There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. (~Rumi)

Your way. My way. Your best friend’s way or your brother’s way or the stranger’s way.

There are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of ways to kneel, reverence, be amazed at the gifts we receive from the universe or God or whatever you call your higher power. Or to just be thankful that the stars aligned just right, this time. One-size-fits-all is never going to work here, because not only is each gift unique, but so are each of us.

That said, there are a few tried-and-true suggestions that mystics and poets and people who are in the business of being grateful like to throw out there.

Journaling is usually at the top of the list. It’s an excellent idea, of course. The written word can be so powerful. But here’s the thing none of the poets or mystics (in my experience) let you know: it doesn’t have to be fancy or mystical or poetic. You don’t actually need a leather-bound journal to express gratitude. Sticky notes work just fine, thank you very much. And you don’t need to spend a half-hour every night writing about every single butterfly you saw that day. Unless that’s what you want to do, then go ahead and have at it.

You can sit down once a week when you’ve found a ten-minute breather and write some stuff you remember that you’re grateful for. (Magically, after doing this for enough weeks, you’ll actually start remembering more).

But you don’t have to write.

Whispering “thanks” when you wake, or using “thanks” as a mantra in the meditation cave, are also powerful. Exhaling “thanks” when you’re lifting weights works too. (Though you might want to do this quietly, if the gym’s crowded that day).

Snapping a picture of light hitting the hardwood floor, because it’s gorgeous, or snapping a picture of your sixteen-year-old when you tell him he can take the car tonight (a definite gift, as smiles from sixteen-year-olds are quite rare), is also a way of expressing thanks, capturing gift, being grateful.

When we notice, acknowledge, and claim the gift, we open ourselves to possibility. We open our heart to receive more. More joy, more peace, more hope.

Gratitude always opens the door for more.

The way you choose to practice it is totally up to you.

Take a picture. Jot a note. Text a friend. Text yourself. Tuck it in your mind to pull out later with a cup of tea and a leather-bound journal if that’s your jam.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

~xo,
LuAnne

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“There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” (~Rumi)