Timestamp Gratitude
/I have a quirky gratitude practice that I’ve never shared with anyone, so why not share it with thousands today?!?
This may seem strange at first, but in a world where we are feeling more and more lonely and isolated, practices like this help me feel more connected to something beyond words so I want to offer it to you too.
Here is the summary of it: when I notice the time on the clock is the birthdate of someone I love, I pause for a quick moment of gratitude for them.
Bring to mind the birthdate of someone you love. Their birth month is represented in the hour and their birth day is represented in the minutes. And the cool thing is there are 12 months and 12 hours! With enough minutes to cover all 31 days, this works for every birthdate ever.
You can start playing with this practice by using your own birthday. When you notice it, celebrate that you are alive, thank your guardian angel who is always with you, make a wish, or say something kind to yourself. It’s as easy as that. I was born September 18th, so when I see 9:18 I pause to remember I have angels and lots of loving humans around me to help me get through life.
My timestamp gratitude list includes both living people and deceased people. This practice helps me remember their presence with me. If I’m in my car by myself, I will say thank you out loud when I notice the time. If I’m in the middle of something, but happen to check the time and it’s a match, it feels like a quick hug from the above.
Here are some examples of times I am noticing right now:
I send gratitude and love silently to my kids when I see 8:11 and 5:22 on the clock.
I pause for a moment of gratitude for my husband when I notice 10:03.
My mother and my mother-in-law were both born on September 23, so when I see 9:23 I beam grateful love to my mom and thank my mother-in-law for raising a great son.
I send gratitude and love to my dad when I notice 5:13.
And recently, I started asking a grandparent for a dose of wisdom or guidance when I see their birthdays as 12:16, 1:14, 6:05, or 6:25.
Of course, I don’t notice all of these times every day. But when I do happen to notice and see a match, I feel a quick blip of connection to them. Time obviously passes to the next minute quickly, but even just a few seconds of gratitude and thinking of someone I love can lift my spirit.
This is a fun way to practice gratitude, connect with those we love, and it makes checking the time more of a treasure hunt.
I’ve noticed that this quirky practice has helped me feel less alone in the world and it is uncanny how the noticing occurs when I need a boost the most. We are less alone than we think we are.
What quirky things like this bring a little more meaning to your life?
These serendipitous moments can help us all get a lift in the heaviness of being human right now.
Happy noticing,
