I am grateful for the ink refills for my favorite pens. Every time I open one up, slide it into the emptied pen, and peel off the tiny bit of rubber at the tip, I know I have pages and pages worth of smooth-flowing ink ahead. Those first words I write seem extra vivid and pronounced.
I’d never share this particular gratitude at a Thanksgiving table. I’d lead with the big ones: family, health, friends, nature—I’d be boorish not to.
But this small, personal expression of thankfulness tells you a few things about me. For example, you might suspect that I like to write by hand and hate throwing away treasured pens.
The science tells us that gratitude is a powerful emotion. Focusing regularly on gratitude can apparently do everything from improving our sleep to lowering blood pressure. Okay, that’s great, but this month’s experiment tries to answer this question:
What can gratitude do for our writing?
Let’s find out, shall we?
The experiment: Write small daily gratitudes
Here’s the prompt: Name a few small things that you are grateful for that no one else would have on their list.
You might do this in your morning pages, Post-It notes, a gratitude journal, or anywhere else you’d like. Search beyond the obvious, big things like health and family — although by all means, write those down as well — and mine your experience for personal details and preferences.
Look for the cross-section of gratitude and idiosyncrasy. What are you grateful for that other people might overlook altogether, or not experience?
There’s no “right” answer, of course. You can be grateful for objects, experiences, fleeting interactions with other people, or a visiting bird in the garden. Here’s a list of categories to browse to prime the pump.
- An animal
- A recent social interaction
- An object within reach at this moment
- Part of your body
- A plan
- A time of day
- Something a family member does
- A colleague from the past
- A color
- A book or poem
- A sound
For fiction writers: Doing this exercise on behalf of your characters might reveal small, telling details that bring them to life for the reader.
Here’s why it’s worth trying
This experiment tunes your observation—both internal and external. You might be more alert to possibilities of joy and satisfaction in your daily experience. This writing may spark a new insight into a character (fictional or yourself).
For bonus points, try shaping the words and expression of your gratitude as if you were going to share it in a greeting card.
If nothing else, you’ll get all of those vaunted health benefits.
Related Content
For a summary on the science of gratitude, read Gratitude Enhances Health, Brings Happiness, and May Even Lengthen Lives on the Harvard Medical School blog.
