The gratitude list
“We focus on anything that isn’t going our way and ignore all the beauty in our
lives.”
Basic Text, p.77
It’s easy to be grateful when everything runs smoothly. If we get a raise at work,
we’re grateful. If we get married, we’re grateful. If someone surprises us with a nice
present or an unasked favor, we’re grateful. But if we get fired, divorced, or
disappointed, gratitude flies out the window. We find ourselves becoming obsessed
with the things that are wrong, even though everything else may be wonderful.
This is where we can use a gratitude list. We sit down with a pen and paper and list
the people for whom we are grateful. We all have people who’ve supported us
through life’s upheavals. We list the spiritual assets we have attained, for we know
we could never make it through our present circumstances without them. Last, but
not least, we list our recovery itself. Whatever we have that we are grateful for goes
on the list.
We’re sure to find that we have literally hundreds of things in our lives that inspire
our gratitude. Even those of us who are suffering from an illness or who have lost all
material wealth will find blessings of a spiritual nature for which we can be thankful.
An awakening of the spirit is the most valuable gift an addict can receive.
Just for today: I will write a list of things, both material and spiritual, for which I am
grateful.