Practicing Appreciating

Practicing Appreciating

If you want to make a big change in your life quickly and pretty easily, start a Gratitude Practice, or Appreciations Practice.

It’s very simple. All you do is take a little bit of time to write down a few things, three minimum, you have appreciated or are grateful for in the last 24 hours, and share them.

I will let you in on a secret, cuz that’s what I do. I used to think there wasn’t anything I could do everyday that wasn’t part of my autonomic nervous system, or digestion. Turned out, I was wrong. Turned out you make the difference. When I choose to report to you, so to speak, that I have done my task, I am way more likely to do it.

Why do I choose a daily practice? What makes me take me seriously? How do I feel when I feel worth it?

I like to use social media for my sharing purposes. You can share with a live person, or by email or phone, too. The point is to make it an every single day thing. This is important for at least a couple reasons.

Reason One: Feeling gratitude and appreciation for stuff in our lives brings us closer to living our natural lives, and happiness. A primary component of soul-happiness is appreciation.

Reason Two: Having a daily practice we are committed to helps us remember to make the tiny choices we want to make every day. When I decided to stop using alcohol and drugs, I did that every day, sometimes more than once a day. I choose happy every day. It may take me a chunk of the day to get there, but it is very rare that I don’t spend at least some of everyday happy. (How wonderful to realize that!)

There will be exceptions because stuff happens. Sometimes I have connectivity issues with my Chromebook and can’t get to a wifi place; doesn’t happen very often. Once, I was too sick to sit up for a couple days, so I didn’t write. From time to time, I get interrupted, and so things get delayed. But, my intention is to do it, so I get back to it as fast as I can.

How do I own my power? Why am I responsible for me? How do I feel when I am competent?

When I start my day appreciating, I kind of set myself up to look for stuff to appreciate. I am in the habit now, and so I find that I will take note of things I might have missed. I am more aware of unexpected beauty, the unexpected gift in a sticky situation, the surprise blessing. And I find that thinking about that which I found of value in my day before I go to sleep helps me sleep much better than when I would rehearse why my day sucked.

I even look at the crappy things that happen and find gifts. Sometimes, it’s the opportunity to practice patience or humility, or compassion, or non-attachment. Sometimes, it’s the opportunity to be creative, or to deeply experience an emotion, or to engage with someone in a new way.

I like Greek Philosophy and have found some really valuable stuff there. Look at your life and who you are. Learn about yourself. Rehearse scenarios in your head. (I like to add that I need to rehearse them in such a way that I stay calm and centered. I like to vary them, so I am flexible. I also look for the best outcomes.) Hot and cold are relative. A lot of things are dependent on our point of view. (Plato, Aristotle, and Democratus, if you were wondering.)

How have I changed from taking for granted to appreciating my wonderful life?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 03182014

If you found something of value, interesting or annoying, please + or share. How do I feel when I feel appreciated?