Welcome to Day One of Thirty Days of Gratitude! We're excited to start this journey with you. We encourage all of us to have a beginner's mind as we set out. A conscious gratitude practice can raise up all kinds of new awareness within us and around us. Maintaining an open and curious attitude will help each of us deepen our experience as we move into this time to come.
Our first practice is about intention and attention. What draws you here? What are your motivations as you begin? How do you hope this practice will help you change, grow or flourish?
To help make good on our intentions, today's practice is to set up a daily gratitude reminder to help keep this practice at the forefront of your awareness over the next thirty days. This can take the form of a visual cue--a gratitude-related quote or image posted at your computer, on a mirror, in your car, at one or several places--or maybe it might be a meditation bell set to go off at regular intervals on your smartphone. Whatever shape this reminder takes, it should help bring you back to your intention and refocus your attention to the day's gratitude practice.
Here's a cue that we're using, right at the site from which many of these practices will be posted.
So, what are your intentions and ways of paying attention as you begin?
We're grateful that you're here!
Yay! Here we go!!!! I'm the "random acts of meditation" on my smartphone kind of girl. I have an app that is set to ring a chime (like the bell in yoga) at random times throughout the day. My son and I are home together and when we hear it, no matter what we are doing, we stop, center, and take three deep breaths. Then we say out loud what we are noticing... how we feel, what we feel, an observation about our environment, something we are feeling grateful for in the moment. It is my intention to keep this going, of course! However, my barrier to completing this practice each day will be time... so in order to be sure that time is put aside, I have set an alarm on my ipad AND phone for 30 minutes each evening at bedtime... nothing else to do, nowhere else to be. :)
ReplyDeleteYay, indeed! Excitement abounds as we start this month together.
DeleteI've changed my work desktop image to a Firefly backgrounded serenity prayer (the actual prayer with the Serenity in the background, not the modified version from the show) so I'll see it and pause, take a deep breath and reflect on things a little more calmly. I'll be grateful for belonging to a church that encourages me to try to grow spriritually and try new things. I'll also be grateful for Josh Wedon providing a series good enough to help escape reality, but short enough to only be a brief vacation before returning. I'll also be grateful for science finction based puns :) Oh, and I'm also grateful to belong to a community where there are people who will understand what I'm talking about without having to google it :)
ReplyDeleteI think I got most of that Andrew. Grateful that you're here!
DeleteI often find myself pausing throughout the day, taking notice of the breath, my surroundings, and feelings. It seems to come naturally in both quiet and busy places. I hope to integrate this simple prayer from the Hebrew Scriptures more intentionally into these moments:
ReplyDeleteBe still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/be-still
Oh, I love this. Thank you for bringing this here... I hope to incorporate it into my days, too.
DeleteBeautiful Becky. Thank you!
DeleteI am very grateful to take the time and share in this practice with my WellSprings family. I have so much to be grateful for, especially since my unfortunate accident in June (oops, not grateful for the accident, but for the grace, blessings and healing I have received). My intention is to take more moments through the day to reflect on this practice and "be still" as Becky shared. I don't want to take anything from what you shared, Becky, but that is one of my favorites--chanting it very softly generates a deep resonance that can make the moment very still! My inspiration is to "be in the present moment" more and more!
ReplyDeleteEven when you're away, you're connected to our beloved community Carol!
DeleteI am grateful to you for guiding us through this practice again this year! I am putting the random meditation bell app on my new phone and will use it as my reminder.
ReplyDeleteMy/our pleasure Beth! Thanks for sharing the practice on facebook.
DeleteI love the idea of the Mindfulness chime app... it's funny, I've heard a random chime in recent weeks at the office - I have no idea whose chime it is, but at least now, I know what it is.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'll be adding my own chime to the background for others - and it will be in the foreground for me.
May the chimes of mindfulness sing like birds of awareness in your office. Glad you're here!
DeleteA community charged full is what draws me here. I speak not just of Wellsprings, but of the community that surrounds me each and every day. The community that I am thankful for that picks me up when I have fallen down, wipes my tears when I am hurting and the community that strengthens me. For all my faithful cheerleaders that encourage me to go further, work harder and dream big I am writing for them.
ReplyDeleteIt motivates me to express my gratitude to those that are always vigilant in supporting me. Whether it be a smile, a hug, a like on a post or a nod in passing. Whether it be those that go out of their way to share quotes with me, strengths with me and even weaknesses with me that will allow me to see that I am human and my flaws are sometimes unnoticed because my spirit as a whole shines thru. I am a sharer by nature, it is what nurtures me. I am open and willing to be honest with those around me. I look forward to giving gratitude these next 30 days, in hopes that the anxieties I have will lesson and the anger that I hold onto will dissipate as I share of myself.
Each day of posting I plan on taking a quote from the song or from the reading that jumps out at me from within. I will write this down somewhere where I will take notice of it every day. I will make it my daily mantra, a mantra that will fill me up because I know the purpose for what it will serve. My daily trials and tribulations embracing the mantra. I also plan on taking this mantra and doing something artistic with it each day. A form of mantra art if you will, something that will engage me even deeper into my month long practice of gratitude. Something I will share only with myself until after the 30 days are over, something sacred that I will birth from this experience.
As I read the quote that was posted it intrigued me and I wanted to know more about the man who wrote it. I was grateful that I did, because I learned of a man that seems to be a weaver of faiths. Nothing inspires me more than someone taking a step back and looking at all faiths and knowing that in everything, all religions, we are all in this together. I am thankful for the interconnectedness that is all around me. I see those around me that have more, I see those around me that have less and sometimes I find that the ones that have less are more grateful. I pulled another quote from this good man, “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.” ~David Steindl-Rast
My intentions are to be more mindful, and to be more respectful of myself in being more mindful. I will be gentle with myself and take this journey one slow step at a time, so that I can enjoy each and every blessed moment I am given.
Blessings to you and yours,
Tiffany
Thank you for sharing from such an authentic place Tiffany. I'm grateful you're part of the practice!
DeleteAs I learn more about mindfulness and meditation I hope to take this month to improve my attentiveness on a daily basis, even for breif periods of time. I plan to keep a journal of thoughts and experiences for which I am grateful. I'm not sure of what my reminder will be yet as I hope to build it in as part of the natural flow of my day. Thank you for this activity!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! May your attentiveness grow. Glad you're here.
DeleteHello All,
ReplyDeleteFor getting my attention, I am going to try working with the random meditation bell idea. I'm downloading a free app right now to try it out. If I don't care for this one, I know of another that I will try. Additionally, I have a daily practice of posting a gratitude on FB every night before bed. This helps me focus on the positive elements of each day.
My intention feels pretty straight-forward right now: survive the present moment. I'm going through a particularly challenging time right now and need to stay present and grateful for what I do have to get through this intact. I am a bit leary of this blog right now because I've started this practice the past several years and never end up finishing. This has been failure of my own commitment more than anything else. Recently though, I've started an (almost) daily meditation practice as part of a smallgroup that lasts through the entire month of November. This is just one more thing I need to add to my daily routine so perhaps I will make it this time.
I really resonated with the David Steindl-Rast quote posted in the blog as well by Tiffany. In some ways, I think it is gratitude that has saved me these past few months. I'm grateful to have established my daily FB gratitude posts long before the craziness of life ramped up.
May gratitude continue to be a saving, healing part of your life. Grateful for your presence here.
DeleteI drew a simple "sunrise" on a sticky tab, which I'm going to put on my phone screen before I go to bed each night so it's one of the first things I see when I wake up in the morning and start going about my day. Grabbing my phone for the first time usually means heading into the "rush" -- this will be a great visual reminder to start the day intentionally, with gratitude and attention to all the incredible gifts of the world around me.
ReplyDeleteGreat to share this practice with you Lee. Looking forward to reading your post tomorrow morning!
DeleteI was at a loss for where to put a reminder because I couldn't think of anything I do on a daily basis. I don't use a cell phone, so an audible reminder wasn't going to work. I finally decided to put a label on my bottle of antidepressants which I take daily, to remind me what to be thankful for even though there's a good reason why I take them. I chose these words which were found scratched in the wall at a concentration camp:
ReplyDeleteI believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I don't feel it.
I believe in God even when God is silent.
Caryn, thank you for your honesty and heartfelt sharing. I'm grateful that you're here.
DeleteI will post a photo of my family where I will see it first thing upon rising. Even though I am retired, I still find myself rushing around, filling my hours with stuff. Often this stuff is for my family but I manage to loose sight of that as I concentrate so much on the stuff. How much of this stuff is necessary? How much of this stuff is noise? How much of this stuff is a middleman keeping from time with family? This year I have gained 2 new grandchildren and a step daughter in law. May this much longed for family be the focus of my gratitude.
ReplyDeleteMarian, may the wonderful new lives around you continue to guide you into deeper gratitude and love.
DeleteIt feels really good to be a part of this, so thank you everyone! I'm looking forward to taking a step, however small, each day to focus on gratitude. I hope that this daily practice will help me as I try to find ways of being more mindful and intentional in my life. So, this morning I changed my FB cover to one of my favorites from a website I really enjoy (Bonesigharts.com). The FB cover simply says "Focus on the gratitude." This way I can see it every day, and I can also share it with others.
ReplyDeleteMay this practice continue to help you focus on the gratitude. Glad you're here!
DeleteToday I'm most conscious of how much my animal friends have enriched my life over the years - slobbery, furry, wiggly reminders of how all beings are connected.
ReplyDeleteLooking at our bunny as I type this Andrea, how right you are!
DeleteI always have my phone with me. I feel like I need gratitude reminders most during my busy work day so I added a mindfulness app to my phone. No matter where I am I can take a minute to look at my phone, close my eyes and take a deep breath and remind myself of all I am grateful for.
ReplyDeleteMay the breath continue to guide you into grateful awareness Angie. Glad you're here!
DeleteEvery morning that my 17 year old cat, Jack, licks my nose or eyelids (very effective) to wake me up to get his breakfast, I am awash in gratitude that he is in my life, still in my life here on earth. It is in fact a wonderful way to start the day. One of the first things I do every day is to turn on my desktop and check email. Reminder will be that this will be the page that opens when I first turn on the computer. Will explore some of the more portable options others are using. Thank you for a place to share and explore gratitude.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to awaken Molly! Grateful that you'll be checking in with us each morning.
DeleteI have a magnet (one of many) on my refrigerator at home, with a message from the Dalai Lama: "The Purpose of our lives is to be happy." I see it every day, as I have purposefully put it at eye level, you can't help but see it. It reminds me to think simply.
ReplyDeleteMay this practice help you to think simply and deepen your gratitude Meredith. Glad you're here!
DeleteI'm new to this congregation and new to this blog, but I'll jump right in; especially because today (without remembering about this blog until I got an email) I found two moments that I was grateful for the life I am living.
ReplyDeleteFirst: Transporting my two children to their daycare in the pouring rain, later to find the sky an incredible blue with white clouds that made the trees pop with their rich colors. Sometimes dark gray and rain is necessary for true colors to shine in the sun, right? So beautiful.
Second: A conversation I had with a person who originates from Guinea. She shared her story with me, which is not something she does lightly. It helped me to understand her so much better after knowing her for 8 months. And it also made me realize that through all the rough times I've had in my life, to another they weren't rough at all. Not to say I'm not validated in my feelings, but that sometimes I need to step back and really think of all the good I've been so lucky to have. That conversation made me grateful for who I am, where I've been, and that I can be empathic toward others. I was grateful she shared her story with me, and that we two people from two very different places, found human connection.
I'm glad I read my email and that I am wanting to do this with everyone. Often times I forget to stop and live in the moment. I would love to practice that more. I'd like to stop telling my little ones to "hurry up" when I feel pressured--they stop to enjoy life instinctively, maybe I should take cue.
I don't know what I'll do to remind myself daily to take moments. At my office I have my girls' faces all over and I often find myself looking at them and being reminded of how important they are to me. I posted the Serenity Prayer (the long version) a few months ago in three locations in my office when I found my job taking over my thoughts, and only focusing on stress.
Give me a few days, I may come up with something.
Thanks for jumping right in Amber! Looking forward to hearing what arises in the next few days... and beyond.
DeleteMy intention for this gratitude practice is to learn to be more grateful in the present rather than in retrospect. My cue for the gratitude practice will be a visual cue taped to the window above the kitchen sink. A post-it that simply says "be present, be grateful".
ReplyDeleteGrateful for your presence here Megan! May the practice help you experience the present with deepening gratitude.
DeleteI am grateful for just the day....more to follow.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing about the more to come...glad you're here Neal!
DeleteSeeking conscious contact, grateful to be.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're here, BE. May we all have this conscious contact.
DeleteAnd a good one Kathy! Beginner's mind. Grateful that you're here!
ReplyDeleteMy intention is to really focus on all the good things in my life rather than simply being overwhelmed by the challenges and difficulties. When the days are short and cold, and the house is empty most of the day it is easy for my mood to take a downturn and I hope that this practice will help me avoid that.
ReplyDeleteI plan to keep a gratitude journal, recording each day one thing I am grateful for and then really examining why I am grateful for it.
I also like the idea of the random chime app, but I often forget my phone for days at a time, so that really won't work for me. Luckily, a small bit of randomness has recently entered my life. Nothing brings you to the present moment like a random kitten attack, and I plan to use those moments to stop and breathe and focus on the positive.
My intention is to pay attention. I want to be mindful of all that has been given to be and feel the joy that goes with being so fortunate.
ReplyDeleteMy intention is to re-commit to a practice of gratitude and mindfulness with patience and gentleness. Thank you, all, for helping me do this.
ReplyDeleteI saw this on Friday and did not get around to reading this until today. I plan on catching up and continuing on throughout the month.
ReplyDeleteAs I always find myself striving for perfection at all times, I tend to get overwhelmed by the pursuit and wind up not taking action. I spent too many minutes trying to figure out the "correct" reminder - which smartphone app would be best, or should I do a visual cue? What visual would have the most impact? I decided to just write down my answers to the intention questions, as a method of simply starting somewhere:
What draws you here?
I want to be able to bring in as much positivity and good fortune as possible into my life.
What are your motivations?
I want to get myself settled personally, emotionally, and physically so that I can start doing the things I want to do, so that I can live like, instead of life living me.
How do I hope to grow?
I hope to change and grow into my best self.
I'm so grateful to you for sharing information and great experiences.
ReplyDeleteGratitude