Gratitude x 5

Take a moment, and think about your day today.... I'll wait while you do that....

Now... I want you to think of 5 things... 5 things that you encountered today that brought you peace, that brought a smile to your heart, that seemed 'nice' ... I'll wait again...

These things don't have to be 'big'.... just things... however big or small...

Why do this? I'll tell you. Back in 1997, I read the book 'Simple Abundance'... What a wonderfully uplifting, acknowledging, insightful, nourishing piece of writing. The daily readings brought me a newfound look upon my life, my world, myself. I shared this book with my friends abundantly'...
telling all about how this book had changed my life. Change...sometimes a scary word... but it was a 'good' change. I looked at things differently... Let me give you an example.

One of the things that the author talks about doing is to write down each day 5 things that you are grateful for that day. At first this seemed odd and foreign to me. Like right, I'm going to write down 5 things. It was hard at first. Nothing big, nothing great had happened to me. But after opening my heart, and looking through my day with a more grateful pair of glasses, it became almost second nature to experience the simple abundance and gratitude that the author was talking about. I purposefully wrote down my 5 gratitude daily for about a year. I looked forward to it each evening...it was like putting a bow on each day and tucking it away...eagerly waiting for the next day's entry.

I no longer actually write down my 5 daily gratitudes...my loss, no doubt. But I do acknowledge them and think of them several times each day. Corny, perhaps, but it brings me joy. It brings me happiness. It brings me a sense of well being. Corny, perhaps, but ...

Today, my 5 gratitudes are... *watching a hummingbird dart among my daughter's tennis team mates at their match today... squeeking and darting about with such speed and grace.... *the most beautiful clouds in the dusk sky... nimbus, cirrus and some that looked literally like they had been painted on in brush strokes...they turned cool blue as the yellow sun set behind the South Mountain... *peace in my home.... I spoke with my daughter about this during dinner tonight... just know that I am most appreciative of the peace in my home *lunch with my friends today ... a birthday celebration and brownies to indulge in... *an email from my dear ya-ya sister... I answered her back with a simple 'I absolutely love you...'

I could add more to my list, but you get the idea. None of the above gratitudes is for sale at Target. For me, that's the beauty of them. They are free, for the drinking in.

I challenge you to try this. At the end of your day, take any peice of paper and write down 5 things that happened that you are thankful for, that you are grateful for, that made your day a brighter one. Is it hard sometimes to come up with 5? Maybe at first....but after a few times, you'll find you might have a hard time stopping at 5... And guess what... you don't have to stop at 5... that's the beauty of it all...

it's the simple joys, the simple pleasures

the heart remembers and dearly treasures.

- Hadin Marshall