Gratitude

In my first real blog post I want to talk about gratitude. I know it’s not thanksgiving, but surprisingly, you can and should give thanks on all days of the year. Although, thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because FOOD.

Anyway, there are so many different directions I can go with this but I have decided I want to focus on the daily practice of being thankful, using gratitude to remain positive and the power of expressing gratitude to others. 

*Watching the sunrise and sunset are my favorite times to reflect on what I am thankful for.*

The daily practice of being thankful

The habit of being thankful has significantly improved my quality of life and mental health. Every morning and every night I allow myself the time and space to think about , write about or even speak aloud all that I am grateful for. My purpose of sharing this is to encourage you to do the same. Sometimes I am very general (home, food, job, school, health, family, friends, etc....) and other times I get very specific (a particular person, a beautiful day, a smile exchanged, a laugh shared, something kind someone did for me, something I have to look forward to, etc....). Sometimes my list is long and other times I focus on a few things. There is no right way. I think it is just important that you do it and figure out what works best for you. I find myself doing this at points throughout the day as well. It very much centers and grounds me. It doesn’t always have to be a big thing, it can be a few seconds in your head (you talk to yourself all day, why not take a few seconds to give thanks), but it makes all the difference, especially over time. Writing things down or speaking them into existence is also very powerful. Get a nice journal, get excited. Speak aloud what you are grateful for like daily affirmations. I know it may sound so basic, or corny, but I promise you when you fully commit yourself and allow it to become a habit, it can be life changing. Being grateful allows you to appreciate the little things that much more, to appreciate others, to love your life, to be happy, to want to make others happy. 

Gratitude and Positivity

There is nothing better than being a positive person or knowing a positive person. You feel like light or you feel the warmth of others light. Being positive is difficult. Life can be hard. People can be evil. Positivity, I believe, can also become a habit. The more you look on the bright side of things, focus on the good, reframe the bad, the more it will become something you do consistently because it feels good and it makes others feel good. Being positive doesn’t have to be obnoxious. Being positive doesn’t mean you can never be down or never complain. You are human. Life happens. Feelings should never be ignored. BUT, thinking positive is one way to uplift yourself. Never get sucked into the negativity of others. In fact, try to stay away from people who are negative all the time. Negativity is toxic. You will feel the difference when you remove these people from your life. Positivity and gratitude are connected because looking on the bright side of things can very much be reminding yourself what you are grateful for. A bad day at work can turn into, I am so blessed to have a job and coworkers who make it better. Being upset with a friend or family member can turn into, I am so lucky to have this person in my life and I don't want to stay upset. You get the point. Gratitude is a form of positivity and a way to help you remain positive. When you are positive, bad days turn into good days, or at least better days. I could go on about positivity but maybe in another post. 

Expressing gratitude to others

Making others happy, makes me happy. One way to lift others is to let them know how much you appreciate them. Get specific about what you are grateful for about them. Send a text. Give them a call. Write them a card. Give them a small gift...or just tell them. I promise you it will bring a smile to their face, which will only bring a smile to yours as well. Let the people in your life know you appreciate them. Don't keep it to yourself. Life is short. I know it feels amazing when others tell me that they appreciate me. A few kind words go such a long way. My family drives me crazy, in fact, they are crazy. I joke about having no friends, but I have plenty. These people are so important to me. I hope they all know how grateful I am for each and every one of them. 

*btw: I LOVE quotes*

Writing this post has made me think of  so many other things I would like to share. There will definitely be more "be your best self" posts:)