the red light of gratitude

I’m well-acquainted with the incredible physical and mental health benefits of gratitude.  It’s a genuine game changer.

So why do I ‘forget’ to do it?  Same reason I ‘forget’ to drink enough water or to get up close and personal with my yoga mat.  It’s one of those habits that is apparently not too hard to break.

I’ve used gratitude journals before and, during the summer months when I have more time off work, that method works very well.  But not so well during the other ten months.

Recently, I’ve started practicing red light gratitude moments.  It’s as easy as bringing to mind something for which I’m grateful every time I sit at a red light during my daily travels. It’s a visual reminder to pause, take a deep breath and verbalize an authentic gratitude.

It’s a micro-moment to allow a gratitude to soften, soothe, energize, or surprise.

This may not work so well for you if you commute for several hours a day and encounter too many red lights but perhaps then you could choose something else as your visual reminder.  A type of landmark, a certain distance marker or set times on the clock.

Using your environment to solidify a gratitude habit makes good sense.  And more gratitude in your life will bring you more moments of being surprised by joy.