100 Thank Yous

Berakhot is a Hebrew word meaning "blessings," and in Judaism, one is encouraged to say at least 100 berakhot a day.

I've been experimenting with my own version of this practice by thinking of it as a goal to pause for 100 moments of gratitude a day.

I did a little math to get my brain around it. If I am awake from 7am-10pm that is 15 hours. 15 hours is 900 minutes. So, that is a “thank-you” every 9 minutes. 

Can you imagine pausing for a moment of gratitude every 9 minutes throughout your day?

What do you think the impact would be for you, your attitude, and the people around you?

It's a pretty amazing thing to try. I haven't made it to 100 in one day yet, but just the intention of getting there is already making a positive impact on my life. I've noticed my sense of gratitude is off the charts, and I'm noting things to be grateful for that I had been taking for granted or missed noticing entirely.

We all know we should be more grateful, and we've probably all tried a gratitude journal or notes in our phone, but this practice has been a powerful way to really tap into large scale gratitude that can lead to true transformation in our lives.

In Kabbalah, the mystical branch of Judaism, it is believed that each time you offer a berakhot, you strengthen your connection to God. Each blessing or moment of gratitude becomes a way of restoring awareness of the divine presence in the world. It is taught as a way of creating heaven on earth for ourselves and others.

100 pauses during your day to honor life and reset our perspective, what profound change might that bring to us? 

As I was in New York last week, I was trying to be very intentional about this practice. (I'll admit, it's easier on vacation, but the real test is to see if I can keep it going as I return to daily work this week.) Walking through the city, I noticed I was smiling from a place of pure happiness. Then I noticed people smiling back at me. And then that became a berakhot of its own. And over the days of playing with this idea, I’ve noticed my gratitude flowing more easily. I’m grateful for so many small things that I was not paying attention to before. It was a beautiful, positive spiral during the week and I felt more alive and more connected to the world around me than I have in a long time. 

Just look around you right now and start with: “thank you for….”

Now you are off and running toward your 100 today!  

Make this practice your own. If 100 feels like too much, pick your own number but aim high, because a ridiculously ambitious number is part of what unlocks the transformative power of this practice.

It isn't about checking a box every 9 minutes. It's about remembering that there is beauty all around us, there can be moments of gratitude even in our suffering, and that we are constantly connected to something bigger than ourselves. 

I’m so grateful for you,