Saturday, September 17, 2011

How to Write a Gratitude List

Are you ready to start your own gratitude list?

Here is a simple how-to for grateful people of all ages.

Science has proven that keeping a gratitude list—even if its only three things daily—creates healthier, happier people. Gratitude’s not only good; it’s good for you! You don’t have to be rich or fa-mous for gratitude to matter. It’s important to count your blessings, and to share them with others, no matter your station in life, no matter how young or old you are.

Don’t know where to start with gratitude? That’s easy. Start with your heartbeat or with your breath. Those are things we take for granted, but without them we are nothing. Think about your friends, your family, an amazing memory all of your senses: the things you see, hear, smell taste, and touch. Your favorite foods and flavors. A book or a song that opened your heart or changed your life.

Be open to it all. Write it down without judgment. There are no wrong answers here. Just write down your memory. (Gratitude, it is said, is the memory of the heart). Be complete. Write the entire feeling or memory. One of the wonderful things about your gratitude is it introduces others to new things.

Do it today. Then do it again tomorrow. It takes such a short time, but the results are powerful.

Still feeling stuck? Try answering these questions to get your heart moving and your brain feeling:

  • Who gave you life?
  • What flavors do you love?
  • What film or book or song changed your life?
  • That perfect day…? The best gift you’ve ever received?
  • Your favorite teacher/mentor, and why?
  • The most amazing moment from your favorite vacation?
  • The moment when you realized you were more powerful or capable than you thought.
  • The moment when you felt smaller than you were, but were elevated by faith or friendship.
  • The smallest, most trivial thing for which you are grateful.
Share your gratitude list with the Burbank Public Library. We’ll display it… measure it… and let the world know that Burbank is the Most Grateful City in America!

You can find hundreds of gratitude lists at http://www.thegratitudelist.org/

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