What if gratitude were a game?
Not something solemn or reserved for deep moments of reflection,
But a fast-paced,
Laugh-out-loud,
Think-on-your-feet kind of thing.
Just imagine,
You've been called up on stage,
There's a buzzing crowd,
Bright lights,
And an overly enthusiastic host in a sparkly jacket announcing,
Welcome to the Gratitude Game Show.
Here's how it works.
You have 60 seconds to list as many things you're grateful for as you can.
There's no right or wrong,
No one to impress.
The only way to lose is not to name anything.
What if we try it?
So let's start by settling in.
Take a deep breath in.
And let it out slowly.
Feel your body in your seat.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Another breath in.
And out.
Now,
When I say go,
You'll start mentally listing anything that you're grateful for.
It could be a person,
A smell,
A memory,
A color,
A piece of toast.
Whatever pops up,
There's nothing too big,
Nothing too small.
Ready?
Go.
Okay,
Time's up.
Take a breath.
How'd that feel?
Did you start strong with the big things?
You know,
Family,
Friends,
Health.
Maybe you noticed some smaller,
Weirder ones sneaking in.
Did your mind wander and then come back with something surprising?
See,
That's the beauty of this little game.
Gratitude can start with the obvious.
But as you keep going,
It pulls you into the present moment.
You start noticing textures,
Tastes,
Or faces.
And maybe even some fleeting joys that you might have skimmed over.
Okay,
So let's try again for round two,
But we'll go slower this time.
This time,
You're going to give yourself a beat with each answer.
Really picture it in your mind.
Let yourself feel the gratitude for whatever comes up.
You ready?
60 seconds,
And go.
And breathe.
Really notice how your body feels.
Maybe a little lighter.
Maybe a little warmer.
That is gratitude working its quiet magic.
As Melody Beatty reminds us,
Gratitude makes sense of our past.
It brings peace for today,
And it creates a vision for tomorrow.
And now here's the cool thing.
You can live that game show anytime you want.
You don't need a host or a buzzer to play the game.
You can do it on a walk.
In the shower or while waiting in line for something.
And here's the cool part.
The more that you practice,
The more your brain starts playing automatically.
You start seeing things in a different light.
You start noticing the things that you're grateful for and the things that you have rather than the things that you lack.
It really is like magic.
So as you move through the rest of your day,
I would challenge you to try dropping into a quick gratitude round whenever you can.
Because the more you notice what's already good,
The more life starts to feel like you've already won.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
Thank you so much for joining me.
I'm grateful to you.
