I try to practice gratitude at all times. Now, before you start thinking that my world is all rainbows and unicorns, it’s not. It hasn’t been. It’s been hard. It’s called PRACTICE for a reason. And it’s taken me a while to “get” it – to get what gratitude really is and how it helps me to live my best life.
Gratitude starts with mindset, and mindset is everything. I’ve been through some really rough times and what I’ve learned is that your mindset can absolutely change your reality. And yes, we really do have power over what we perceive our reality to be.
Gratitude is more than being thankful for the good things. It’s being thankful for the things that might not seem so good too. Like, I owe my divorce lawyer a lot of money… instead of being bitter about that, I am thankful that I found such a great lawyer that negotiated a deal that was fair for me.
Taxes. We all hate taxes. But instead of complaining about the government taking our hard-earned money, let’s shift our thinking. I am grateful for the taxes I pay because it means that I have a job. And okay, so some of those taxes are mismanaged and wasted, some of it is going toward very useful programs and I’m thankful for that.
And the easy stuff – it’s about waking up and being thankful for the one laying beside you. For snuggles, puppy kisses and hot chocolate with marshmallows. For snow days and the very body that exists so we can experience this beautiful life.
Looking at the world through a lens of gratitude can absolutely change your life. Practice it and your perception of reality will shift and you will experience nothing more amazing.
So this Thanksgiving, when you’re sitting around the table with friends and loved ones (and maybe some that aren’t so loved ? ), make a point to be thankful for even some of the things that are challenging for you to be thankful for. Turn the day into a great reminder of how lucky you are.
Before I go eat my turkey dinner, I’m going to post a photo of an exercise I did many years ago. This is a little collage I made in one of my journals of things that I was grateful for. I cut out pictures and decoupaged them onto the pages of a spiral-bound mixed-media notebook. I’m going to do this again this week since my life and perspective has changed so much since then! You should do it too.
Post pictures on our Facebook page! I’ll post mine next week.
Share what you’re thankful for in the comments!
Happy Thanksgiving! ???
