Gratitude – Mental jogging for folks who want to run a lifelong marathon 

Gratitude for the many things that you have been blessed with is one of those things that very few think about and even fewer do that regularly. If you want to life a long and rich life, being grateful plays a vital role in your mental and physical wellness.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough”

Recently, I saw a statistic on TV that stated fewer than 3% of the U.S. population gets their 21 minimum of physical activity per day. I venture saying that is most likely no different with the mental jogging part – complacency and irritated folks everywhere.

In the attached photo you can see the “1000 Thanksgivings” project at our local church. Everyone was to ponder what he / she is grateful for, write it down, and share it on the wall. First, you will really be taken aback by having to slow down your brain long enough to put your own ideas down. Next, as you place your sticky note on the wall you notice all the other entries. In my particular case the things other people put down took my breath away, because face it, there are plenty of disasters and messes out there. You automatically feel better and most of all grateful for the “little” messes you are blessed with.

One cool mental exercise I can recommend to you is to write down what you were grateful for every night. You can do this mental stretch with your kids too. They learn a great routine that can last and benefit them for a long time. Gratitude determines how content you are with your life. It requires continuous reality checks that can be exhausting, and that is why life is a marathon; do not pretend it’s a sprint.

Ralf