It’s Sunday morning, and I’ve had a hard week. No singular event was traumatizing or devastating, but disappointment and frustration seem to occur with exponential enthusiasm. The culmination is that I am grumpy and eager for the law of averages to catch up with me – you know, a week where everything goes my way and unexpected little snippets of joy get tossed in my path.
I open a cell phone app and serendipitously, an article by author Scott Mautz crops up about developing a daily gratitude habit[1]. I’m a positive lifestyle-habit junkie, so I’m intrigued. Mr. Mautz credits a 60-second, early-morning thankfulness routine to displace his all-too-frequent moodiness. The essence of his life hack is simply spending a minute or two choosing what mood you are going to be in. Deciding to be grateful involves a simple sequence of considering what and who you are thankful for that day, and then identifying and focusing on one daily positive theme.
Easy enough! I am an upbeat person by nature, I suspect, and certainly by intention. I’m a little concerned about adopting yet-another lifestyle regime since research clearly shows that trying to establish too many positive habits at one time dooms you to failure. I mentally scroll through my routinized procedures to see if any of them are too fragile to undertake something new, but I think I’m good. (Dog walking, teeth flossing, bed making, Sunday laundry, daily work timesheets, and Duolingo app for Portuguese are all entrenched, among other things. I’m at nine + years of working out every day – I’m not worried about displacing my exercise habit!)
So here it goes. I’m grateful for my adult children – smart, educated, interesting, and completely off the dole! They are utterly independent, and their lives are unfolding in a way that is uniquely theirs, which is how it should be. My husband is patient, kind, loyal, and his personality lacks even an ounce of drama. My job is interesting, engaging, and provides a solid income. (We drive our own bus, as one of my law partners describes it.) I’m living in a cozy little house in the community I adore. I was raised by intellectual, active, and devoted parents. I have friends and loving family members who are there at a moment’s notice if I need them.
I’m grateful that I can move through the world with physical ease. Yeah, my knees feel a tad grumpy after a long run, and I have a sore little crack in my left heel that hurts. I’m aware that getting up and down off the floor seems a little more complex that it used to, but mostly I feel strong, fit, and healthy.
Today I’m going to focus on thanking the people in my life that I love and trust and who add comfort, meaning, and inspiration. I’m going to start by appreciating the readers of my weekly newsletter. You’ve allowed me to process and reflect on my life in a way that I never dreamed possible. You are a loyal little band, and I thank you.
[1] http://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/this-60-second-habit-has-helped-put-me-me-in-a-better-more-productive-mood-each-morning.html