I have a confession: A friend told me about this exercise, and I’m afraid that she heard about it on Oprah… But hey, It’s still good.
Anyway, it’s about creating a daily positive space for reflection. Try it!
It’s terribly simple. Get yourself a journal, or open a new file on your computer. Then everyday, write down 5 things you’re grateful for that day. And it can be just about anything, big or small. As an example, today I’m grateful for:
- The beatiful autumn colours of the trees outside my window
- My girlfriend
- People brave and stupid enough to try and publish a new newspaper
- The music of Tom Waits
- The books of Harrison Owen
It’s difficult at first, but it will probably become easier after a while.
Why is this a good exercise? Well, it will give you a pause every day, a chance to reflect on the positive qualities of your day. I find that all to often, I can move through entire days without giving myself time to reflect on what is happening. Also it focuses on the positive. I’m pretty sure that for many people from a western culture, it would be a lot easier to think of 5 annoying things. We seem drawn to the negative, to what doesn’t work. This exercise will accentuate the positive.
As an alternative try writing down:
Or make up your own category.
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