Start With a Grateful ❤️
When asked to write about my daily practice I found myself struggling to come up with something that I honestly did with purpose, faithfully and routinely. I am unfortunately one of those people who will do something for a straight 90, 120, 300 days, miss one day, and never do it again, or at least not routinely. I struggle. I struggle with busy schedules, a very large family and social circle, a lot of responsibilities that come with wearing many hats, but most of all, I struggle with putting myself first. I am a wife, a mom, a sister, daughter, granddaughter, aunt, friend, educator, community member, and the list goes on. I forcefully squeeze some time for myself in between things, but I could not think of anything I honestly do without missing a day.
Then one morning during my time of gratitude, I realized, this is it! I give thanks! I give thanks every single morning. I even set alarms for this. Every morning before I open my eyes, I lay in bed thanking God for a new day. Those are my first words. I continue to give thanks, I go deep and try to not take anything for granted. I give thanks for my loved ones, for my bed, the food we eat (my family), our jobs, on a hot day I give thanks for my A/C, my dog, our health, health insurance, and go on and on. It may seem a bit much to some, but I don’t ever want to take for granted the fact, that I have so much while others don’t. I am not rich, I am not where I want to be in a lot of areas in my life, but I am blessed. I am also very aware that not everyone has a bed to sleep on, a job, health, loved ones.
Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, we all have so much to be thankful for. Making gratitude a part of your daily practice not only acknowledges how fortunate you are but also helps to keep you grounded. It focuses your mind on the good, helping you to start your day on a positive note. It also reminds you that not everyone has what you have and allows you to transition into prayer, sending good vibes, or whatever it is you would do. For me, it also puts people in my mind to reach out to, to check on, to serve. My daily practice of starting the day with thanksgiving helps me to maintain a grateful heart.
Check out our schedule to practice with Tammy.
