• Anchoring in Grace

Six Gestures of Morning Prayer, adapted from Joyce Rupp

This brief prayer service is a simple way to orient your focus for the day not only in your mind, but in your body, as well. Before going through the experience, read it over so that you are familiar with the movements and words. You may even want to record yourself speaking the prayers so that you can go through them hands-free.

Light a candle, burn some incense, and turn on some reflective, instrumental music to help you relax and meditate. Before you begin, sit comfortably centered in silence for a couple minutes. Then, slowly move through the six gestures, saying the prayers aloud or in your mind, and performing all of the movements slowly and deliberately.

(This prayer can be done alone or with others. If alone, you’ll want to adapt the language for individual use, changing the “we” language to “I” language).

Finish your meditation by creating a simple statement of intention for the day. Begin with “My intention is to…” and express in just a sentence or two what it is that you hope to put into or receive from this day (or moment) of focus on gratitude. Write your intention in a journal, or on a piece of paper that you can refer back to later in the day.

• Waking Up to Thankfulness

Listen to song "A Beautiful Day" by India.Arie while getting ready for your day. Play it a couple times, if you need to, until you're up on your feet, dancing in gratitude for the gift of today.

Another idea is to put this song at the top of a playlist of your favorite music and go out for a walk or jog to start the day.  Anything that makes your soul feel alive can awaken you to the spirit of gratitude!

• Getting Ready

We always seem to be “getting ready” for some moment or time that is not now, imagining that we were or will be somehow better than we are now. As a result, we often miss out on the gift and grace of the moment.

Today, as you “get ready,” try and focus on each activity and task while you are doing it. It might help to say to yourself in your mind or out loud, “I am brushing my teeth,” or “I am walking to my car,” while you are doing that. This helps to keep you grounded in the moment, and aware of yourself and all around you, instead of being lost in your thoughts somewhere in the past or the future.

Maintain this acute awareness throughout the whole day, and especially as you go through your “getting ready” rituals and routines of washing, dressing, eating and drinking – mundane tasks with great physical and spiritual significance.

• Establishing an Attitude of Gratitude

Begin your day by reading about gratitude from the perspective of psychologists.

First, read this article about the positive effects of gratitude on our health and overall well-being.

Then, read this chapter on Gratitude from Piero Ferrucci’s “The Power of Kindness” and see why Ferrucci calls gratitude “the easiest way to be happy.”

Finally, read this reflection on the "impossible dream."

Seek to understand the relevance and true meaning of living gratefully.

• Reflecting on People As Gifts

Read the poem “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson (or watch a video version here).

It is said that God works through the people in our lives, especially in situations that are challenging or difficult. In this way, people are Christ to us, becoming angels in the times and places where we need them.

Thinking back over your life, who are the people who have carried you in your most difficult moments?  What is it that their presence taught you? How did they help you?  List as many people as you can. Include a sentence or phrase explaining how or why each of these people has been there for you. Keep the list in a place where you can find it again when you want to add to it or reflect on your truest companions.

After you've completed your list, read the prayer "The Heart of Compassion" by Joyce Rupp.

To close this reflection, sit back and listen to the song "Blessings" by Laura Story.

• Eating a Meal

Today, whether you’re alone or with others, eat in gratitude. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for the food. Speak one from your heart, or use one of these blessings from different cultural traditions.

Just as food nourishes your body, your spirit is nourished, too, by the many blessings that fill your life. Your gratitude for your food can increase your sense of satisfaction and also help you to make wiser, more health-conscious choices about what you put in your body and in your mind.

• Counting Your Blessings (Watch Them Grow!)

Awareness is an essential component of gratitude. A lot of times, we do not feel grateful because we’re not aware of what in our life is a blessing! Take some time today to consider your current life in light of all the different areas of activity and relationship. Using a Wheel of Gratitude as a tool will assist you in this process.

When you've completed your wheel, listen to the song "Grateful" from the musical "It's Only Life" by John Bucchino. 

• Praise and Worship

Giving thanks and praise to our Creator for all that we and all that we have - expressing the gratitude physically, in our bodies - can be such a powerful and joyful experience. By giving in to the pure joy of the moment and just singing or dancing our hearts out, or lifting our hands in praise, we release into our bodies feel-good chemicals and also release out into our atmosphere positive energy that can transform our personal space.

Today, consider taking some time to express gratitude in a very experiential way. Whatever name you give to "God" (Jesus, Lord, Creator, Allah, Mother Earth, Holy Spirit) - or if you don't give It a name at all - doesn't really matter. It's the attitude of gratitude, the surrender, the release and the expression that makes the impact.

Consider singing, playing (if you play an instrument), drumming on a table, or prancing around your private space for a little while until you feel satisfied with what you've communicated outwardly what you feel on the inside. 

Suggested Songs for praise and worship (the possibilities are endless!):

• "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman
• "Thank You, Lord" by Bob Marley
• "Thank You" by The Katinas
• "Just Wanna Say" by Israel Houghton (and, really, so many other songs of his)

Or, if you prefer a more introspective session, consider more mellow selections, and just spending some time in quiet, or expressing tears, or whatever else comes up:

• "Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone" by Chris Tomlin
• "How Great Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin

• Sharing Gratitude

Listen to the song “Thank You” by Boyz II Men and/or "Blessed" by Christina Aguilera. Consider who in your life would be the best recipient of this song/these songs from you. Allow your heart to choose someone, living or deceased, to thank in a special way today.

After the song is complete (or while it’s still playing, if you just can’t wait!) write a letter of gratitude to this person, expressing to them how thankful you are for what they have done for you and the way they have helped you in your life. Be specific; it’s possible that they don’t realize the full extent on their impact on you, and even if they do, it’s always nice to see that kind of thankfulness in writing.  Our friend at The Kindness and Gratitude Federation have some helpful guidelines on writing a gratitude letter.

Make a plan to deliver this letter (via email or traditionally) sometime in the next week. If the person has passed on, consider sharing the letter with someone else who knew them (a relative of theirs, perhaps, or a mutual friend).

If you’re feeling extra grateful today, and if time permits, write more than one letter. Or plan to write and deliver more letters in the near future. There’s no limit to the amount of gratitude you can share!

• Thinking Thankfully

Revisit your intention statement that you created at the start of this day. Reflect on how your desires for this day were fulfilled, and how perhaps you might fulfill some of them in the future. Make note of any activities or exercises that were particularly helpful and meaningful to you, and also anything new that you would like to try to help you experience gratitude more deeply moving forward.

Listen to the songs "Thankful" by Josh Groban and  “Every Prayer” by Israel Houghton (featuring Mary Mary).

Make a list of everything from your day for which you’d like to give thanks. Was any prayer answered? Did anything unexpected happen? Did you experience a sense of contentment with your life in a new way today? How has this day of awareness of gratitude helped you to be more at peace and thankful for the blessings already in your life? Make note of these observations. Consider allowing this to become the start of a gratitude journal that you will keep nightly, or weekly, or however often you’d like.

Close your day with a prayer or reflection on all that you have experienced this day.  Personally, I love poetry by Joyce Rupp, and offer to you the following two pieces of hers for reflection and prayer:

Gratitude – Joyce Rupp

To be grateful for what is,

instead of underscoring what is not.
To find good amid the unwanted aspects of life,
without denying the presence of the unwanted.
To focus on beauty in the little things of life,

as well as being deliberate about the great beauties 
of art,
literature, music and nature.
To be present to one’s own small space of life,

while stretching to the wide world beyond it.
To find something to laugh about every day,

even when there seems to be nothing to laugh about.
To search for and to see the good in others,

rather than remembering their faults and weaknesses.
To be thankful for each loving deed done by another,
no matter how insignificant it might appear.
To taste life to the fullest,

and not take any part of it for granted.
To seek to forgive others for their wrongdoings,
even immense ones, and to put the past behind.
To find ways to reach out and help the disenfranchised,

while also preserving their dignity and self-worth.
To be as loving and caring as possible,

in a culture that consistently challenges these virtues.
To remember to say or send “thank you”
 for whatever comes as a gift from another.
To be at peace
 with what cannot be changed.

A Thanksgiving Blessing - Joyce Rupp

May an abundance of gratitude burst forth as you reflect upon what you have received.

May thanksgiving overflow in your heart, and often be proclaimed in your prayer.

May you gather around the table of your heart the ardent faithfulness,
kindness, and goodness of each person who is true to you.

May the harvest of your good actions bring forth plentiful fruit each day.

May you discover a cache of hidden wisdom among the people and events
that have brought you distress and sorrow.

May your basket of blessings surprise you with its rich diversity of gifts
and its opportunities for growth.

May all that nourishes and resources your life bring you daily satisfaction and renewed hope.

May you slow your hurried pace of life so you can be aware of, 
and enjoy, what you too easily take for granted.

May you always be open, willing, and ready to share your blessings with others.

May you never forget the Generous One who loves you lavishly and unconditionally.

May peace and love fill your heart and overflow into your life and the lives of all around you this Thanksgiving. I thank you for sharing this journey with me and hope that you will share comments about how your Day of Gratitude went! I’d love to hear from you.

Peace,

~Kristin