Hello my lovelies. Today I want to touch up on a topic that is very, VERY, important to me, as is to many other people. Gratitude. A word we know well, something we hear a little, a practice some of us forget. Gratitude is key to living a truly beautiful & positive life. Why? Well, I’ll go into that shortly.
Whilst growing up, I subconsciously had small levels of gratitude within me. I’d be grateful for my awesome parents (not so much during those awful teenage years). I’d also appreciate small things like dinners, toys etc. But I never practiced it consciously. It was just little thoughts of gratitude that felt “built in”. Fast forward a few years, we’re talking a hell of a different kind of gratitude. I still of course have those little gratitude thoughts, but now they’re much more conscious and emotional. So let me explain…
Benefits of gratitude
Being grateful is a powerful tool, to living a life full of happiness, success and abundance. Seriously. I know it sounds so… simple? But that’s all it is. It’s learning to appreciate ANYTHING we have in our lives. The more you start to be grateful for things in your life, the more the feeling of overwhelming happiness comes over you. I’m at the point that when I truly concentrate of my gratitude’s, my heart can’t contain my joy, and I cry. Tears of happiness of course! Once you’re grateful for at least one thing, the list steadily grows. Trust me. Your life becomes “sunnier”, and you start to see the little things in life, that before you’ve never noticed. You attract more things to be grateful for, therefore your life’s happiness and success grows. So what I’m saying is, the more grateful you are, the more gratitude like things enter your life. I mean… who doesn’t want that?
Find that one thing
It’s key to find at least one thing your grateful for in your life. I’m sure you can find one thing. No matter how big or small it is. Whether your grateful for your comfortable bed, good clothes, health or being alive, gratitude is gratitude. It doesn’t judge. If you struggle to find anything to be grateful for, look at someone else in your life that you are grateful for, or grateful for what they achieved. Being grateful for others is beautiful.
Have you ever thought, hell I’m so lucky to live here? Or, wow I’m so grateful to have a job everyday. Anything.
How to start
There’s no set rules. Not for me anyway. I don’t like sticking to certain “regimes” but I do like trying different practices. I first started gratitude by simply thinking of little things I was grateful for that day. A few. Not even everyday, but when I “remembered”. This pushed me to explore more of the practice, after I discovered how I felt after being grateful. So I decided to add to my meditation. During or after I’d say out loud my gratitude’s. That was powerful.
Later, and until this day, I practice gratitude via journaling. I write down around 7-10 gratitude’s a day (I do miss days, I’m not miss perfect). The way I started was writing them everyday in the morning, because for some, it sets the intention for the day, however this didn’t work for me. I was just too busy in the morning, and found I rushed my list. I wanted to focus on it, so I started writing them in the evenings, and I find I’m more deeply conscious in the evenings, and relaxed. See, I make myself a delicious cup of green or mint tea, light some candles and get on with my fabulous list. I often do this right after meditating.
Don’t get me wrong, I do miss days, but I always told myself that I wouldn’t feel guilty, as long as I knew I can still go to my journal whenever.
It’s like a little ray of light opens up in your heart after such a practice.
Go be grateful
I strongly encourage you to start your own gratitude practice. It doesn’t have to be the same as mine, but if it works for you that’s awesome! Start with what feels okay for you. Whether it’s just thinking them, or shouting them. You can also get yourself a rock (yes any rock literally) and grab it before you head off to sleep, and think or whisper 5 things you’re grateful for today. Simple and fairly quick. Make this your gratitude rock. Or your appreciation rock. Name it what you will, just appreciate the beautiful opportunity that you were given…LIFE.
Journal is from Emma Mumford, you can purchase it here.
I’d love to know your opinions or practices if you already have any, in the comments below.
Love, Give, Appreciate
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