Be Here, Be Grateful

Shortly after deciding to commit to my gratitude jar "practice", I also decided to try the #100HappyDays challenge on Instagram. My cousin just reached her 100 days and it made me happy to see she had so many wonderful things to be happy about. I wasn't sure if it would have any real impact at first, but now I see it as another way to help bring you into the present moment. I've made a few observations over the last few weeks:

1. Some days I find I could add 10 slips of paper to my gratitude jar and post several #100HappyDays photos, whereas other days, it is isn't so easy. What I love about the #100HappyDays challenge is that it holds you accountable to posting every day and finding something that makes you happy and that you are grateful for. It surprises you when you really can find something every day - big or small, there is always something to be grateful for.

2. I think using both a gratitude jar and doing the #100HappyDays challenge is helpful to fully cultivate happiness and gratitude, because some things are better captured visually, while others can only be captured in words. 

3. I noticed that when I take photos with intention, I am able to remember what I was feeling when I took the photo and it helps me tap back into that joy, happiness and gratitude I felt in that moment. It's funny how something, when done with intention, can produce a result with more depth and meaning.

4. I came to the realization yesterday that I am much more future-oriented than I desire to be. I wasn't always this way, but over the last few years I've caught myself focusing so much on what's ahead, what I have to do next, and what I want in the future, that I don't fully appreciate the present. I've struggled with anxiety and often this is where anxiety comes from -- when you're over "there" and not here. I read something yesterday that said, "letting go of being too future-oriented doesn't mean you stop planning, it just means you don't let the planning get in the way of the present moment." This will continue to be a journey for me, but I think that being aware and focusing on practices that bring me into the "now",  will move me along the path to living a more present life. I'm sure my yoga teacher training will also teach me a thing or two ;)

#100HappyDays moments: Relaxed, At Peace, Feeling "Home", Whole, Happy, Grateful, Accomplished, Calm Mind, Happy Body, Grateful, Joyful, In Love, Happy, Smiling from the Inside Out, Nostalgic, Happy, At Peace.

When you practice staying present, pay attention to the feelings and emotions that arise. I think you'll be surprised how many times being happy and grateful pop up.  

Gratitude Jar

Why can it be so difficult to be grateful for what we already have? We all know we should practice gratitude every day, but for many of us this can be difficult when we are not fully present. Admittedly, I am someone who is often future-oriented. I'm always looking at what else I can learn or do, and I'm often thinking, "Ok, what's next?" Advancement and being focused on your goals is key, but so is living in the present moment. 

There are times when being present is much easier. When I'm meditating, practicing yoga, or spending time in a sensory deprivation tank (you have no choice but to be present when you are essentially weightless, in the absence of light and sound!) -- it's easier to tune into the "now". It seems the challenge comes when we are in the midst of "daily life".

Many of us spend the majority of our time at work, running errands, and doing day-to-day things that may not seem all that glamorous. How often do we pause to reflect on the beauty of the present moment and recognize how grateful we are for what is?

There are those of us who spend our time in the past, while others are off somewhere in the future. What if we spent more time tuning into what is going on right now? 

Being grateful for what we have and being grateful for what is, opens us up to receive more wonderful things in our lives. We attract what we think about most. It's the same with gratitude. Gratitude creates abundance, while complaining or wallowing is restricting and cuts off the flow of receiving. I recgonize that for me, this can be challenging when it comes to goals. At times there are many goals I want to acheive and sometimes I focus so much on these goals and wanting them to manifest now, that I let the present moments slip by.

Perhaps you've come across the quote by Eckart Tolle, "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make now the primary focus of your life." Recalling this quote and thinking about the challenges I have faced with finding the balance of staying present, while also focusing whole-heartedly on my goals, led me to create a gratitude jar.

My gratitude jar isn't fancy, although you could spend time crafting and creating a work of art in which to place your gratitude notes. I found a Ball jar and began writing on small slips of paper, things I am grateful for. I found it best to do in the morning before work to sort of "set the tone" for the day, but I think this would work well in the evening -- or really any time of day! Perhaps I'll start doing this right after a yoga class or meditation... I'm curious to see if I have a shift in my perspective after a month of intentionally focusing on what I am grateful for. 

Try starting your own gratitude jar "practice" and see if it helps shift those thoughts of lacking and not having, doing, or being enough, to those of gratitude, joy and appreciation for what you already have in your life.