even in the midst of chaos, take a moment to express gratitude.
A 2017 study on those who engaged in consistent gratitude practices found that “those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health four weeks and 12 weeks after their writing exercise ended. This suggests that gratitude writing can be beneficial not just for healthy, well-adjusted individuals, but also for those who struggle with mental health concerns”.
In a year where there has been global suffering along with the personal struggles, it may seem challenging to practice gratitude or you may experience a feeling of guilt when looking for it. Perhaps even fear of not finding anything to list. The truth is, the more you look for it and identify it, the more you will see it. It’s starting the practice that is the hardest part.
A gratitude practice can create a snowball effect for manifesting more goodness and value in one’s life. It does not negate the challenges of life, but rather finds the seed of change within the challenges. Gratitude can simply be acknowledging the roof over your head or the clean water you have access to drink. It’s okay to start small.
We asked our community to reflect on 2020 and identify moments of gratitude. Read the comments below and then take a moment to identify 3 things you are grateful for. To go a step further, you can write each one of these things down and place it in a jar. Write one new thing down every night before bed and place it in the jar. Do this between now and the end of the year. And then sometime next year, whenever the mood strikes, read one of the pieces of paper from the jar.
No one has ever regretted practicing gratitude.
Olivia Mead, YFFR Founder & CEO
Here is what some of our community is thankful for:
My health. It allows me to do my job, which is essentially to help people. It allows me to hike to the top of mountains, and stand on top of the world. And it’s one of those things that are easy to take for granted. ~Jamie Medeiros
I too am grateful that I’ve been able to stay healthy and safe, work a job I love and have family friends & coworkers I enjoy being around! ~Ruth Romo
I am grateful that I was able to find another job. ~Michelle Renee
Gosh, how can i choose? I am grateful for my health, my family and my amazing community of people who I get to see during covid times. But truly, I have so much to be thankful for. ~Paige Moe
The rain we had last weekend ... and so much more. ~Lisa Naumchik Hammond
Grateful to have spent 20 amazing years with my son Benny who was a volunteer firefighter in our community. He tragically passed away a year ago in a motor vehicle accident but also grateful to still have two amazing boys and an awesome wife. ~Bruno Baurin
Living near Narragansett Bay and all it's beauty. ~Susanne Murtha
I'm grateful for my daily breath work/meditation practice. ~John Woj
I'm grateful for living in an area with a very low rate of COVID. ~Anne Keiver
I’m grateful for the ability to move. I could have lost that in a car accident but I’m so thankful to have had a wonderful surgeon who diagnosed and corrected the problem and told me not to live like I was paralyzed. RIP Dr Pencek. ~Nikki Hebert
I'm grateful for the introduction into yoga, my growing practice and this community. I'm also grateful for all of those who are serving and protecting us. ~Patty Longoria
Leave a comment below and let us know what you are thankful for this year.
We wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
- The YFFR Team