do you ever look at one of your kids and swear you will remember the moment forever? maybe it’s an expression they have, a funny comment, a milestone, or something just so uniquely childlike they’ve just done?
this happens to me all the time. want to know what happens next? 10 minutes later i forget the moment.
as moms in the thick of it, it is really just a miracle we remember anything at all. i mean, consider the literal number of directions you are pulled in on any given day. not to mention the number of things you are asked to think about at any given time. like right now, i am thinking about this blog post, about the stink bug i can hear flying around inside my blinds and how it got there, about whether my 2-year-old is in the basement or whether she has escaped because i can’t hear her, about when i should put the pizza in, about how many episodes my big kids have watched of their current favorite show because i just said yes to another one, and again about where my 2-year-old might be.
it’s a lot.
so now that we’re on the same page about things we don’t need to remember forever as moms {whew!}, let’s talk about something that really, truly, without a doubt is worth remembering – AND WRITING DOWN. because it is a total motherhood GAME CHANGER.
i’m talking about gratitude.
so first of all, that’s probably not what you thought i was going to say {except that it’s the title of this post}. regardless, you are probably asking yourself…what’s so important about gratitude?
make no mistake…i am not a scientist or a researcher. but since starting my own gratitude habit in 2002 {more about that HERE}, i have gathered almost 20 years worth of observations and anecdotes on the subject. what i’ve learned has spanned many seasons, from college to motherhood, and includes the surprising ways gratitude has worked in the lives of friends, family members, and readers in this LITTLE things community (YOU!). never once in all my years of gratitude, has someone started a gratitude habit and decided it wasn’t a complete and total game changer, especially moms.
brene brown IS a famous researcher. and in her talk to teachers at the 2017 South by Southwest Festival, asked this question, “What is the one variable that people who can really lean into joy share in common?” the answer…
GRATITUDE.
she went on to say that it is a practice, which affirmed so much of what i’ve learned and observed. which leads me into the first of the 3 reasons why it makes a difference to write our gratitude down as moms. because mama, from breakfasts to bedtimes, the joy of motherhood is within reach for all of us and GRATITUDE is the easiest way i know to get there!
1. being a grateful mom takes practice.
before i started a daily gratitude list, i thought gratitude was something that came and went. i never viewed it as something i could practice or control. over the years, i learned this is a common misconception about gratitude. many people view gratitude as a spontaneous emotion. something that surprises you but not something you can control.
the truth is, it is sometimes that – an unexpected emotion you suddenly feel about your surroundings, something someone has done for you, or the kind of day you are having. but it is also a skill. like any other skill, the more you practice it, the better you get at it. for example, the more you practice writing down three things you are grateful for about trying to get out the door {i know, hardest time EVER in the day}, the more blessings you will notice during that time. the more blessings you notice, the less grumpy you will start to feel about that time. similar to other skills practice, there are different skill levels you can attain.
if you start by THINKING of the things you are grateful for about getting out the door {the way a certain someone fits right in your lap to put on shoes, listening to the kids’ excitement about wherever you are going, the one child who can get their own waterbottle, etc} you will certainly be ahead of the game in creating a gratitude mindset for yourself.
but if you take it a step further and WRITE your gratitude down, that takes your skill to the next level. and the better you are at finding the small grateful moments, the more joy you will find in your day as a mom.
2. it’s important to SEE your gratitude add up.
there are sooooo many times in a day – when kids are fighting, when you’re trying to make dinner, battle homework, run a carpool, or get packed up to leave – when it is really hard to feel grateful. there are moments as a mom where you can almost convince yourself there is nothing to be grateful for.
your written gratitude is proof this is not true. when you start to write down your gratitude, the lists work as examples to show there are always LITTLE things to be grateful for, right alongside the hard. when you start to write down your gratitude, it can help build confidence – undeniable evidence – that there will continue to be blessings in your life because there have been so many already.
3. it will help gratitude come more easily and automatically.
as i said, i am not a scientist or a researcher so what i say next comes from pure observation. there is something about thinking something and then writing it down, and reading it back, that makes it easier to do again the next time. writing down the things you are grateful for each day helps make it a natural, automatic, and routine part of your day. it has been my experience that the more blessings i write down, the easier it is to notice them later. this helps secure gratitude as your go-to response to all kinds of situations {above many other less positive responses}.
you don’t have to be a journaler to start a gratitude list. it might surprise you that even after years and years of lists, i do not consider myself a journaler. my current season – young kids who need and interrupt me often – just doesn’t provide much time for that kind of lengthy reflection. but an ongoing gratitude list that only takes seconds here an there? THAT i can do!
you can grab everything you need to start your own easy gratitude list FOR FREE at the sign up below. you’ll gain immediate access to a variety of pretty, helpful printable gratitude lists, among other resources, to help jumpstart your own list today! i hope you’ll check back in and tell me about your mom joy. i can’t wait to hear how this habit works in your life and home! {and if you want to listen to brene brown’s entire talk to teachers you can find that HERE.}
