Friday, November 1, 2013

November Word of the Month: Gratitude


November is the perfect month to focus on feeling and expressing gratitude. While it is important to be grateful on a daily basis, there is no better time to do that than when surrounded by family and friends during a holiday about giving thanks!

Having gratitude for myself and for others is my intention this month. It's amazing the difference I feel when someone thanks me or tells me they are grateful for something I did, even the little things that I just naturally do. But equally amazing is how much more positive and supportive my relationships become when I remember to tell others how much I appreciate them. It creates a sense of bonding that lasts much longer than the word.



Gratitude for self begins with the simplest of things. Our bodies are incredible machines that function every single day without us even having to give a single thought towards it. If you find yourself struggling to be grateful, start with that – the fact that we wake up each day and our hearts beat and we breathe without any conscious effort. 

Gratitude for others begins with taking the time to stop and appreciate. When we are rushed or living outside of the present moment, we don’t allow ourselves the opportunity to take in what is happening right here and now. Just like a Dailey Method class, gratitude is a practice. It takes time to change habits and remember to thank your children when they do something without being asked versus getting upset with the things they are not doing. I recently found this phone app called Gratitude Journal to be a great addition to my practice, as it is a daily reminder to be grateful.

Take a moment today (and hopefully everyday this month!) to be grateful for your health, your body, your mind, your community and your loved ones. Gratitude really can change everything. It brings focus to what you have rather than what you don’t and allows what you have to be enough.

With gratitude,


-- Jill

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