OH MY GOSH! We did it! Can you believe it – 50 podcast episodes. Of course, being my 50th episode, we gotta talk about GRATITUDE! Because I couldn’t do this without you! I am so grateful you are part of my tribe, and thank you for sharing this podcast and listening. I’m grateful to be part of your life each week and I really hope I make a small difference in your life and brighten your week. Thank you for letting me in your world.

Ok let’s talk gratitude, because being grateful feels so good! It means things are good in your life. Being grateful probably isn’t going to happen every single moment, every single day. Let’s be honest – you’re human. You’re going to be disappointed, feel pain, be angry, become jealous, feel down – these are normal human emotions.

 So how do you experience more gratitude?

I don’t believe in positivity Band-Aids. Positive affirmations are great, you know “Have an attitude of gratitude,” but they only go so far.

We’ve all been down in the dumps, and just saying affirmations without believing them doesn’t work. You can’t put a positivity Band-Aid on your feelings without first diving through the wound.

Instead of an affirmation, you can shift your energy when you are stuck in a negative place by focusing on being in the moment and what you are grateful for right now.

Resentment and Gratitude Cannot Co-Exist.

When I’m grateful I am not thinking about all of the things in my life that aren’t working. When I’m in resentment, there’s no way I am thinking positivity and abundance. They don’t go together. It’s your choice which one you are tuned into.

What is resentment? Resentment can be something big like being angry, holding a grudge or being really upset or having something really bad happen. It could also be something small like wishing for something different, being bored, or disappointed when things don’t work out as you planned or wished for, or just feeling blah.

Whether you’re in a dark hole or just experiencing a lull, I find I am most out of alignment with gratitude when I am somewhere other than the present moment.

Unless you’re the Dalai Lama, you’re probably not present all the time. Being mindful is a constant practice. When I’m in resentment, I’m usually turning over a drama from the past. The more you can stay engaged in life, in the present moment, here and now, the more you will notice the big and small things you are grateful for.  To me, this is how I return to gratitude.

Instead of saying an affirmation over and over, I try to be present and engage in life to witness all that is good around me. The more I am aware and notice, the more things I see and experience that I am grateful for.

Here are some ways I return to gratitude:

 

• Create a Gratitude journal and write in it as much as possible – at least once a week. Then each month, have some “ME” time and review. Write down everything – even that it was a sunny day and you saw butterflies or I listened to this podcast.
• Share 3 things you are grateful for that happened that day. Remember the small things, even like “I’m grateful for going to bed,”or “I’m grateful this awful day is over.”
• Write down 1 challenge you’re grateful for and what you learned. No one likes to go through challenges or deal with problems, but through discomfort and uncertainty you stretch yourself and learn that you are more resilient than you thought. In that moment, it’s not so fun, but I love looking back at these to see how strong I was. It’s a reminder that we can get through whatever we are currently dealing with.
• Keep a Gratitude jar filled with experiences or people you are grateful for, a feeling and inspirational quotes. You can pull from this each day or when you’re feeling down to lift you up.
• I keep all of my emails in a gratitude email folder, literally titled “I matter,” so when I am in a negative place wondering if anything I do matters, I can go back to this folder and read how I have made an impact and connected with you and our community. It seriously helps me shift my attitude! So, keep it coming. I love hearing from you!

I hope sharing these rituals and ways I keep gratitude present in my life helps you start a gratitude practice. It’s not about positivity Band-Aids and affirmations, but truly being present to what is good in your life now that keeps gratitude at the forefront of your mind. When you notice them more, then you will receive more to be grateful for.

I am grateful for you for listening to this podcast and enriching my life. I could not do this without you.

What ways and rituals do you bring gratitude in your life? Please share with me on instagram and here on my blog so anytime you get off centered, you can come back to this sweet list for inspiration!