Arts & Healing Arts for Military Veterans By Amber Robinson
The Art of Gratitude In a recent therapy appointment, I asked my therapist what I should write about for the December edition of San Diego Veterans Magazine. Without skipping a beat, she said,”Gratitude.” I let her know that my column was about the healing arts. The topic of gratitude didn’t really fit into the parameters of what I usually write about. But, as I thought about it, I realized that cultivating gratitude was an art within itself. Just like any art, from painting to writing to dancing, it takes a daily practice to become skilled at it. Just like art, gratitude encourages us to become more mindful in how we view and interact with the world. Just like art, it becomes a vehicle for us to use in fostering deeper connections with our fellow human beings. Gratitude encourages us to be vulnerable and open-minded in how we express ourselves. Art also encourages us to open ourselves up to explore our feelings and seek means to express and accept them. Scientifically, gratitude has been proven to improve many aspects of our daily existence. According to “Psychology Today” magazine, exercising gratitude daily can improve mental health, physical health and strengthen or create new friendships. It can also improve self-esteem, sleep and help propel us toward our goals. The first step in creating gratitude is to slow down long enough to look around and become aware of how you feel in the moment. Most Americans are caught up in the routine of their fast-paced lives to slow down long enough to feel thankful. Gratitude encourages us to be in the present moment, but most of us are a few steps ahead of ourselves in our head, and if we aren’t doing that, we are numbing our minds by constantly checking on social media or watching endless hours of Netflix. We are rarely present in the moment. Once we are able to become more fully aware in the present, we are able to really look around at our situation, the people around us and what they bring into our lives.
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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / DECEMBER 2019
The colors of gratitude The colors of gratitude