Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash
It is so easy today to compare ourselves to others. It seems all the things we think we want or need to be happy are displayed right in front of our faces. We see them daily on others highlight reels, social media accounts and so called reality TV. We find ourselves wishing and wanting in an endless loop, while time is just flying on by. We need to slow things down and take a look at what really matters. Take time to feel grateful for all we do have right here and now.
I am such a firm believer that gratitude can shift our perspective on anything. Shifting our thoughts to all of the amazing things in our world, can squeeze out all the negativity and truly change your life. When we start to open our hearts and feel grateful daily it creates room for magical things to happen. I would love to share some simple tips that I use to get started on a gratitude practice.
Start a gratitude journal. Keep a journal or piece of paper by your bed and before you go to bed or in the morning before you get out of bed, write down 5 things you are grateful for. Stay in the moment and keep it simple. I often find myself feeling grateful for my warm bed or a warm cup of coffee. Don’t force it and it will flow. Take note of how this shifts your energy in the moment. Keep this up and it will feel more natural every time you do it. You will start to see all the small things begin to add up to one large shift in perspective.
Create a gratitude prayer or mantra. No need to have a specific spiritual practice to pray. Create something that resonates with you. You can pray to god, the universe or whatever feels right. One of my favorite mantras is my life is filled with blessings and I am grateful this always brings me back to reality. I love to incorporate many versions of this into my meditation practice. Starting your day this way just sets you up to see everything through a different lens.
Make a gratitude board. This is one of my favorite projects I like to do several times a year. I have a large chalkboard in my kitchen I change as often as I feel inspired. I use it to write down daily something I am grateful for. It starts out with just a couple words and grows as the days go by. My husband and boys add to it (with a gentle nudge) and draw pictures with colored chalk. It puts everything in perspective. It is right where everyone can see it daily and it gets my kids thinking about their world differently.
Practicing gratitude comes with unlimited benefits. There are many scientific studies that show gratitude can make you feel more positive emotions. It can make you feel more alive and even boost your immune system. Test this out for yourself and I promise you will feel the shift. Your new outlook will even be contagious.
With a grateful heart,
Cali J. Freyn
Holistic Health and Wellness Coach
コメント