About 7 to 8 years ago (around 2009), I discovered a simple yet profound practice that could significantly enhance my well-being: writing down things I was grateful for in a notebook. I started with five items and gradually increased the number each day. I was amazed by the feelings that arose from this simple act of writing, asking myself, “What am I grateful for right now?”

The first person I encouraged to do the same was my mother. I remember calling her and asking her to find some paper and a pen to start writing. This led me to think about incorporating this practice into my health workshops.

If we consider Paul MacLean's concept of the “triune brain,” which, although a bit dated since it has been discussed since the 1980s, remains a crucial and easily understandable framework for understanding the relationship between the brain and human behavior.

In essence, the outer layer of the human brain (the Human Brain) is associated with thinking, the middle layer (the Mammalian Brain) is linked to emotions, and the innermost layer (the Reptile Brain) controls bodily functions.

If we hypothesize that the brain functions optimally when all three parts are balanced, it suggests that modern humans tend to over-rely on “thinking,” losing balance by neglecting or being hesitant to engage with emotions and bodily sensations. The hypothesis is that if we can engage more with our emotional and physical brains, our lives might improve in some way.

“Gratitude”

is the beginning of harnessing the positive energy of the heart, connecting with the functioning of the emotional center of the brain.

Notice that when we start to express gratitude towards something or someone, we often feel a warm sensation in our chest, a sense of well-being, and our hearts swell with joy. For many, writing down five things may not be too difficult, but increasing it to ten or twenty can feel challenging.

Initially, when I asked my mother to write down ten things, she could only think of two or three, saying, “I can’t think of anything to be grateful for.”

I remember gently guiding her with questions like, “What did you do when you woke up?” She mentioned praying and then realized she wanted to thank the Buddha, laughing with joy as she began to recall more. Then she mentioned having breakfast, and I asked, “Don’t you want to thank the food?” She replied, “Can we really thank the rice?” followed by laughter.

Although it took some time for my mother to write down ten items, I felt immense happiness in helping her feel good.

During that time, I was curious about what others could be grateful for. I went out to interview strangers in various places, starting with just five items, having learned from my experience with my mother that ten might be too much. I found that talking to strangers was not easy and yielded limited information.

I then asked friends and acquaintances who were teachers to have their students write down a few things to be grateful for before class. This resulted in hundreds of responses, revealing some connections to the ages of the respondents.

Older individuals often viewed gratitude as a significant or abstract concept, similar to my mother, who struggled to list items initially. For instance, a 67-year-old woman expressed gratitude for her strength but couldn’t think of anything else, stating, “I don’t see why I should be grateful for the food I ate this morning; I bought it with my own hard work.”

In contrast, younger individuals found it easier to identify tangible things to be grateful for. For example, a 23-year-old man expressed gratitude for his boss for providing him with work, for his girlfriend for motivating him, for his job, and for his parents and friends who listen to him.

Most students managed to write down five items, with nearly all thanking their parents. Although the data was not extensive, it helped me understand the perspectives of people from various ages and professions before I decided to implement this practice seriously in my workshops.

I realized that what I thought was easy might not be so for others, prompting me to be cautious and gradually find ways to improve the use of this gratitude tool, believing that “gratitude is a skill that is not too difficult for Thai people,” though it may require a good invitation.

Some may need assistance to help their “fountain of gratitude” burst forth.

However, initially, “writing gratitude” may not be easy and might feel strange, so I encourage you to “keep finding things” to be grateful for, and you will notice that your list of gratitude will gradually grow. I assure you that it is possible and will bring numerous benefits from the practice of writing gratitude.

Because gratitude is a positive emotion with specific and powerful energy that everyone possesses, expressing gratitude can lead to laughter, warmth, and peace, allowing us to see the beauty in our lives more clearly.

Dr. Witan Thanavuth is an independent surgeon, writer, and speaker on mental health and spirituality. His latest book is titled Service Is Meditation.

Information from the MIND UPDATE column, Chiwajit magazine, issue 445.

SOURCE: www.goodlifeupdate.com