The Gotta-Love-It Game

Maya Talisman Frost

We've heard all about the power of gratitude.  We know that having an "attitude of gratitude" can help us approach the world with a greater sense of spaciousness and humility.

We go about our day, grouching about this, feeling cranky about that, and dropping into bed at night completely exhausted.  We think, "I should stop complaining and appreciate the good things more." 

It's pretty easy to see the good things in our lives once we pay attention.  The tricky part is staying in full gratitude mode when the not-so-good things pop up.  

Here's a flash for your "Hmmm" file:  our best mindfulness exercise is to be grateful for the things that we complain about!   After all, we learn a lot more about ourselves from our list of pet peeves than we do from our list of stuff we love. 

Don't agree?  Compare these two lists:
Chocolate.  Pink Clouds.  Clean sheets.
Dewy mornings.
versus:
Loud cars. Flashy jewelry. Dirty silverware.
Drive-time radio.

The pet peeve list is a lot more interesting, don't you think?  There's some good digging to be done there, and a great deal we can learn.

Playing around with gratitude is a great way to grin about all that's right in the world but it's even better as a technique for finding the silver lining in our frustrations.

It doesn't have to be a down-on-your-knees sort of gratefulness.  You don't have to be moved to tears or raise your hands to the heavens.  A smirk of gratitude for those little thorns in your side can be remarkably healing and uplifting.

In fact, little blasts of appreciation for the funkiness of life can be more beneficial on a daily basis than an obligatory session of "I Shouldn't Complain."

I highly recommend a little mindfulness game I call "Gotta Love It."  It's very simple. Whenever something annoys you, ease back into a nice comfy cushion of gratitude. Think, "I gotta love that Paris Hilton - she just makes my world more entertaining."  Or "I gotta love my neighbor's midnight ukulele sessions - 

I learn so much more about myself every time I hear him."

The more far-reaching and diverse your list of "Gotta Love It" subjects, the more you will learn about your personal triggers.  And the more you learn about your personal triggers, the more mindful you will become about your reactions.

Watching how much you love the smell of roses isn't likely to give you much of a glimpse into your own way of responding to the world.  Watching how much you hate the smell of cigarette smoke is sure to be more revealing.

Play the Gotta-Love-It game with gusto.  Shake your head and chuckle at the ridiculous.  Watch yourself grin with gratitude for the very things that make you go ballistic.

You are the one giving your Gotta-Love-It subjects the power to either ruin your day or rev up your mindfulness.  You get to choose which way to go.

Those who can grin are the ones who win in this game.  Your strategy?

1) go out
2) get grouchy
3) get grateful
4) start grinning

Gotta love it.

                                                                                                                 (C) Copyright 2006 Maya Talisman Frost

Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention.  Her playful, eyes-wide-open approach to everyday mindfulness has been featured in over 150 publications worldwide.  To read her tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com