Gratitude is a practice of being present, of being open and of being aware.
When you open your eyes and heart to what and who you have gathered around you, you cannot help but sink into a place of inner strength and joy.
I was first exposed to Gratitude Practice in 2005 while taking a course on Awakening Joy with James Baraz. This was during a period of soul-searching depression and I was desperately trying to find ways to feel happy and at peace once more. During our first class, we were instructed to exchange daily gratitudes with a course buddy over the 6 week course.
I’ll be honest, I was not too keen on this exercise as I could not fathom how expressing gratitude would have any impact on my sense of well-being. I grumbled to myself “Of course I’m grateful for, and aware of, my privileged life”.
Suffice to say, I was skeptical of this process.
But I’ll tell you this, focusing on what you are grateful for has a sneaky way of growing on you.
After a few weeks my daily gratitudes moved from the obvious, such as the roof over my head, a healthy body, and well-paying job, to more subtle signs of emerging happiness.
I found myself noticing the small signs of life and joy around me, feeling more connected to nature and appreciative of my existing relationships.
Quite simply, I felt alive and I felt connected – a major step in moving out of my state of depression.
Gratitude is like a flashlight. It lights up what is already there. You don’t necessarily have anything more or different, but suddenly you can actually see what is. And because you can see, you no longer take it for granted.
M.J. Ryan
I am grateful that I stumbled on this simple wisdom and am happy to share it with you. If you do not already, begin a simple daily gratitude practice in your journal or exchange with a friend.
Simply ask yourself, “What am I thankful for in this moment?”
I welcome hearing your experiences of calling Gratitude into your practice and what impact it has had on you and your approach to life.
Hi, I'm Jo Crawford of Crafting the Sacred. I help creatives manifest the work they love with equal parts 
The practice of gratitude creates so much energy that moves us away from a feeling of “lack” into that feeling of “abundance.” It’s pretty incredible how it works.
I so agree with you Loran – from scarcity to plenty is a good shift indeed.