“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~Thornton Wilder
TToT Banner
I believe being grateful and thankful is a big part of a happy and SMART Life. In fact, in case you didn’t know it, the “T” in SMART stands for thankful. Because of that, during November for the last three years I have challenged myself, and any of you who are interested, to a monthly gratitude practice that I’m convinced will increase our awareness of its importance. If you are interested, here’s what I did for the 2012 Gratitude Challenge and the 2013 Gratitude Challenge. For this year, I have gravitated to the idea of several other bloggers here on the web promoting what they call TToT, or Ten Things of Thankful. Using their example, I intend to simply write out ten things for which I am grateful for each and every day for the entire month of November.
Before you panic and think I will be emailing you a blog post each and every day, I’ll only be posting them on the SMART Living 365 Facebook page so if you are interested in mine, you can go there to read them. But what I’m hoping more than anything is that you join with me to establish a habit of feeling gratitude. Why? Because as I’ve described before, when we practice being thankful on a regular basis there are at least ten benefits:
- Feel significantly better about your life as a whole and more optimistic about the future.
- Report fewer health complaints like colds or flu—along with a higher immune system;
- Exercise more;
- Get more sleep and have better sleep quality;
- Are less materialist—you’ll appreciate experiences and relationships rather than “stuff”;
- Feel more connected to other people and the world around you;
- Report higher levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy as opposed to a focus on struggle or pain;
- More likely to have made progress toward reaching important personal goals;
- Better able to stay in the present moment and focus on the good you are experiencing right now in spite of any difficulties you might be experiencing.
- Show that it is nearly impossible to be deeply grateful and unhappy at the same time.
Of course in order to reap the full benefits of gratitude it needs to be a habit. That’s one way this challenge can be especially beneficial. And remember the old saying, “It takes 21 days to make something a habit?” The truth is that it takes as long as it takes. Fortunately, having motivation, persistence and a supportive group of like-minded people can help make the “good habit making” journey easier. That’s why I’m hoping we can do this challenge together.
New information about making changes and forming new positive habits is also useful. I recently came across some pointers by a business coach named Tom Bartow. His habit model consists of three main phases.
#1 The Honeymoon. This phase speaks for itself. During the first few days of our gratitude challenge it will probably be both fun and easy. Any time we start something new that we want to become a habit, the inspiration and novelty of it is usually enough to keep us going in the beginning. Then comes the…
#2 The Fight Thru. Forbes author Jason Selk says, this is where, “Inspiration fades and reality sets in.” The full weight of the commitment starts feeling more and more an obligation, while old, more comfortable habits lurk nearby hoping to distract us and lead us off course. At this point, there are three helpful techniques that will help us to “fight thru.” They are:
- Stay awake and aware. Just like with anything important in our lives the best way to work through any challenge is to go around or over it—not to stay and fight. But first we have to be keenly aware that it is happening. If we really want to increase gratitude in our lives we must stay awake to the temptation to let it fade away.
- Use emotion to help. Asking ourselves how we will feel if we do what we hope to accomplish can inspire us. Asking ourselves how we will feel if we don’t can be equally motivating. Staying in touch with the emotions involved can help us to both remember why we are doing what we are doing, and the many benefits we hope it will bring.
- Life projection. In addition to staying awake and aware, and using our emotions to keep us motivated, it can also be helpful to project ourselves into the future and image what our lives will be like with or without our new desired habit. Of course, in order for this to work for you in relation to gratitude, you must be convinced that being more thankful will increase the quality and experience of your life. Finally we arrive at….
#3 Second Nature. Once we’ve managed to stick with any desired change we will eventually move into what Tom Bartow calls second nature. Of course, there are still a few things that can pop up and discourage us, so it’s wise to remember that things like: 1) the discouragement monster can rear his ugly head now and then; 2) there are always disruptions that can throw us off track; and 3) the seduction of success can lead us to believe that we’ve “arrived” and never need to work on ourselves or our challenges again.
So what am I suggesting with this TToT Challenge? Starting tomorrow November 1st, and each and every day during the month of November, take the time to write down 10 things that you are grateful or thankful for. As I mentioned, I’m going to post mine on Facebook but I’ll probably start by writing them in my daily journal every morning. On the other hand, I’ve read that writing a gratitude list right before bedtime can be extremely beneficial. Whatever works best for you is what you are likely to stay with, so where and when is really up to you.
Some people might like to believe that living a SMART and positive life only happens to those who are lucky or born at the right time or the right place. But from my perspective, nearly all of us can influence on our lives more than we usually admit. Using our ability to create positive habits, focus and intentions is a big key. During the next 30 days I hope you join me in making gratitude more of a habit in your life. As a man named Charlie Gilkey said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” With TToT, I intend to spend mine with a focus on being thankful.
Please let me know in the comments below or on the SMART Living 365 Facebook Page that you are joining this challenge. Then be assured I will be cheering you on every day in November!
A special thank you to the blog “Considerings—Life In Silver Linings” for creating the TToT idea!
I love this idea so much!
Thank you for posting ways to make it stay! I have always had trouble in the past. Like you said, I’ll start off gung-ho and slowly but surely I will start to forget.
Thank you for linking up with the Blog with Friends Thanksgiving Projects!
Hi Stacy! Thanks so much for stopping by SMART Living and sharing the gratitude! And THANK YOU for the Thanksgiving link-up–it is such a great way to remember to be grateful AND to find new blogger friends. I hope your month is awesome and you have an amazing THANKSGIVING! ~Kathy
I love the whole philosophy of making being thankful a habit. I think too often we just forget to take the time to think through all the good that is in our lives.
Thanks for linking this up with our the Thanksgiving posts.
Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by and jumping in with your gratitude (and the link to your blog linkup on being Thankful). I so find it helpful to do these every year because I can sure use the reminder. I tend to think of myself as regularly grateful, but whenever I commit to doing something every day it really pushes it home. Thanks again for your project and I’m looking forward to reading all the other bloggers who link up! ~Kathy
Especially as co-host, this hop makes me change my habits. I have agreed to always post, to always read others, and that makes me stick with it. Even if I only get to it mid-week. 🙂
Hi Sarah! I can so see how your habits would be changed by a big commitment to co-host this every single week. And yeah, as busy people it doesn’t always happen fast–but the important thing is that it DOES happen! Thank you so much for stopping by! ~Kathy
Hi, Kathy.
Your daily lists sound like a great challenge! I don’t use Facebook, so I’ll hope to see you linking up with the TToT on the weekends!
Hi Lisa! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your encouragement for TToT. No worries about FB for sure….I just thought that would be a simple way to list my every day of November TToT without irritating any of my subscribers by sending them something every day. I regularly only post once (or twice a week). What i’m really hoping to do is encourage everyone who isn’t already doing TToT to start. Thanks for stopping by and saying, “Hi!” ~Kathy
This sounds like a fantastic project. I know that joining and co-hosting the TToT every week has made a huge change in my life. Even the weeks when I just don’t think I want to do it, I do it anyway and I feel better about, well…everything.
Hi Sandy! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your encouragement. TToT is such a great idea that I’m hoping I help expose it to even more people who can practice it over and over again. Yes to feeling better about everything!!!! ~Kathy
You go Kathy! I look forward to reading your future post with gratitude that I can!
Hi Haralee! Thank you so much for your encouragement. So far I’m in the “honeymoon phase” so it’s easy. Check back about mid-month and make sure I’m staying on track…. ~Kathy
I wish you success with your gratitude project! I try most weeks to link up with Lizzi’s hop for many of the reasons you listed. I do feel better when I find ways to focus on the good as opposed to the less good in life. Not too sure about exercising more, but hope springs eternal on that one too 🙂
Hi Louise! Thank YOU so much for your words of encouragement. It’s Day #2 for my posting my list on the SMART Living FB page and so far I’m definitely in the honeymoon phase cuz it was REALLY easy! ( http://www.facebook.com/SMARTLiving365 ) Check back about mid-way in the month and give me MORE inspiration please??? 🙂 Without a doubt this is sure to make me and us all feel better! ~Kathy
I’m thankful you’re doing this series! There is never too much when it comes to gratitude!
I’m thankful for a great first week of work at the new job! (I’m less thankful that when I originally tried to comment on your post Friday night during airport layover, that your blog thought I was a spambot and locked me out. 🙂
I’m less than thankful that I never made it home Friday night because my Charlotte to Toronto flight got cancelled…BUT, I’m VERY grateful that the airline put me up in a nice hotel, free of charge, and that I was able to make it home safely Saturday morning.
Cheers!
Nancy
Hi Nancy! Oh NO! I’m so sorry to hear you got caught by my spam blocker–especially if you could see what sometimes gets by!!!!
BUT, I am amazingly grateful to the ongoing inspiration and wisdom from your blog, your encouragement and your persistence 🙂 And yes, something tells me that you have a LOT to be thankful in your life on a regular basis. Let’s both just continue to remember that huh? ~Kathy
I have been linking up to the TToT for almost a year now and writing my weekly gratitude post has become a religious experience for me. I do not attend church but I do see this exercise as my version of that. There are always things to be thankful for, and acknowledging that makes life so much happier.
Hi Jen! Thanks for stopping by and offering encouragement to me and my readers. I agree that it can be a spiritual practice in so many ways. didn’t the Dali Lama say, “My religion is kindness.” How about, my religion is gratitude and thankfulness! ~Kathy
This inspired me to create a gratitude project of my own. I’m thinking hand written notes…
Hi Jodi! Yay! I am so THANKFUL that I can inspire you for something that I really believe is important to us all. Let’s make it an epidemic of gratitude and spread it to as many people as we can! ~Kathy
Welcome to the TToT! as an internetistic activity, this bloghop-that-Lizzi-built is truly exceptional and you will find an an incredible variety of viewpoints, all in a context of gratitude expressed.*
I like your emphasis on the challenge of maintaining change (in our lives), it’s always amazing how persistent our habits can be! even the habits that we recognize are contributing to our ‘non-enjoyment’ of life! lol there can be no more worthwhile effort than to understand ourselves and how we can better life our life ( ‘how we relate ourselves to the world around us’ as we often say).
* one of the unique things about the TToT, it is permissible to cite items of hypo-gratitude, provided the context is presented properly, as allowed by the ‘Book of Secret Rules’ (aka the Secret Book of Rules)**
** which is another of the unique things about the TToT, the atmosphere is one not only of encouraging the expression of appreciation of the positive events and conditions in a participant’s week, but also encourages a decidedly imaginative approach to listing the good things in life.
Hi Clark! Thank YOU so much for stopping by and sharing your words of encouragement. So far you offer the most unique and creative expression of any TToT list (on your website) demonstrating that we are all so amazingly unique but that we can still all get behind a really good idea like TToT! And I really appreciate how you make up words too 🙂 I will be checking out your lists in the future for sure. ~Kathy
Making a list of things I’m thankful for every week has certainly changed my life for the better. Making a list every day would make us feel even happier. 🙂
Hi Romi! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living and leaving your words of encouragement. I’m hoping ALL my readers take the challenge and join us! ~Kathy
Glad you joined in the Ten Things of Thankful! Making it a daily habit is a great idea!
Hi Kristi! Yes I’m enjoying the TToT experience a lot so far….of course I’m still in the “honeymoon phase” but I’m hoping it will last for at least half the month. Thanks for the encouragement. ~Kathy
Good luck on your project. Taking note of what you are thankful for truly is life changing.
Hi May! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living and sharing your encouragement. And thank YOU for making TToT such a success. I am so looking forward to the process and sharing it with as many people as I can. ~Kathy
There are ALWAYS ten, I’m quite sure of that 🙂 Thanks for featuring us, and I hope you’ll link up with us at weekends with your Ten Things 🙂
Hi Lizzi…Thanks for stopping by and sharing your encouragement. And THANK YOU again for your inspiration for starting this and carrying it forward. The world can always use more gratitude and the more we can spread it around the better. Hopefully I can introduce even more people to this great practice in the month ahead. ~Kathy
So I came across these words today in my book about practicing Buddhism… and your post reminded me of them.
But we must not forget that the only person whom we can purify . the only one we can do anything about is ourselves.
And..
The same unwholesome mental state may have to be conquered more than once…the formula is recognize no blame change even if that has to be done over and over again…
Yes! I completely agree that all change happens within us, and then once we are changed, things around us are also transformed. I also agree that we have to be vigilant about mental states that do not serve us. Just because we’ve overcome challenges in the past doesn’t mean we won’t see them again. I like what Abraham-Hicks says a lot when she says, “We will never get it done and we will never arrive.” Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. ~Kathy
Sounds like a wonderful project. I link up each week with TToT and have found that to be life-changing as well. I kept a gratitude journal all winter long last year to help combat the winter blues. It really helped to look back and appreciate things in retrospect as well. I’ll be liking your Facebook page to read your gratitude lists.
The best quote I heard – maybe from Oprah – is something like how can you make way for MORE* in your life if you are not grateful for what is currently in your life.
*more happiness, more love, more abundance, etc.
Hi Valerie! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living and sharing your thoughts on TToT! It is such a great idea even if you’ve done it before or never even heard of it since reading this post. No matter what our situation, I really think it can help us do even better! Please pop in and share your thoughts again either here or on FB about how it’s helping….and yes, that quote of Oprah’s is so very true. We have to appreciate what we have to truly make way for better things. ~Kathy
I see a lot of folks doing this on FB now. I think it’s a great to always be reminded of things we are grateful for. Awesome post!
Hi Carolann! Thank you for stopping by SMART Living. I hope you plan to participate with us and write down 10 things you are grateful for each and every day this month. Come on! Join the party! ~Kathy
I am turning this over in my head if I want to accept this challenge. actually I do, but can I do it?
Hi Donna! Why not give it a try? As with any challenge or desire to change we don’t have to commit to the WHOLE month….how about just one day at a time? Let me know if you join us and I’ll be your cheerleader! ~Kathy
**I believe being grateful and thankful is a big part of a happy and SMART Life***
Only after I started feeling gratitude again in my life–did I begin my healing process.
xx Happy Saturday.
Hi Kim! Happy Saturday to you too. 🙂 And yes, gratitude is a healing balm for all pain–apply liberally!!!! I hope you’ll join this challenge and really get lathered up! ~Kathy
This is something I did last year but let the habit go. Thanks for the nudge. I’ll start again as well…may try evening!
Hi Walker! I’m exactly the same way! I think all of us can use a boost and a reminder of many of the important things in life. Try it! What have you got to loose except a few days of feeling more grateful? ~Kathy
I love that you’re doing this…as a rule, I don’t do challenges….but gratitude is ingrained in my life and I practice it daily. So maybe it’s the same thing, right?
Hi Carol! I agree that “challenges” can be challenging and certainly don’t always participate unless it really, really speaks to me. But it sounds like you do a daily practice anyway and that’s all I’m really hoping to promote. So YES–I’m sorta counting you in on this….oh,and I’m VERY grateful you stopped by and left a comment! ~Kathy
In 2013, we started a Gratitude Jar to capture moments of gratitude. The jar wasn’t big enough to hold all our Gratitude. So, in 2014, we used a Gratitude Basket . . . it’s filled with slips of paper capturing our Gratitude for the lovely little moments in life.
We’ll dump it out on New Year’s Eve and bask in the Gratitude all over again.
Hi Nancy R. YES! Gratitude jars are always a good idea. And I LOVE it that there wasn’t room in your jar for all our Gratitude so you needed a BASKET ! That too is a very wonderful way to set your gratitude habit. Thank you for sharing that idea with all of us. ~Kathy
I’m in! I’ve seen some of my friends do this on Facebook and have always thought it was a good idea. I know I see a difference in my wellbeing when I’m more in the habit of practicing gratitude.
Hey Michelle! Yay! I’m so glad to know you will be joining us. Please check in either here or on our FB page and let us know how you are doing as you go along!!! As you know, I think it will be a great way to celebrate the month. ~Kathy
Becoming more aware of all the wonders in my life was my first important step towards improving everything during my own midlife crisis.
As Maya Angelou says, “Being thankful helps you to be present.”
Here’s another great tool that literally changed me from the inside out:
http://www.gratefulness.org/brotherdavid/a-good-day.htm
Take 5 minutes a day to watch this powerful video!
Hi Laura Lee! Yes, that quote by Maya Angelou “Being thankful helps you to be present” is awesome. There are SO many wise people (and yes Brother David Steindle-Rast is one of them) who remind us over and over and over again of the value of gratitude. That’s certainly while I make a regular effort to include more of it in my life. And it’s also why I’ve done a gratitude challenge for the last three years because I ALWAYS get more out of it than I give. I hope you will be joining me and doing the TToT every day of November! ~Kathy