Exercise an Attitude of Gratitude by Bryan Robinson, Ph.D
Writing Resilience
The day-to-day annoyances we complain about are suddenly trivial when we face a major catastrophe. How many of us gripe and complain about minor inconveniences when our lives are already rich and full?
After a writing project wraps, authors sometimes move on to the next one without taking time to savor the successful completion of the one they left behind. Taking time to underscore our completions and successes creates a deeper sense of fulfillment.
The gratitude exercise helps us see the flip side of the narrow scope that our minds build without our knowledge. Make a list of the many things you’re grateful for—the people, places and things that make life worth living and bring you comfort and joy. After you’ve made your list, meditate on your appreciation for each item and visualize anything you’ve taken for granted—things that if you didn’t have would leave your life empty. As you practice this exercise, notice that you are more aware of how full your life already is.
Today’s Takeaway
Count your blessings for all that you have on this day, seize it and live it fully, and don’t let pettiness distract you from the bigger, more important things in life.
From Daily Writing Resilience by Bryan Robinson. © 2018 by Bryan Robinson. Used by permission from Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., www.Llewellyn.com.
Bryan E. Robinson is a licensed psychotherapist and author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books. He applies his experiences to crafting insightful nonfiction self-help books and psychological thrillers. His multi-award winning southern noir murder mystery, Limestone Gumption, won the New Apple Book Medal for best psychological suspense, the Silver IPPY Award for outstanding mystery of the year, the Bronze Foreword Review INDIEFAB Book Award for best mystery, and the 2015 USA Regional Excellence Book Award for best fiction in the Southeast.
His most recent release is Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations and Inspirations for Writers (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2018). He has written for Psychology Today, First for Women, and Natural Health, and his blogs and columns for writers appear in Southern Writer’s Magazine. He is a consulting editor for The Big Thrill, the online magazine for International Thriller Writers. His long-selling book, Chained to the Desk, is now in its 3rd Edition (New York University Press, 1998, 2007, 2014). His books have been translated into thirteen languages, and he has appeared on every major television network: 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC’s World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, The CBS Early Show, CNBC’s The Big Idea. He hosted the PBS documentary, Overdoing It: How to Slow Down and Take Care of Yourself.