Sunday Purrs: The 100 Things List

Last Sunday, I published my annual Thanksgiving ABC’s – a list of 26 things I’m grateful for. Some remain the same each year, others change. Since we’re (hopefully) still in the energy of gratitude, I wanted to share an exercise I came across earlier this week that takes your gratitude practice to a whole new level. It’s kind of like a gratitude list on steroids: you make a list of 100 things you’re grateful for.

We know from science that gratitude works. According to PositivePyschology.com, “the neuroscience of gratitude shows it activates brain regions associated with reward, enhancing feelings of contentment and emotional wellbeing. Regular practice of gratitude can lead to long-term positive changes in the brain, supporting mental health and resilience. Simple exercises like keeping a gratitude journal can improve mood, increase empathy and strengthen social bonds.”

I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for years. Every night before I go to bed, I write down at least three things I’m grateful for. And yes, they are frequently repeats. And that’s where the problem comes in: while this practice will infuse your life with positivity, it may not be enough to actually shift your brain out of its negativity mode.

That’s where the 100 Things List comes in. Set a time for 20 minutes, and write down 100 things you’re grateful for. The first ten will probably be easy: your cats, your family, your friends, your home. The next ten may not be quite so simple. Maybe it’s the way your cat looks in a sun puddle. Maybe it’s the cashier’s smile at the grocery store. Maybe it’s a memory of a wonderful trip. Once you hit fifty, you may think there’s nothing you could possibly think of to add to your list. That’s when you keep going, all the way to 100.

I found this exercise in Asha Mevlana’s inspirational book To HELL with NO!: Adventures in Finally Saying YES!  In the book, she shares stories from her life that took her from living a fear based life to embracing stepping out of her comfort zone.

I found this exercise really interesting. The first 25 items came easily. Then I found myself slowing down a bit. I still made it to 50 fairly quickly but then I hit a wall. I made myself keep going. Some of the items on the back 50 of the list are pretty silly, and by the time I hit 75, one of them was “I’m grateful that I’m almost done with this list!” But I pushed through, and I finished. Mevlana suggests reading the list out loud to yourself once you finish, so I did. She recommends saving the list and pulling it out to read when you feel deeply stuck in negativity.

I felt a slight shift in my energy after I finished the exercise. I felt lighter, more optimistic. “It won’t fix everything,” Mevlana writes, “but it’ll shift your brain just enough to remember that not everything is broken.”

I’d love to hear from you if you’ve tried this exercise, and how you did with it.

Sunday Quotes will return next week.

Image Depositphotos

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