Gratitude Moment: Savor Each Bite

Today let's be grateful for one of the most basic pleasures in life: food! 

We often take food for granted because it's affordable and readily available. We eat on the go, or wish we were eating something else, or neglect to give our bodies adequate nourishment.

So how can we have a gratitude moment for our food? Pay close attention to the flavor, texture, aroma, and temperature of what we eat. Chew slowly. Take the time to truly savor each bite.

 

Photo by .craig / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Instead of rushing through your breakfast or debating with someone over lunch, focus on the exquisite taste of your food. Notice the apple's sweet juice. Feel the curry's spicy kick. 

Contemplate where your meal came from. How did it grow in nature? Remember also that food comes to us through the hard work of many people: farmers who harvest it, truck drivers who transport it, and chefs who cook it.

When we eat mindfully this way, it's easy to feel grateful for our food.

Gratitude Moment: Write a Letter

One activity that immerses me in gratitude is to write a letter to someone expressing what I appreciate about them and why I'm thankful to have them in my life. Doing this feels great because it reminds me of that person's special qualities and how fortunate I am to know them. It also brightens that person's day when they receive the letter.

Photo by Pimthida / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

You can write by hand, send an email, read it over the phone or say it in person; the means is less important than what you will express. Giving someone a heartfelt gratitude letter will surely make you and the recipient feel happy and thankful for each other!

Here are some suggestions if you need a kickstart:

Recipients

• Write the letter to a birthday person. I prefer this because it's an easy reminder. I'll always remember one friend's touching response: "That was the best birthday wish I got...maybe ever."
• Write to someone with whom you have challenges or conflicts; expressing gratitude to them can improve the relationship.
• Write to your significant other. My husband and I do "weekly love letters" and it helps us stay romantic and avoid taking each other for granted.
• Write to someone you don't know but whose work or actions benefit you. For example, when I was a child I wrote a thank you letter to the mailman, who seemed to really appreciate it. 

Things to say

• Everyone loves a compliment! List their good traits and qualities that you admire. 
• Explain some things you've learned from them.
• Tell a story about how they have positively affected your life, for example, as a good role model, by always making you laugh, or by giving helpful advice.
• Even just one line saying "thank you" can be meaningful.

-Nhien

Gratitude Moment: Home

Last month's Gratitude Moment touched on being grateful for travel. Today, I'm expressing gratitude for its opposite: the idea of home. Home can mean different things. For some people it's where they sleep; for others it's a specific city.

Photo by David Sag / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Be grateful for the home you live in, whether big or small, shared or alone. For example, in a small apartment, I'm happy there's less space to clutter up. In a big house, I'm excited to have areas for hosting friends.

Be grateful for the town where you reside. We often travel to discover new things, but there are many treasures to be found locally. One challenge that intrigues me is to try to explore every street in one's neighborhood or city. It's simple yet it can open up a new perspective and appreciation for where we live.

Be grateful for your hometown where you grew up, which might be near or far away. Recall some happy memories of the places where you spent your childhood. What are some good things about returning there, e.g. seeing old friends?

Some ways to express your gratitude for "home":

• Organize or decorate your home in a way that leaves you feeling satisfied, pleased, or invigorated.
• Take time to deeply explore a neighborhood or area in your town.
• Think of some positive memories of places where you grew up.

I find that being grateful for home makes me more grounded, brings me into the present moment, and enhances my enjoyment, wherever I am. I hope it does for you too!

 

-Nhien

Gratitude Moment: Travel

People here sometimes bemoan the lack of excitement living in Switzerland, and I've had my share of complaining about it too. That is, until I developed gratitude for one huge benefit of being here: easy access to travel!

Photo by Nicolas Raymond / CC BY 3.0

Switzerland is unique for its convenient central location in Europe. It's well connected for traveling around the world, especially throughout the continent. Whenever you're pricked by boredom, you have the possibility to explore other places within a relatively short time. You can drive, find a rideshare, take a train, or get cheap air tickets. There are so many options available here; isn't that amazing? We can experience France, Italy, Austria or Germany within mere hours and be home in time for bed if we wanted.

It's easy to appreciate this whenever we're about to leave for a trip and experience the ease of getting to and from Geneva Airport. I particularly enjoy taking short road trips -- hopping over the border to do sight-seeing and shopping for an afternoon. 

What are you most grateful for about traveling from Switzerland? 

-Nhien

Gratitude Moment: Tough times

We all go through tough times and handle them differently. Having gratitude is one way to deal with these challenging experiences; it can even be what we need the most! Gratitude can turn a painful moment into a beautiful one. It can transform your feelings from despair to peacefulness.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie

It might be difficult to take this perspective, but it can be just the thing to help us get through tough periods. For example, last year, I lost a job, developed a health problem, and my dear grandfather passed away, all within three months. I got through this period using gratitude because in every situation there were blessings to be found and appreciated:

I was grateful to be free from a stressful work environment and to have more time for myself. I was grateful to have reliable care and support from good friends during my health issue. And I was most grateful that my grandfather lived a full and wonderful life before he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.

Tough moments can highlight the opportunities and gifts we have that we sometimes overlook. Considering a difficult time you've had in your life, was there anything about it that you can feel grateful for?

-Nhien

Gratitude Moment: Love

February is often considered the month of love, with its association to Valentine's Day. What is love? Love is a feeling and an action to care about someone deeply and unconditionally. This can be love for yourself, your romantic partner, your friends and family, your community, your fellow humankind, animals, or all living beings on Earth.

Photo by epSo.de. / CC BY 2.0

Of all the things in life to be thankful for, I'm most grateful for love. A favorite quote is: "With Real Love, nothing else matters; without it, nothing else is enough" - Dr. Greg Baer. So, I make it a priority to cultivate and nourish love in my relationships. To express care and gratitude to others, I find it useful to consider the 5 Love Languages, which help me think of what the receiver might appreciate most, for example, receiving gifts vs. spending quality time.

We can also express love toward ourselves through self-care and giving ourselves the space and elements we need to thrive. It can also mean forgiving ourselves and knowing that we're doing our best every day. What ways do you like to show gratitude for love in your life?

-Nhien

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Le mois de février est souvent considéré comme le mois de l'amour, notamment en relation avec la célébration de la Saint-Valentin. Qu'est-ce que l'amour ? L'amour est un sentiment et l'action d’avoir de l'affection pour quelqu'un profondément et sans conditions. Cela peut être l'amour pour vous-même, votre partenaire, pour vos amis et votre famille, envers votre communauté, l’humanité, les animaux ou tous les êtres vivants sur Terre.

Parmi toutes les choses dans la vie qui méritent la gratitude, je suis très reconnaissante pour l'amour que je reçois et qui m'entoure. Voici une de mes citations préférées : « Avec l'Amour Vrai, rien d’autre n'est important; sans lui, rien d'autre n'est suffisant. » - Dr. Greg Baer. Je prends donc bien soin de cultiver et de nourrir l'amour dans mes relations. Pour exprimer l’affection et la gratitude envers les autres, il me semble utile de considérer « les 5 langages de l'amour », qui m'aident à réfléchir à ce que le destinataire peut apprécier le plus, par exemple, recevoir des cadeaux versus passer du temps de qualité ensemble.

 

Nous pouvons également exprimer l'amour que nous portons à nous-mêmes à travers l’attention et le soin pour nous-mêmes et le fait de nous donner l'espace et les éléments dont nous avons besoin pour prospérer. Cela peut aussi signifier de nous pardonner et de savoir que nous faisons de notre mieux chaque jour. Quels sont les moyens que vous appréciez pour exprimer de la gratitude pour l'amour dans votre vie?

Gratitude Moment: Even this Moment is Important

I say many times in my classes that, "I can only teach from the place in which I find myself."  And this also holds true for my writing and these blog posts. So at this moment I find myself thanking my bones and the stars for the incredibly restful holiday we had at home and I wanted to share some moments with you.

You always have to remember to look up.  The best moments are hidden waiting for you to discover them. 

It is not that we cannot see the beauty around us, but that we don't take the time to look.

Homemade cranberry thumbprint cookies.  Little bites of joy.

Always look around, love is every where, especially in the most unexpected places.

Wherever you are in your day, may it be filled with eye opening moments and the knowledge that even this moment is important and needed.



Love,



-Uma

Gratitude Moment: Nature, Beauty and Gratitude

How many times have you actually stopped to enjoy a walk by taking a look around you with open eyes?  We are so attached to our busy lives, to our phones, our headphones that we miss the amazing moments of beauty that surround us.  

(Image "Nature by glasseyes view.jpg")

Photo by glasseyes view / CC BY-SA 2.0

Have a good day by treating your day as a unique gift. This is the perspective we can learn from Louie Schwartzberg's short video from Ted Talks. 

His beautiful timelapse videos of nature will awaken you to the wonderful, ordinary things to be grateful for in any given moment. To the awareness that each day is the only gift we have right now. To the remarkable clouds and colors in the sky. To the incredible stories behind the faces of each person you meet.

Open your heart to the present blessings around you so that those you meet will be blessed too, simply by your presence. Cultivate this gratitude and you will have a good day. 

-Nhien

Gratitude Moment: Majestic Mountains

Let us be grateful for nature, particularly the majestic mountains all around us. Living in Switzerland, one can sometimes take their breathtaking views for granted.

 

 

 

 

 

Whether for going on ski excursions in the winter or hiking the trails during warmer months, we are fortunate to live near these natural treasures.

Mountains hold special energy as they are rock formations that have been around for thousands of years.  Whether you are hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing, take a moment to really breathe in the energy from not only the sky above, but from the massive rock that you find yourself on.  Remember from bring grounded we grow as high as we let ourselves. 

If you want to fully appreciate the mountains, try exploring the numerous possible trips you can make, which are easily reached by public transport. There are great suggestions at the Swiss tourism website.

Gratitude Moment: Attitude

Could you welcome an attitude of of gratitude into your activities today?

Expressing appreciation for something  is a way to practice being mindful. Finding gratitude for the blessings in life can help you feel happier, more grounded, and more aware. You can even be grateful for challenging or difficult situations you might be going through.

Cultivating thankfulness allows us to be more connected to life and experience each sensation more fully. And it opens our hearts to generosity, forgiveness and the richness of the present moment.