“Why on EARTH does she keep harping on with this gratitude challenge??? Isn’t this getting kind of old?…”
It’s entirely possible that you’ve thought this to yourself when flipping through my Instagram Stories.
Let’s take a step back. Remember the Gratitude Challenge I started back in March at the onset of staying in place due to the pandemic?
Well, I’ve kept it up. Every single day, on my Instagram Stories (it also shows up on Facebook Stories).
There are some regulars who participate in the challenge. And there are plenty of folks who just tap on through without pausing.
No judgement from me. You do what you need to do to care for yourself.
I’ll just keep plugging away over here, noticing the things I have to be grateful for every day. And encouraging others to do the same.
So why AM I harping on about gratitude every day?
We’ve previously discussed all the benefits of gratitude.
But that was in more “normal” times. Gratitude mattered a lot then.
And now more than ever does our mindset matter.
As we remain at home, without the same going-out options we have previously built our experiences around, we are now faced with the reality that WE CREATE OUR OWN EXPERIENCE.
Creating our own experience
Don’t get me wrong, you’ve heard me say a gazillion times that we can’t always control what happens to us (the pandemic being an obvious case in point).
You’ve also heard me say a gazillion times that we absolutely CAN choose how we respond.
How we RESPOND TO any situation – positive or challenging – is what dictates what kind of EXPERIENCE we have.
Doesn’t mean we can just plaster on a smile and feel great. I lived through years of abuse and negligence. It didn’t feel great at all.
But I was always sooooo f*ing determined that I was going to be happy. That I would create a life for myself in which I was happy.
How did that affect my experience?
My response of determination, courage and resilience meant that no matter how dark the days became, I found a way to push through.
Not only that, but I also kept finding opportunities to increasingly heal, shed the oppression that had been forced on me from infancy, and step into my healed power.
And that required determination, courage and resilience.
See where I’m going with this? The response you practice and build up strength in over time is what determines the kind of outcome you can have.
Malumir R Logan, Acorn + Burdock
It does take time, in some ways. I didn’t heal all the trauma overnight. And I certainly didn’t become powerful, happy and confident overnight either.
But I like instant gratification
Sure being determined, courageous and resilient through a long, dark night is ideal. But that takes time and we all want to feel better right now.
Which we can do! Through gratitude.
Gratitude provides instant gratification AND sets us up for success by supporting resilience.
It also costs you next to nothing to practice gratitude, either. All it takes is a moment to notice something that you appreciate today.
That’s all.
And then you do the same thing tomorrow. Just make it a different thing for which you’re grateful.
Then do the same the day after that. And keep going. Even if it feels like a hard day. Find that one thing for which you hold gratitude on that day.
That’s it.
For all the long-term benefits you gain from this practice, this tiny act of daily gratitude will:
- Bring you mentally into a more resourceful, positive place
- Raise your vibration spiritually so your energy stays healthy
- Help your brain learn to look for the opportunities in any circumstance
- Build your resilience over time
Try it out. Experiment a little with some daily gratitude and let me know how it goes.
You can also amplify your resilience with a deeper dive using this workbook I created (Resilient AF: Finding Your Feet, $19). It’s basically like coaching with me, but on your own time.
So THAT is why I’ve been harping on about gratitude. Sounds worthwhile, right?
Blessings and empowerment to you.