#3: The Easiest Way to Practice Gratitude in One Minute a Day
Today I want to share with you a really simple, easy way to practice gratitude in one minute a day. It literally takes just one minute a day and it can really change the trajectory of your life. I'm speaking from personal experience, it's something that started very simply for me and opened me up to a whole different way of thinking, feeling and being in my body. As with everything that I say here, you can try it, see what works for you, what resonates and leave the rest behind. I'm here to really share various tools and tips and perspectives so that you can find what works for yourself. This is very much not a one size fits all approach, however, I will say, with this super simple, easy way to practice gratitude, it is something that I hope you find very supportive to you for where you are right now in your life.
A Gratitude Practice in One Minute a Day
This practice came from a spiritual mentor of mine, and it's something that's it's really so simple, but it really has a lot behind it. This practice is something you can do for one minute a day. Just one minute a day to start and you can add to it, of course.
You start off by walking for one minute and really reflecting on all the things that you're grateful for. Again, only one minute - 60 seconds – you can set a timer on your phone. It does not have to be more than that.
It's really about reflecting on anything and everything that comes to mind for you. It could be things that you're grateful for, related to your health, to your family or your friends and loved ones, to your work or something else in your life. Whatever the things are can be personal to you. They can be small things. They can be big things. The important thing is just for this minute to continuously reflect on and identify the things that you are grateful for.
The Key to Practicing Gratitude in One Minute a Day
Now there are many options, and people practice gratitude a lot of different ways. What I want to share for this one minute that's really a key piece to doing it is that I really want you to feel and embody the gratitude. Truly, truly feel grateful for whatever it is that you're saying you're grateful for. If you struggle or have trouble finding something to feel grateful for, I'd encourage you to look at really small things around you. If you're outside for a walk, it can be something as small and simple as being able to look at the flowers or trees around you. It could be being able to walk on your two legs, if you are in a healthy state. It can be anything that is healthy about your body, you can be grateful for having it.
In the beginning, a lot of the things I was grateful for were related to my body and my health, being able to walk outside, being able to use my arms and legs, being able to see with my eyes, and even for my eyesight. As I get older, it's getting a little worse, and I have to wear glasses a little bit more, especially for seeing far away. I can't really see anything far away anymore without glasses, but I can be grateful for what I do see. I remember, actually, last time I went to the eye doctor and we were talking about the fact that my vision was getting worse. The eye doctor told me, “Well, you know, it's part of the aging process, and isn't it a beautiful thing to be able to be aging?” I said, “you know what? I love that perspective. So yes, thank you. Thank you for that beautiful reminder”.
This one minute a day gratitude practice is meant to identify the things that you're grateful for. It can be anything you want. It is really just to tune in to yourself and the world around you and see the abundance in it. See it right there in front of you, just for this one minute. If you go on for the rest of your day and you don't think about it again that's totally fine. However, for the one minute be present with your gratitude.
Take that one minute, set your timer, and walk around. You can walk outside. You can walk around your house. You can walk back and forth pacing, if you want, but hopefully a little more relaxed than pacing. Really take that minute to feel into the gratitude. You don't have to write anything down. If you like to write things down, that's great. You can also write things down, but for this activity, you don't have to write anything down. You just have to bring your awareness to what you are grateful for in one minute each day.
The Ripple Effect and Power of Gratitude in One Minute a Day
I'm telling you, it might not seem like much, and one minute is definitely not a long time in the grand scheme of life, but it really works. It really, really worked for me. It’s actually how I started going on walks pretty regularly. Then I ended up walking almost every single day for over a year, rain or shine. It started with these walks of gratitude, and really just naming the things that I was grateful for, whatever it was that day. Some things I would repeat and some things would be brand new. It doesn’t matter what you pick. It is really about feeling into the things that you’re grateful for in that moment.
On a cold day, it could be a warm house, warm shelter to be in, food on the table, your health, being able to function in your body, or loved ones that you have around. It can be many different things. It can be gratitude for something at work, or gratitude for a song that you love. And how amazing is it that this musician got vulnerable and wrote this song and put it out into the world for the rest of us to be able to hear, for example.
It's whatever you want to put your attention towards and whatever comes to mind. The trick is really feeling into it within your body. Carrying that sense of deep gratitude in that moment.
This is a practice that I love, that is very simple, and that I share often with my clients, because it is something that is simple and easy and very powerful. What you'll see over time is that as you do this, you might say, oh, one minute is actually really short - let me continue the walk for two or three minutes. Or you might find yourself more than one time per day looking into this and finding yourself walking and having this gratitude walk.
It goes back to our thoughts and our patterns. What we think about expands. Spending one minute in gratitude goes a long way towards becoming aware of the abundance and the gifts in your life.
Reflection Activity to Practice Gratitude in One Minute a Day
What we're talking about here is going for a walk one minute a day, and identifying what you're grateful for in that minute, feeling it deeply and resting with that feeling for that one minute a day. You are welcome to try other types of practices around gratitude. I find that this is the simplest, easiest one to be able to practice gratitude, and it's a way that will really shift your perspective and your thinking over time if you stick with it.
As always, find what works for you leave the rest behind.
Your homework for today, should you so choose, is to practice this one minute walk. Practice walking in gratitude for whatever it is that you have in your life.
Even if you don't feel like you're in a great spot with something, whatever that thing may be, it's even more of a reason to find the things that you’re grateful for. It's really, really important. It goes a long way. That’s your homework to practice gratitude in one minute a day. Please let me know how it goes, and thank you so much for listening.
Conclusion on The Easiest Way to Practice Gratitude in One Minute a Day
Practicing gratitude even in one minute a day can bring so much peace and calmness to your day. Even if you don't feel like you're in a great spot with something, whatever that thing may be, it's even more of a reason to find the things that you’re grateful for. It's really, really important. It goes a long way.
Your invitation and homework is to take a walk and spend one minute reflecting on all of the things you are grateful for. Please let me know how it goes, and thank you so much for listening.
If you’d like to connect further about unlocking the next step in your personal development journey, please feel free to reach out. I'm on LinkedIn and Instagram. I'm also on Voxer at @MaryClavieres.
If you want support with where you are right now, I'd be honored to work with you. You’re invited to check out my Human Design readings so that you can learn more about your own energy and how you operate. This tool is a powerful building block that will allow you to live life with less stress and more peace.
If you found this episode helpful, please feel free to share with a friend or a loved one, anyone that you may think about that would benefit from it. I'm here to support anyone that is open and wanting to receive this information. Thank you so much for being here today. Have a wonderful rest of your day, and I'll speak to you next week.
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Check out Finding Yourself Again – Mary’s story HERE.
Check out The First Step to Change the Course of Your Life HERE.
