Gratitude

[Sparrow]

Well, there's a bone we can all chew on or growl about. Generally, I find that if I am genuinely grateful inside myself somewhere, I have a much more positive and optimistic outlook :dance: and not as :hissyfit:. Ask yourself, when was the last time you where truly grateful. It might be for the oddest things. Could be family, your cat, friends, your health, maybe your job. Personally I think a cave and fire (food and shelter) makes a pretty good benchmark.

I'm not immune to blinders. Been in some real pickles and when someone told me to "stay on the sunny side" I bit their head off and spit out for breakfast.
How dare they? THEIR not in my shoes! (the forest for the trees as the story goes ).

Perhaps they should invent bathroom mirrors with the word gratitude etched into it.

Anyway, I was thinking of posting this topic for a while as other discussions touch upon it somewhat. Hey, if it makes someone stop and think out there, maybe they'll be better for it.

Finally, if gratitude is an attitude why not add it to some of the others we have? God knows I've had bad ones. - Joey -

 

[Cat Dancer]

My therapist has me write positive affirmations down on pieces of paper and tape them to the bathroom mirror and the fridge and windows and other places.

 

[Sparrow]

Hello Cat Dancer,

It's an old trick, and still a very good. You can't help but be reminded of them in a positive and grounding way. - Joey -

 

[ladylore]

You may want to take a look in the Positive Psychology section Joey. There are a few threads there that you may enjoy 3 Positive Things, 5 Things That Made Me Smile and others.

Gratitude is a big one for me. When I was in early recovery and doing the 12 Step thing my sponsor at that time got me to keep a Gratitude List. The list had to be the full side of a standard notebook piece of paper. It works.

 

[Sparrow]

Thanks Ladylore,

I was going to post inside that Positive sub-forum and there are lots of very good articles in there. Also searching the gratitude tag turned up some real gems too. - Joey -

 

[white page]

Hi Joey ,
This is a great topic , and as Cat Dancer and Lady lore have said it is such an important part of recovery . As you say ,when one is in that seemingly bottomless pit of utter desolation , when everything seems to be hitting us on the back of the head it seems an afront when someone says look on the bright side , yet they are so right . recovering from deep clinical depression brings moments of exquisite gratitude when one can see again that little beam of sunshine which forces itself into ones house inspite of tightly drawn curtains . this leads on to that blossom which suddenly unfolds on a long unoticed and neglected plant.
This weekend I accepted an invitation by a lovely lady to go and collect chestnuts in the woods . And during our gentle rambling in the deserted woods , I felt one of those moments of grace , gratitude that I was there , amongst the rustling leaves , hearing the plop plop of falling chestnut hedgehogs , and seeing plump shiney leathery perfect chestnuts peeking at us on the wood floor. In my house I now have baskets of harvested chestnuts , most of which I will give to neighbours , and how I wish I could share them with you all .
have a great day
white page :flowers:

 

[ladylore]

I wanted to add this: Out of gratitude has grown a great deal of genuine empathy and compassion. No more leather jacket for me.

 

[Meggylou]

gratitude has been something that I try to realize daily. I make it a purpose to really be grateful for all the wonderful 'blessings' in life that I have. I wonderfully close family, and now that we're adults we're all friends, it's great. A supportive and loving husband, a great friend who really is of the same mind as me, being canada...there is a LOT to be said for that I believe. Just being able to really live in this day and age, when the mentally ill aren't confined to sanitariums and places of 'bedlam'. To be in an era of good science and medicine, these make my life liveable and allow me to enjoy the wonderful things it encompasses. Thought I may gripe and groan I really do have a wonderful life, family, friends, pets and a great support network and city to live in.