Recently I have been practicing the art of gratitude. It’s a bit of a story of how I got into it, but none the less I have found it very helpful + impactful on my life. I was a bit apprehensive when I came across this form of self-care, but I’ve learned to love it!
In our world of always wanting more (see a post on IG I recently did about this), it helps me reflect and be grateful for what I have.
So, how does one practice gratitude? Sometimes I do this on Monday morning and simply write down what I am grateful for. Other times it is as simple as catching negative thoughts as they come to my mind. I do this throughout the day when I am being pessimistic or making something out of nothing. See some examples below:
Thought: I want to travel every inch of the world
Gratitude: I am so lucky to have seen many different countries and continents in my short 26 years of life
Thought: I really want to buy a bunch of things on Zara right now but know I do not need anything
Gratitude: How lucky am I to have a closet full of perfectly good clothes. I know not everyone has this.
Thought: I am so exhausted and the last thing I want to do is cook dinner tonight
Gratitude: What a gift it is to be able to have someone to cook dinner for, and someone who appreciates and loves anything I make him.
Thought: (Car maintenance light goes off) I am so sick of taking my car in and spending money on my car
Gratitude: Having a car is a huge privilege in life. I am thankful I have never had to utilize public transportation or walk long distances to get where I need to go.
The entire point of this practice is to embrace your life as a whole. To stop focusing on today, tomorrow, etc. and just because life might not be exactly what you want it to be right now, do not allow your mindset to go one way or the other.
Life has many seasons and they will not all be blooming with abundance. Embrace the times when the grass needs a little extra watering and tender love and care. Every Spring brings flowers, some more than others, but you are yet to see the days where the most flowers exist.
