The Importance of a Gratitude Practice
In my first year of teaching, one of the best pieces of advice I received was to create a “Smiles” file. Any time I received a thank-you note or a kind evaluation from a student or parent, I put it in the “Smiles” file. On the days when teaching was overwhelming, frustrating, and driving me to tears {it’s happened!}, I would reach for notes in the “Smiles” folder as a reminder that I was a good teacher and was making a difference.
My “Smiles” file in my desk at work
We’re told to do the same thing as parents, aren’t we? Write down all those cute things they say, document our moments of gratitude, save all those art projects and touching notes, and even put a disposable camera in the diaper bag to capture every moment! {That last suggestion was actually in one of my parenting books}.
Working, parenting, and managing our busy, analytical lives present many of the same challenges as teaching ~ the days that are overwhelming, frustrating, and, yes, drive us to tears. A gratitude practice focuses our minds on the smiles and laughter, reminds us of the goodness in ourselves and our children, and stops the downward spiral of negative thoughts that rob us of our joy.
“All that we are is a result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we are, we become.”
Buddha
My Smile File is also an integral part of my gratitude practice. It’s my way of being mindful of the beauty, love, and abundance in my life right now.
What does my gratitude practice look like?
All those art projects and cute notes can quickly become clutter, and I really don’t like clutter. I have a “memory box” for each of my children {it sounds really fancy, but they’re just plastic storage bins from Target}. They are filled with memories ~ the outfits they came home from the hospital in, candles from first birthday cakes, and lots of art projects. Just looking through the bins brings smiles and gratitude.
I also write in a gratitude journal each night. Gratitude is not just an attitude ~ it’s a practice! Writing down one thing I am grateful for each day has become a treasured nightly ritual ~ I close my day reflecting on the joy and abundance in my life. On a challenging day, I have evidence of all that is amazing in my life right in front of me.
And each week, I share my smiles and gratitude with you! Each Monday morning, I share a Mindfulness and Gratitude post. Each post includes a short passage or mantra for a mindful moment with the breath, as well as pictures or stories of the things that made me smile in the last week. I hope it encourages you to do the same! And it’s a great way to start your week – make your Monday mindful, not manic!
Gratitude is a practice that truly can create powerful changes in our lives by allowing us to see the beauty and awesomeness that is all around us.
Do you have a Smile File? I hope you’ll create one!
You can read my Mindfulness and Gratitude posts here.
From the Smile File
*****
As I worked on creating this page, reading through notes from my former students in my Smiles folder, my daughter came up to my desk and asked me for an envelope. When I asked her what she needed it for, she told me it was for a note for her teacher. I gasped:
“You are the best teacher ever. I love you.”
Wow. I had said nothing to her about what I was working on, and she chose today to write her first thank-you note to her Kindergarten teacher!! As a left-brain rational type, I’m not one to see much more than mere coincidence most of the time, but this one took my breath away!
