I think I’m coming out of my Halloween-candy-sneaking, sugar-induced stupor and beginning to function. I love sitting outside, handing out candy, and seeing all the kids having fun, and the near-freezing temperatures last night didn’t keep me—or the trick-or-treaters—from enjoying the evening.

Now it’s time to turn another page of the calendar: November. This month, we’ll focus on the theme of Gratitude.

Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what we have. It’s a recognition of the goodness within us and beyond us. When I express gratitude for a beautiful sunrise, I know that I didn’t create the sunrise, and I am thankful the joy that it brings to me. Gratitude takes me outside myself to connection with other people and what some would call a Higher Power.

So whereas last month we spent time with recognizing the Enoughness within ourselves, this month, we will find ways to express Gratitude to that which is beyond ourselves.

I’m interested in exploring how cultivating a practice of gratitude can change us, so I’ll be reviewing Janice Kaplan’s book The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life. I will also review the lovely children’s book Thanku: Poems of Gratitude, illustrated by Marlena Myles and edited by Miranda Paul.

I’ll also be looking into the research about Gratitude: where it comes from, how we can cultivate it, and how it benefits us. Are highly grateful people just luckier than less grateful ones, or do they possess some secret that others can learn? Is it possible to be grateful even in our times of difficulty? Does an attitude of Gratitude really improve a person’s mental and physical health? 

And this month, I’m trying something new: I’ll be sending out a journal prompt each day to help you, Dear Reader, begin to cultivate your own Gratitude practice. Here’s your homework:

1. Find a notebook or journal to use as your Gratitude Journal. (I found a cute one at Barnes and Noble for $6.98.)
2. Set aside a certain time each day to write your journal entry. Ten to fifteen minutes is all you need.
3. If you’re going to be writing first thing in the morning, prepare your space the night before with your journal, pen, glass of water, etc., so that you go there as soon as you wake up. (I know, you’re getting this first one on November 1^st, so you’ll have to fudge a little.) Since this is a new habit, try putting your glasses, keys, or cell phone in that spot to remind you.
4. The prompts will be available on Facebook each morning at 5:00 a.m. Subscribers to DoYouMind.life get the prompts on Saturday for the upcoming week, and they have access to a PDF for the entire month. You can sign up to subscribe by clicking the link in the comments.
5. Journal about the prompt. Research shows that it’s better to write in depth about one thing than to create a list of things, but it is your journal, so you get to make the rules. Write anywhere from a couple of sentences to a couple of paragraphs, but make it manageable for yourself.

I do hope you’ll join in!

Until next time,