Let me ask you this… “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” That is one of my favourite quotes from Mary Oliver. I have a slightly different version of this question that I ask myself every morning – “Who is the woman you want to be?”.
When we ask ourselves the right questions, the big questions, we are so much more comfortable and confident setting our priorities, our goals, and set our plans and roadmaps in motion. Now is the PERFECT time to get started on your beautiful future life – or build more of what you have now) (whether it’s the beginning of a new year, a Monday morning or a random Wednesday just before dinner – it’s always the perfect time).
And we are also much more in tune with our wishes and desires.
But perhaps the difference with questions no 1 and no 2 is the thought of gratitude. When you truly take on board the idea that life is so precious (and it’s perfectly ok to be wild, fun and happy too) then gratitude surely must follow, right?
What’s Great About Gratitude?
Gratitude is my absolutely favourite thing on the planet. Well, maybe not on the whole planet but it’s an amazing hack to feeling better, more positive, and more at peace right now.
Truly.
It’s a sunshine emotion that helps to dispel darker emotions like jealousy, anxiety, fear etc. it’s like little rays of sunshine that break them up and makes the world a more beautiful place. But it can also bring you more of what you want in life and help you to achieve success.
Why is That?
Quite frankly, whatever you feel grateful for, and openly practice gratitude for, the MORE of it you have in your life.
Gratitude and The Law of Attraction
The more you find something to appreciate, the better it feels; the better it feels, the more you want to do it or have more of it. Then the more you do it, the better it feels; the better it feels . . . the more you want to do it and so on…The Law of Attraction assists with the powerful momentum of these positive thoughts and feelings until, in seemingly a short time, you will find your heart expands with joy, and you feel more aligned with your authentic self. When you send these out into the universe (not to get too woo-woo about this) you attract more and more of it into your life.
How Do I Practice Gratitude?
My fave way is to journal – in a very specific and intentional way. Every evening before bed (turn off the tv, switch off from social media, etc.) and open your journal. Write three to five things that you appreciate most.
This can include people, things, situations, encounters and so on, on any topic. They can be subtle, major, serious or fun. Really feel the appreciation flow through you and notice as your energetic vibration is raised.
Mediation Before Journaling
You may find that it’s helpful to do a short meditation before writing. I have a lot of guided meditations that I can lead you through in my Feed Your Fairy Membership – my favourite one before journaling, or creating your vision board, is my grounding mediation, it makes me feel so peaceful and open. But anything that brings calmness to body and mind is great.
Is That It?
Not really, but it’s an amazing start. I also tell people how grateful I am for them and what they do (hey, law of attraction aside, if you give wonderful feedback and say thank you, people are likely to do more of what you are thanking them for – that bit isn’t rocket science, right?).
I also tell people that I love that I love them and are grateful for them. All the time. It’s so important. Well people feel secure, appreciated and special, they are better in themselves. They are the best versions of themselves. If you love them, why wouldn’t you want them to be the best ‘them’ that they can be?
You can also just take a moment, even if it’s just so brief, to be more mindful and appreciate the little things when they arise in the day – a beautiful sunset, a fab parking space, the sound of laughter, etc. because it keeps the sunshine in your heart for longer.
Gratitude and Other Benefits
The Greater Good Science Center offers a plethora of information on this subject. In a white paper titled, “The Science of Gratitude” (2018), they outline several benefits to gratitude practice:
- increased happiness and positive mood
- more satisfaction with life
- less materialistic
- less likely to experience burnout
- better physical health
- better sleep
- less fatigue
- lower levels of cellular inflammation
- greater resiliency
- encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
So, my darling girl, try to cultivate gratitude in your life whenever you can. You never know how far the impacts of a little gratitude can reach.
Would you like more?
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Photo by Pedro da Silva on Unsplash