Category: Gratitude

Thanksgiving in November, and always

11/21/2023

By Stephanie Simmons

Each year as Thanksgiving rolls around, it is always a time when I am redirected to my ever-present, yet often forgotten, goal to be more grateful -- and help my children to be more grateful as well. I think we all know that when we focus on what we have, we are happier and by extension, more giving of ourselves.

In my efforts to be a better person in general, I decided to start a gratitude journal. That evolved, (or downgraded?), to an app that I downloaded to my phone that reminds me each day to enter what I am grateful for on that day or moment. I set a low standard of listing at least three things each day. The app includes quotes on gratitude which I have enjoyed reading to help me remember and reflect on the importance of gratitude. I have been doing it for over 1000 days! I know that because the app encourages me every so often by updating me on how long I have been doing it. :)

We have done a few things as a family to help us be more grateful. As a parent, the hope is that this will help my children feel less entitled and more appreciative of what they have….

Here are a few ideas we have tried:

Go around the table at dinner and say three things we are grateful for.
Make a paper tree on our wall, and add leaves(write the thing we are grateful for) that we stick onto it. In the spring we switch to flowers.
Make a gratitude jar with a container of paper next to it. Whenever, or when asked (usually that is when it was actually done), write on the paper and add it to the jar. Our family has filled the jar a couple of times and when we do, we read them all together.
Model gratitude by expressing my gratitude aloud, or to my kids.

You can see the list isn’t very long, and often those ideas fall away and are forgotten, replaced, or resurrected. It is nice to have a month out of the year that reminds us to get back on track and focus on our many blessings.

QUESTION: What other ideas do you have to help you and your family to be more grateful throughout the year? Have you found gratitude to help you or your family?

This blog doesn't have comments, but feel free to visit our Facebook Momivate Discussion Group to share your answers to these questions!

0 Comments

Personal Pursuits in mothering moments

5/1/2023

0 Comments

By Laura Breksa, Personal Pursuits CouncilMom

NOTE: This is the first in a series of related blog posts -- as we post them, we will link them together.
This is the first S in the S.P.I.C.E.S. acronym, for Spiritual goals.
The second one is for the P - Physical goals (read it here).
The third one is for the I - Intellectual goals (here's the link to it).

Here at Momivate, we know that motherhood is neither an obstacle nor an interruption to our personal growth -- in fact, it's a fast-paced fertilizer for growth!
Here are some simple-but-solid ideas for experiencing spiritual growth even amidst the busy-ness of motherhood.

SPIRITUAL

Sing the spiritual songs of your faith, and remember, "If only those birds who sang best sang, the woods would be quiet still." Belt it out, sister!

Create something, and involve your children. The act of creation is what's spiritual, not the result (that's Pinterest).
Pay attention to your senses at least one time a day. Think of one thing you can feel, touch, smell, taste, see -- and then, express gratitude for that experience. Studies prove that there are, "positive relationships between gratitude and wellbeing, and spirituality,” The Relationship between Gratitude, Wellbeing, Spirituality, and Experiencing Meaningful Work. (2021, Loi, N. and Ng, D., Psych 2021, 3(2), 85-95)
When on walks, look around and discover something pretty. Pause... and reflect on either the source of the beauty or the beauty alone.

Memorize a scripture or thought that brings you joy and repeat it often, out loud. If you're not a great memorizer, write it out and put it in places in your house where you will see it. Put it on your phone as a reminder. In his 2001 Repetition is the First Principle of All Learning, Robert F. Bruner (researchgate.net) concludes, "Repetition is an important element of learning. Even in the midst of binding time constraints, look for opportunities to revisit, review, and restate."

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Practice the prayers/mantras that bring you peace, and change it up. Sometimes prayers get so repetitious we stop feeling before we realize it.

Express love to your family, write thank you notes (even thank you texts, something spiritual happens when you express gratitude)

Spirituality is the first 'S' in our S.P.I.C.E.S. acronym -- and we'll follow up this blog post with suggestions for each of the other letters, so you can have a flavorful personal life!

0 Comments

Thanksgiving in November, and always

Personal Pursuits in mothering moments

AuthorS

Join our Momunity!

Categories

COMPANIES: Become a MISSION SUPPORTER