I’m so grateful for you!
As you may have heard, life has thrown some unexpected curveballs my way recently.
A few months ago, I unexpectedly lost my first pregnancy and was faced with many choices including these:
Do I decide to focus on the terrible, awful things that have happened to me?
Or do I choose to look for the good and find the silver lining, even when the going gets tough?
I received a piece of counsel shortly after my miscarriage that has been monumental in helping me heal.
“Count your blessings,” I was told.
Now, I thought I was pretty good at practicing gratitude before all this happened, but let me tell ya!
Specifically choosing to focus on the abundance in my life INSTEAD of focusing on what I have lost or what I lack has become such a source of comfort and peace to me!
I wanted to share a few gratitude practices that have been healing to my soul.
1. Keep a gratitude journal.
I had heard so many people suggest this practice, but until I tried it myself, I didn’t realize what a difference it can make!
Each night before I go to sleep, I write down three things that I am grateful for.
It is so eye opening to reflect on each day and identify the amazing blessings that I might have overlooked had I not written them down.
My husband and I have also been trying to each share one thing we’re grateful for before we sleep and that has helped me to recognize even MORE blessings!
2. Write someone a thank you note.
I love getting mail.
Doesn’t everyone?
Taking a moment to hand write a thank you note to someone who has served me or done something I want to acknowledge can be so healing!
If you can’t think of anyone to send a thank you note to off the top of your head, it might be good to think back over your life and identify a few of your champions.
The people who have believed in you and supported you.
I recently (thanks to the internet) was able to track down my 6th grade English teacher who encouraged me as a twelve year old in my writing and send her a copy of our new book.
Reconnecting with her and expressing my gratitude for her influence has brought so much joy to my life!
3. Reframe your daily life with gratitude.
Finding the good in every moment can be challenging, but also so rewarding!
I recently felt inspired to try to complain less.
Once I started paying attention to how often I was complaining, I was kind of embarrassed about how often negative things were coming out of my mouth!
When I catch myself about to say something negative or complain, I try to either stop myself from speaking at all or find something positive to say instead.
Reframing inconvenient or hard moments with gratitude can help you feel less stressed, worried, and bogged down, and instead empowered and uplifted by how much GOOD surrounds us if we choose to see it!
In what ways have you found practicing gratitude to be healing in your life?