#30DaysOfGratitude – What I Learned and Tips for Trying it Yourself

I’m sure folks are wondering why a person who writes in her gratitude journal- most days twice a day (see my prior post here), would feel the need to publicly post about gratitude every day for the month of November. Well, first, I was inspired by my sister’s and other artists’ commitment to Inktober. I felt that if they could commit to creating one piece of ink-based artwork everyday for a month, I could certainly put something positive out there for the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving. More importantly, I wanted to dig deep with my gratitude.

I keep up with my gratitude journal each day, which means some days, writing out my gratitude list is a struggle. I’ll feel sad or resentful about some challenge life has thrown me, and my list will seem almost superficial. On those days, I will be grateful for air, food, water, shelter, and the means to support myself. And, because my daily lists are private, I don’t have to answer for the sometimes sulky attitude I can take (although writing down those basics do remind me that life is still better than I thought when I first sat down to write the list).

2019 has been a challenging year for me, but one filled with promise. I figured I would take these last few weeks of the year and choose to make them more positive. Also, I thought that in a world of negative social media posts, it would be a good thing to send some positive messages to balance out all the negativity. For me, there is no better way to do that than to be grateful for the people, places, and things that make my life what it is- the good and the not-so-good included. What I found in the process should not have surprised me. It was positive, sometimes joyful, but in the end, truly therapeutic.

Here is what I learned:

• Gratitude attracts gratitude. The day of my first post my sister and a friend both followed suit and started posting their own daily gratitude messages. I was humbled that my one little positive act could encourage others to do the same.
• There is gratitude even in grief. Five days into my gratitude posting journey, I received a call that my cousin unexpectedly died in an accident while on vacation. Everyone was shocked, and some were angry. It seemed like such a senseless event for someone so adventurous and vibrant. I knew I had to post that evening, and mine became a post of gratitude in memoriam. It was comforting to remember what this family member meant to me, and I found myself feeling truly happy for the life she lived.
• I began seeking out positive messages. There’s this echo chamber theory that social scientists use to describe when a person becomes entrenched in a way of thought- usually some extreme or radical ideology. Some caution getting caught up in an online community where the same radical beliefs are discussed until everyone has adopted them. But, I thought, what if I immerse myself in grateful thoughts and positive messages- a sort of positive echo chamber? I began to seek out podcasts, books, and people who I find to be bastions of positive thought and gratitude, and it worked! I began to feel more grateful.
• I seemed to attract positive situations. At first, I worried that I would not have something interesting to post every day. Not that being interesting was the purpose of this, but I did not want to be grateful for the same mundane things each day. After a few days, though, I found myself waking up everyday feeling curious and eventually excited about what good things I would be able to write about that day. And, I began to look for situations that would leave me feeling thankful. I took time to go out with friends or take my kids to the movies.
• I truly felt grateful for my problems. So, one thing to note- being grateful does not turn your life into an easy experience. I still had stress, anxiety, frustrations, and sadness this month. I just looked for the silver lining and began to see how my problems truly could be blessings in disguise. More importantly, I saw that so much of what I complain about are things that I have always wanted- my work, my family, my home. Being grateful for these things helps me not take them for granted, and that makes me a better wife, mother, and person.

Interested in publicly posting your gratitude? (No need to wait for next November.) Here are some tips:

1. Figure out which platform you’ll be posting to. I can usually be found on Facebook, Instagram, and more recently, Twitter. Since I did not want to commit to posting a photo each day, I decided to stick with Facebook and experiment with Twitter. I learned that for me, Facebook was the better platform as I have more friends on FB than I have followers on Twitter, and I felt more supported. Post where you know people will encourage you.
2. Journal as you go. Take a few minutes to write down how you’re feeling about things. #30DaysOfGratitude can be a great opportunity to find the meaning in all the experiences that make up your life. Writing helps to process this.
3. Don’t just look for the big stuff. Some days I had so many things I was grateful for, I had to narrow it down to just one thing: the eggs my daughter cooked for breakfast, my son’s getting his learner’s permit, a bowl of chicken soup after a stomach ache. Life is short, so find the joy in the little things too. It is all worthy of a post.
4. Anticipate good things. I found that the more I became excited about what good thing will happen, the more good things seemed to happen. Then again, it may just have been that the anticipation colored all of my experiences with a positive light that made them seem more like blessings. One way to do this is be thankful in advance for all the good things that are surely coming your way. Say them out loud, journal about them, see them in your mind, even if they’re a bit foggy. Everything in life tends to work out, so anticipate the good!

When I started on this personal challenge, I did not know whether I could keep up with one post a day, and I was really proud of myself for following through on #30DaysOfGratitude. With that said, I’m ready for a final challenge for 2019. Tomorrow, I embark on Emily Ley’s 31-Day Simplicity Challenge. I will be posting on the Simplified Sisterhood Facebook Page (private group) and publicly on my Instagram page, @planonthesunrise. For those interested in doing the challenge, the link can be found here. How are you ending the year? There’s still plenty of 2019 left for self care and personal growth. Leave a message if you have ideas or just need some encouragement!