For my 50th birthday, I embarked on an experiment — I made one gratitude post each day for 50 days on Facebook.
Forcing yourself to write one authentically grateful statement each day was not as easy as I thought. By the 25th day, I started making posts about how grateful I was that this experiment would soon be over. But you only turn 50 once. So I persevered, and completed it!
My #50daysofgratitude is over and I have not made gratitude posts for about a week. I did not expect this, but I am beginning to sense a dimming of the silver-lining behind the clouds that come with the stressors and negative events of daily life. The little positive lifts that follow each grateful post that I did for 50 days are no longer there, leaving me with gloomier grey clouds. Although I did not realize it then, the 50-days of gratitude actually made a difference in how I felt overall!
We already know from scientific studies that gratitude makes a healthy difference. Take for instance this quote: “Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects in a person’s life,” said Robert A. Emmons, professor of psychology at UC Davis. “It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function and facilitate more efficient sleep.” [link]
My question to myself is: why do I have to stop making gratitude posts if they help me?
Answer: I don’t have to!!
So, I will be continuing to make little gratitude posts on my Facebook or Twitter to stay more positive and enjoy my life better. It may require some effort, but it’s worth it!
And since I am all about making our world a better place, I am inviting you to join me! Try #50daysofgratitude, hashtag it, and let me know how it goes for you!
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