Three Good Things
There can be many ways to note our blessings: simply pause and look around, go for a walk and notice what we can smell, hear and see, write in a gratitude journal, share an A-Z gratitude list on a text thread with friends or family. The opportunities are endless. Another one I have done is 3 x 3 > 9. It can look like this:
The new coffee pot we just bought after our other one broke.
a. It brews a pot faster than our old one did.
b. We could afford to purchase it.
c. Electricity is easily available so we can operate the brewer.
Cozy blankets.
a. How the soft fabric feels on my skin.
b. The warmth that is generated by my body and held in the blanket.
c. The sense of peace and security I feel as I rest quietly and comfortably.
The changing daylight this week after the time change.
a. Appreciating more light as I drive to work.
b. How sunlight plays through trees that are now almost bare of leaves.
c. The shift in routines this time of year. I am always ready for such shifts.
Three things I am grateful for and three reasons why for each. I see twelve things listed now. That’s where 3 x 3 > 9 comes in.
Just becoming aware of the blessings around us is a good start, but writing it down kicks it up a notch. Sharing it with others also deepens the impact, and puts more good energy out into the Universe, in my opinion.
The Greater Good Science Center located at UC-Berkeley offers lots of strategies and tools as well. Their mission reads:
The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.
That’s a wonderfully meaningful mission isn’t it? Their website is loaded with research, quizzes, and practices on many aspects of well-being, including gratitude and awe. I encourage you to take a closer look. Here is a link to a practice known as “Three Good Things.”
I remind myself that healthy actions and strategies tend to build on themselves, just like unhealthy ones can. Which do I choose today? Here’s a hint:
