Patti Smith inspires deeper gratitude.

I recently was listening to a podcast called Wiser Than Me, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviewing the rock/punk icon Patti Smith. The interview has a host of gems.  One that stands out for me is Patti’s life long practice of gratitude. Everyday, she finds reasons to feel grateful.  She even thanks her toothbrush after every use. Her toothbrush!  Wow... That's indicative of a very deep lifelong habit and practice of gratitude. Clearly she's reaped the benefits! She has an incredibly open and generous mind. 

The interview inspired me to think about how I could improve my own practice of gratitude.  There are so many scientific studies you can find online about the health benefits of gratitude. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease. Positive gestures also release oxytocin, the hormone that helps connect people, also called the love hormone. If a pill could do this, everyone would be taking it! 

My challenge to myself is to see how far I can go in really developing gratitude for everything in my life. Can I come to thank even my toothbrush? Or further yet, can I be grateful for unwanted circumstances? Life has certainly  shown me that these unwanted experiences often, down the road, present an opportunity to grow as a person, sometimes even develop more love and care for others.   If I never had to go through difficulties, how would I know how to show empathy for other people who are going through hard times? I think about it this way, it seems that most everything can be turned into a practice of gratitude. 

Do you have a gratitude practice? Are you up for the gratitude challenge? .