I started (or restarted) my daily gratitude practice over a month ago. I have tried to keep a gratitude journal from time to time but I kept falling off the wagon. I was prompted by Brené Brown’s inspiring audio series, The Power of Vulnerability, to try again.
Brené says that ‘whole-hearted people’ – as she calls them – don’t just have an attitude of gratitude, but a daily practice of gratitude.
So every morning at 8am a reminder on my phone goes off and asks me, ‘What am I grateful for?’. I aim to write down three things in the notes app on my phone so I don’t have to reach for a journal and pen or get out of bed if I am having a sleep-in. I can do this practice anywhere. It’s foolproof! Well, mostly – occasionally I ignore the reminder and roll over and go back to sleep.
Looking back over the last 44 days I have missed a few days here and there, and on a couple of days I have struggled to find three things I am grateful for (sad, but true).
Reflecting on this practice, I believe that my abundance of gratitude – or lack of it – is directly related to my mindset and emotional wellbeing at the time. If I am struggling, I fail to see the beauty, gifts, goodness and blessings right in front of my nose. If I am feeling fantastic, I seem to find things to be grateful for everywhere and anywhere.
Or so I thought.
Today, I am feeling a bit deflated. TBH, I feel downright crappy about myself. I am judging myself for my lack of focus, determination, mind power and ability to stop sabotaging myself and to get this healing thing done and dusted.
This tells me that the practice of practicing daily gratitude transforms your mindset into an attitude of gratitude.
I know it’s never ‘over’, but hey can I move past the revolving door of the same issues I have been dealing with for nearly two years – I am doing the work after all – I need a break – or a breakthrough at least!
So in the midst of my crappiness, you would think that I would have struggled this morning to find anything to be grateful for, right!
Here’s my list… (and in no particular order as it’s stream of consciousness stuff)
- The song of birds
- B school freebies
- The chance for healing
- Love for my family Craig and Jord xo
- Innovation + trust – the artisan way
- Grey skies
- Grey elephants
- Living life
- Health despite my best efforts to sabotage it
- Being home
- Being home
- Being home
- Missing Jord
- Emotion
- Feeling
- Loving
- Living
- Gratitude
- God and all the spiritual connections I am making
- My mum and dad
20 things to be grateful for! What? And I could have kept going.
This tells me that the practice of practicing daily gratitude transforms your mindset into an attitude of gratitude.
Despite feeling down and struggling in the messy stuff of life, a regular practice of gratitude is helping me to see the good stuff that’s there and to be thankful for it.
When I take the time to be still and acknowledge, and give thanks, it alters my mood, my outlook, and opens me up to healing, love and abundance.
It is a truly life-changing practice and it doesn’t have to be hard – just regular.
What are you grateful for today?
RELATED RESOURCES
The Path of the Warrior Journal includes a gratitude practice as well as artworks, poems, reflections and activities for healing, inspiration and self love.
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