Gratitude Practice

I’m grateful for my daughters
I’m grateful for my dog

I’m grateful for my home, my health, my job

That’s easy gratitude, that’s a constant, a given

Let’s go deeper into gratitude 

I’m grateful for my mistakes 

I’m grateful for my hardships 

I’m grateful for pain and suffering and darkness 

That’s better, flip side, but still too broad

Let’s niche down

Get really specific 

I’m grateful for the sunrise. First light, before it breaks the horizon line, when colors are still muted, waiting for rays of golden sunshine to reveal their splendor, when there is an anxious stillness preceding the imminent explosion of life all around me, when nothing is more important than greeting the day and honoring all of its potential. 

I’m grateful for dew kissed blades of grass where tiny toads shelter in July summer heat, hopping away in perfect sync and in every direction whenever the dog bounds into the yard—her nose not nearly quick enough for so many little jumpers. It’s a daily ritual that never fails to make me smile. 

I’m grateful for the beautiful owl feather I found recently, a little damp, easy to miss, but I knew instantly when I picked it up that it was special. Wispy, downy, nearly translucent, so unique in its appearance: long and wide, a base of light brownish amber with darker brown stripes and a shock of white through the center. It is magnificent and truly a gift from Uju. 

Yes. This is gratitude, life changing. 

Step into the fullness of your gratitude, this moment—indeed, you can begin right now! Practice this, every day and watch miracles unfold.