Cultivating Gratitude: Take the 1 month challenge

It's not uncommon to list the things you are grateful for around Thanksgiving time...but that's still a few months away. Why wait until then?

Recently we've been thinking about adding on to our home. We went so far as to hire an architect, a structural engineer, and interview local contractors. We got down to the wire and sat across from a mortgage broker before it hit us...why the rush? We haven't even been in our home a year and we're making plans to add space?! What happened to being completely in love and over-joyed about our new place?

Gratitude Journal iTunes app

I use that example to illustrate the human desire that stirs within all of us at some point in time to not be satisfied, to want more, and to overlook the current day-to-day joys. That part of us begins to compare ourselves to what others have or the misguided belief that, "...if I just had...I would be so much more happy..." There's no judgment here, it is what it is and as humans, we all experience it one time or another. Furthermore, this post is not to minimize the real struggles that each one of us may face on a daily basis. However, I write this to highlight part of our human nature that causes dissatisfaction. Additionally, it's a part of our lives that paired with deliberate focus, we can combat just by changing our perspective.

Take the 1 month gratitude challenge.
For one month, list at least 1 thing you are grateful for. It can be something big like, "I got a new job!" Or something easily overlooked, like, "I'm grateful for an uninterrupted night of sleep." After a month, look back on what you appreciated in your life. You may be surprised!

You can write it down in a journal or if you like apps download the Gratitude Journal app on iTunes. It's a convenient way to organize what you are thankful for on a daily basis. It even allows you to set a daily reminder. For those visual documentarians, you can pair a photo of the day that represents your list.

While we may eventually move forward with the addition, it will not be in the near future. Instead, we're learning to fully appreciate the things that we first fell in love with in our home. In addition, we've set our intention on cultivating gratitude and seeing what a month difference will make. I hope you will join us in this month's challenge.