SBM
For nearly two years, I posted a daily Facebook gratitude post. I would acknowledge gratitude for something each day. I started this practice after seeing Lindsey Pera's daily gratitude posts. I wanted to experience the type of joy she expressed. I wouldn't say her life was unicorns and rainbows. However, I learned through this practice to find joy in my day to day activities and to seek out opportunities to celebrate them.
I realized I had more to be grateful for than I was allowing myself to see or feel. It shifted my attention and focus away from the pressures and disappointments and to study what was working. There were celebratory days of great big things and days where eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie was all I could appreciate. Somehow stopping to write something, anything down made me aware of my fortune.
I became thankful for the ability to buy a pint and the reality of sitting on the couch eating it. I’ve experienced days where a $7 (NYC pricing) pint of ice cream was unaffordable. However, it wasn’t the ice cream but rather the significance of the experience that created the value. Because I was posting regularly, I started to look for joy and collecting occasions I could share. This created even more occurrences in joy.
At some point, this practice form no longer felt right, so I stopped posting daily gratitude. Now, I post a 15-second video on Instagram that captures a moment of appreciation. These are moments where I am present and enjoy my life. They feel relevant and aligned with my expression of gratitude.
I tag them #cultivatinghappiness and #deeplistening. You can watch a quick chat I recorded about it here.
What can you do to recognize a moment of goodness, joy, and happiness in your day to day experiences? If you have a practice already, please share it and let us know. Perhaps your idea can help someone else start their daily practice.
Ultimately, we're glad you're here and excited to bring you offerings, discoveries, and news that can help you cultivate your happiness. Your awareness of how you feel is so important to your health and well-being. The world is a much better place when more people are happy.
You can always reach us at soundbodymindretreat@gmail.com.