Episode 36: Gratitude 2.0

Hello my friends, welcome to episode 36.

Back in episode 3, I talked about gratitude and the effects of a gratitude practice. For some months I have been very consistent in my gratitude practice (writing 5 things every day) and in other months I have found that I have struggled to feel gratitude and to really feel good about the things I was writing. Or even just struggling to write things at all.

It has made me wonder what is the difference.

When does gratitude make a difference and when does gratitude become yet another chore?

One thing I have noted is that gratitude does help me to slow down.

To take control of my brain and really find things to be grateful for.

When things are tough or busy or just feeling out of control this little bit of brain management can be very powerful.

The next thing I have played around with when it has become a chore is timing.

Every day vs spontaneous.

Sometimes I need a little more spontaneous.

One neat app that I just learned about is called 1 second every day. It’s a calendar app where you can take a 1-second video every day and then it puts it together into a video.

When I am feeling down about my life, all I need to do is go back and watch last month’s video. The tiny reminders of the events of every day are powerful. Tiny snapshots of our lives can bring us so much more joy.

But recently I heard about a concept around gratitude that I think could give us even more power with it.

It is the practice of being grateful for where we are now.

Being grateful we are on the farm.

Being grateful it is haying season.

Being grateful we have a job where we can work with clients.

Being grateful we are learning to navigate workplace politics.

Being grateful things are exactly the way they are now.

Being grateful for the heat.

Being grateful for the rain.

Being grateful that it isn’t perfect.

Being grateful that there is more to figure out.

I recently saw a video by Mel Robbins where she said that you will never be as young as you are right now.

I think this all ties together.

When we are so busy chasing tomorrow, we forget to enjoy today.

Or when we are so busy chasing yesterday, we totally miss today.

Eckhart Tolle says: Accept this moment as if you had chosen it.

When we can slow down our brains.

Become aware of the stories we are telling ourselves about the events that are going on in our lives.

Actually, feel those emotions.

Then acknowledge what is and then choose what we will do next.

We will make better decisions.

We will not be in a rush for things to change because we know that we will experience some negative emotions where ever we go

We will not be afraid to make changes, ask for things, allow others to choose whatever experience they choose, take risks, or face failure.

We are amazing at figuring things out.

So let’s calm down.

Let’s realize that it isn’t better there than here. It is just different.

Let’s create the futures that we want for ourselves.

Let’s believe it is possible for us.

Let’s not be in a rush to make things different.

Let’s be grateful that we are here right now.

Let’s know that the future is bright for us.

Let’s know that we belong here.

Let’s know that we have the power to influence any situation we are in. I recently saw a quote something like, we give away the most power by believing that we don’t have any.

Gratitude is a tool.

We can use it to help us remember to slow down.

We can use it to remember that life has something to offer us right now that is pretty spectacular.

We just need to be willing to acknowledge it.

How can you be grateful for where you are right now?

It will be fun.

Have a wonderful week.