Path of Gratitude

Happy happy Saturday! 

Who out there in blog land has any type of long-term goal regarding physical activity, artistic accomplishments, education and/or career or any other activity that takes some time to develop proficiency?  I know I am raising my hand sky high right now. Please do not misunderstand the point of this post, those goals are great and wonderful and certainly help us to stay on track.  And the feeling of finally reaching one of those goals is absolutely fantastic.

 What I would like to focus on, is staying grateful for the path you are traveling.  Depending on your goal, that path may be long on winding or short and quick.  Whatever your path, I know many people, present company included, can get very frustrated on the path and lose that gratitude that is so important in pushing us forward.  This can lead to getting stuck in the molasses swamp along Candyland lane.  Some can pull themselves out, others tend to wonder off the path and lose site of the goal.  We all want to reach that “Home Sweet Home.”

It is very important to continue to find gratitude not just when the goal is met, but along the path as well.  How do we stay grateful when it seems like we are hitting a roadblock?  By focusing on three things.  First, where did you start. Second, your current successes, abilities, or other achievements.

The first item to focus on is where you started and how far you have come.  If you just started on your path today for very recently, your focus on this section is going to be different than someone that has been on this path for an extended period of time.  However, no matter where you are on your path, this focus exercise can help return the focus to gratitude. 

The first step is to find something to write with and on, a journal, a scrap piece of paper or even a napkin lying around.  Write down all the thoughts and feelings you had when you were first starting on your path.  Try to remember the excitement you had when your fist began this adventure.  Focus on those thoughts when writing.  Once you have gotten those thoughts written down, reread them focusing on filling your mind with gratitude after reading each one.  If you have participated in week one of the six-week challenge, this is a good point to recite your mantra.

The second item to focus on is the success or achievements that you have currently developed.  Perhaps take for example, someone training for a marathon.  Perhaps when they start, this person is only able to run a couple of miles at a time. After a few weeks of training, they are now able to run ten miles a time.  The marathon may still be weeks away but this person is still not in the proper shape to run a full marathon and begins to get discouraged. At this point, they are in danger of getting stuck in the molasses.  This is a time to sit back and focus on everything they have accomplished.

 If you are at this point in you path, just think for a minute and be amazed at what you can do. You can use your list of where you first were to realize how far you have come.   Once you have clear focus on the current milestones you have achieved, write down the phrase, “I am grateful for the fact that I can/achieved  (fill in the blank).  Feel free to revise the sentence to better match whatever path you are on, just be certain the phrase expresses gratitude for any current talents, achievements, success that you may have had on the journey.  These do not have to be major milestones; even very small ones help us move along our path but focusing on our gratitude for all the steps will help to push us forward to the ultimate end goal.

Both these steps are tools to help you along your path to that “home sweet home.”   Practicing gratitude is not just about being grateful for the end goal but being grateful for the entire path that you are following.