This morning was tough for me. I did not want to get out of bed as the night before there had been a massive storm and it kept waking me up. Not only did it wake me up, it worried one of my dogs who needed some reassurance from mummy that all was well.
Add to that, I was dreaming about a program I am developing and each time I woke up, thoughts of this crashed into my brain.
I awoke later than normal wondering just what I could be grateful for…
First of all, my dogs for encouraging me to get up and greet the day – it was beautiful this morning and the earth certainly needed that rain. Then that I had delicious food for breakfast. And as my website had been hacked on the weekend that it was still up after I had sorted it out.
No matter what life throws at you there is so much to be grateful for, even if you do what a PJ day.
What do you think when you see the word gratitude?
Is it another one of those nice to have trendy things that spiritual people bang on about.
‘Oh darling you must simply practice gratitude, when you do, wonderful things happen like new Jimmy Choo’s come your way.’
I used to think that way. Here we go another thing to add to my journaling practice.
At that time I was healing demons and I wanted to expunge the five-headed monster from my brain. I was on fire with the purge and it felt good.
And then one day, as you do, I didn’t want to do that any more. I’d played fantasy revenge and killed the ex-husband in so many ways it had become boring.
I needed something uplifting.
So I began…
- I am grateful for the dogs
- I am grateful for my mum
- I am grateful I own my house and I am mortgage free
- I am grateful there was on banana left
- I am grateful that I remembered to put fuel in the car
I was soon bored. I was grateful for these things, of course I was, but ya know, there was no substance to it.
I was a functioning gratitude journaler. I wanted more.
One day I wondered, why was I grateful for the things I had and were bestowed on me, how did that make me FEEL and what did I learn from it.
I’m also a big learning freak, I want to know why. I do also go with the flow, but I like to explore and go on adventures with my understanding of my inner freak.
Instead of writing just the mundane, which I still do, because these things bring me joy and inner peace, I also look for the magnificent and everything along that spectrum.
Today I write between three and nine things, as I write I feel into them and write about the why. When I have done this I think about one thing I learned about me that day.
And there is always something to learn.
Just last week I learned I am rubbish at receiving. My mum said I was an independent little miss and a nightmare to give to. That hit me quite hard as I had thought as a giver, I was awesome at being open to receiving.
Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency, and you will attract much better things.– Rhonda Byrne
Turns out I have been fooling myself for years.
Along with my gratitude journaling and lesson learned I looked at my affirmation practice and decided to change that.
Now, quite frankly I am a smug little gratitude, lesson learned and affirmation freak – and I like it.
It has meaning and I feel so much joy when I have scribbled with meaning.
So what is this gratitude thing?
Gratitude is our way of saying thank you for something we value, for blessings, miracles and unexpected gifts. It’s a feeling that emanates from the heart and therefore from a place of love.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie
Every culture in the world has a word for thank you. It is often a word that we take for granted. Consider when you go for a meal, and the waiter or waitress places your food in front of you, I assume you would automatically say thank you. Just as you would if someone held a door open. What about when you receive a gift?
Do you send thank-you notes? Do you remember as a kid having to write endless notes to people to say thank you for your gifts? But in your frenzy to open them you didn’t notice who they were from. Yeah me too…
Gratitude is a feeling that comes from the heart and reaches all parts of your body. Of course, it is also a choice, you can choose to be grateful for what you have, or you can take it for granted and assume you will always have it.
What do you notice about the way your life changes when you express gratitude for what you have? What do you notice about others?
It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up. Eckhart Tolle
Gratitude creates learning and change. When you start to see life through a new lens, you can choose to change how you do things. I also think that the changes creep over and into you gradually so that you may barely notice. You just are a better person for it.
Gratitude creates connections – within and with everything around you. It strengthens the bond you have with your mind, body, spirit and soul and with others that you meet. It creates a powerful energetic resonance.
Can you even tell if someone practices gratitude? I think what I notice about others is that they seem to be humble, kind, generous, content and have an air of inner peace. Gratitude is something you feel, as we said a feeling that comes from the heart and bathed in love. And it is also an attitude – a way of being where you do not take things for granted, and it shows up in the way that you are.
People who practice gratitude are often generous and the kind of people who do things like random acts of kindness without any expectation of getting something back.
Gratitude and your chakras
Practising gratitude can raise your vibration, help to open and balance your chakras as a result. A gratitude practice can attract more abundance, happiness, health, peace, love, meaningful relationships, and other positive attributes into your life.
Start your journaling practice today
It’s not that hard. Grab a journal and write.
Set your intentions, and every day write at least three things that you are grateful for.
Consider the source of your gratitude and consider why you feel the appreciation that you do.
For example – You may be grateful for what it does to support you, without fully appreciating that from the tiniest cell that every tissue, organ and system is finely calibrated to keep you moving.
Find inner peace with your gratitude journal
- Start the month by focusing on what you want to create
- Every day start with an affirmation
- Consider three things that you are grateful for
- And one thing that you want to bring into being
- At the end of every week and the month reflect and consider how you want to move forward being your best self
Give it a try, see the results! Improve your health and well-being and discover a healthier and happier you!
Are you ready to adventure with yourself? Join me in The Journaling Club, where each month, you will get to explore different aspects of yourself. You’ll get to know yourself better and know what you want.