Be Grateful

Today as I was scrolling through social media, I came across this awesome quote by singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams.

“It’s not possible to experience constant euphoria, but if you’re grateful, you can find happiness in everything.” 

It was a great reminder to always try and be grateful or it’s synonym ‘thankful’.

Recently, I’ve had lots of things that I am grateful for, one massive thing is the strength in my small group to pray together and support one another with any issues any of us may be facing. I was stung by a tax charge notice and had appealed the amount and it has been written off. So for me, I am really grateful that it has won the appeal, but also, that I had friends backing me in prayer over the tax! 

If you’re someone that enjoys writing, keeping a ‘Gratitude Journal’ is a great way to capture times or things you are grateful for.

In my work with young people, I often create ‘thankfulness jars’ with them when they come to the end of our support - I then text them a few weeks later to check-in with them and remind them to carry on placing their ‘thankful for..’ notes into their jar. 

One young person text me last week that they had to get a bigger jar to carry on filling up as their current jar was overfilling. 

When I think about the outcome of this simple yet time-consuming idea, it fills me with joy. The thought that in a years time, someone will sit and read lots of notes of things that have made them happy and grateful.

In a busy life schedule it can be difficult to keep a gratuity journey or even make your own jar to fill. But, it is important to end your day with thankfulness and to be grateful for the day you have had to be alive. 

Also, if you’d like to be more grateful, mindfulness is a really helpful activity to take part in, in my work we often use ‘Headspace’ with young people - it’s highly recommended by senior practitioners in Mental Health.