Gratitude/Appreciation Challenge.

It is my FAVORITE time of the year! The beautiful art work created by nature is updated daily in an ever-changing process of our trees in the midwest.  The stifling summer nights are replaced will cool autumn breezes.  And.....my month of "Thanksgiving/Gratitude/Appreciation" starts as I prepare my heart and soul for the holiday seasons I celebrate, Advent & Christmas.A few years ago, I'm not even sure how it started, I began daily "thankful" posts on Facebook.  I let myself have much latitude with my daily concept, trying to remember the spirit of what I'm doing, and in the course of a month, there are days I am filled with much more gratitude/thankfulness/appreciation than others.  Some days I am just thankful my day didn't implode and perhaps I was able to keep smiling even when I wanted to cry.  Others days, I am filled with the love for and by my children, and it's easy to recognize what my topic for the day might be.  The key to the challenge is to do it daily.  Period.

Client "Sarah"....struggling with some anger issues and self-esteem issues, often coinciding.  In recovery program, and working with me for over a year.  "Can I ask you something?"

Me "sure"

Sarah "Do you always see the good in people and in things around you?  No matter what is going on, you seem to be able to see the good in life and in people around you.  I want to learn to be more like you." 

As a therapist, there is a risk and benefit of a client "thinking" you have it all together.  Risk is he/she can ascribe not necessarily accurate text to the story of your life.  Benefit is he/she can see you as a motivator to get to the goal he/she may be wanting to work towards.  It's a fine balance, what to tell, what to omit?

For Sarah, simply knowing while I do look for the good in life and in people around me, it isn't without effort on my part.  Life is full of heart ache and disappointment and stress and .... for everyone.  Life is not a fairytale.  While we are not able to control all that we are exposed to in our life, and some of our narratives are more difficult than others, we do ALL get to choose the attitude with which we choose to greet each day.

It's a process.  But one that EVERYONE can do! I encourage clients and friends and family  and others to start with the something simple and structured to perhaps force you to do something that might seem foreign but with parameters to help guide you in this new frontier.  Here are some examples of what you can do to start taking control of your attitude, your thoughts....the one thing we truly have control over in our life.  The one thing.!

• Keep a gratitude journal.  Have it at your bedside and reflect on your day, DAILY, of all you for which you are grateful.  If you are reading this blog, you have access to a computer or cell phone, and have much more in your life than most of the people in our world....so start there!
• Commit to posting to Facebook or social media of your choice, DAILY, something for which you are thankful.
• Choose a charity of choice and do something to volunteer or give back this month.  Get your friends together and donate food to your local food bank.  Adopt a family for Thanksgiving and invite them to your table or make them a dinner to share in theirs.  Go through your closet and donate clothes you haven't work in a year.  Take a personal day and donate your time to a local charity in need.  Search for holiday gifts that support charities rather than shopping at big box stores or online exclusively this season.  EVERYONE can do something small.
• Schedule 15 minutes a day to meditate on the concept of a thankful/grateful/appreciative heart, mind, and soul.

We all may not be able to do GRAND acts in our life to change the world, but we ALL are capable of doing

St. Therese of Lisiux.

So what are you going to do this month?  I'd love to hear about it and how it makes you feel along the way.....

Peace......