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I love the topic of gratitude. It truly makes me happy because I know how powerful living a life of gratitude can be.
I know this because when I started living my life with gratitude, my life truly changed! It is simple, it is free, & it will change your life IF you want it to! So, are you ready to change your life? Let’s start by taking the 7 Day Gratitude Challenge!
About 10 years ago I became a student of gratitude for many reasons. First of all, I had suffered several tremendous losses in 2006 that really left me wondering what life was truly about. I had so many questions regarding what had happened & I knew I couldn’t get any answers. My emotions were out of control & I was having a hard time seeing the good in life anymore.
You can read my full story here.
This scared me, as I was not normally this person. Usually, I was upbeat, positive & loved being around people. I loved life, laughing, & having fun with my family, however, I just couldn’t find myself any more. The only thing I could focus on is what I had lost in life. The pain was so overwhelming that it clouded how I saw everything in my life.
I knew at that moment I needed to change how I was living & I knew there had to be something to help me to do it. About the same time that I had made the decision to make the change I discovered a book about gratitude. It was a book that started the change within me, I could feel it.
When I started reading about how powerful gratitude was, I was so confused. I thought I was already so grateful for what I had in life. I was grateful for my kids, my husband, parents, brothers, family, & friends, etc. So, what were they talking about? I was grateful…but my life was going in the direction I wanted it to go in.
I knew what gratitude meant but, as I dug deeper into the meaning, I realized that even though I was ‘thankful’ for so many things ‘gratitude’ was different.
I was fascinated with the topic & really began reading everything that I could about it. During that same time I began reflecting on my life & realized that maybe I hadn’t been as grateful for things as I thought I had been!
Was I grateful for the freedom we have each & every day?
Was I grateful for my country?
The men & women whom bravely serve it everyday without fail? My son & his friends being some of them.
Was I grateful for the water that I drank every day?
Or the food that I ate?
How about the comforts of living indoors, being warm, dry, safe?
Having electricity?
Heat, hot water, warm showers.
Beds, blankets, pillows, furniture, clothes.
The smell of the flowers, the forest, my children’s clean little bodies?
My car, being able to drive my kids to & from school everyday, to the store?
What about money?
Was I grateful every time that I was able to swipe my card for groceries, gas, clothes, etc? Or did I just think that was a given…hmmm…that gave me something to really think about!
I realized that I had only been grateful for the big things in my life, that I had totally taken the little things for granted!
At this point, I knew where I had gone wrong, so I immediately started to implement changes & that is when my life started to change!
There are so many elements to be grateful for each & every day! Have you ever taken the time to think about that?
When you REALLY break it down it is so powerful! If you just took a second to think about each thing that enhances your life & makes it easier, & another second to be grateful for it, your life would change so quickly!
Because I have used gratitude to change my life, I want to share with you what how living a life of gratitude can change yours. I have said this many times, I know, but it is TRUE! Give it a try & you will see!
Let me start by sharing with how beneficial living life with gratitude can be:
1. Having gratitude shows you how much you have in life..
Like I just showed you, we have 1000’s of things to be grateful for each & every day! Literally!!! When you feel as though you don’t have what you want in your life, or that you are struggling to get ahead in life, just think of what you already have!
Take a minute to really notice it! Wherever you are right this moment, take a minute to look out the window or look around wherever you are.
What do you see? Do you see furniture? People? Desks, computers, TV’s? Do you have electricity? Is it warm? Cool? Comfortable? Do you have running water? Restrooms? Are you safe? Is it colorful? Are there pictures on the wall? How many things do you see right now that your should be grateful for?
What do you see outside? Clouds, trees, the sun, moon? Blue skies, gray skies? Birds? Cars? Buildings? Homes? Neighbors, people? Children? Animals? Ask yourself the same questions as above…do you have electricity, water, heat, restrooms, colors, etc….
Be honest!
Have you ever stopped to be thankful for all those things in your life that have made your days so comfortable? Have you really ever even thought about it in-depth?
We all have SO much to be GRATEFUL for each & every day…PLEASE do not take it all for granted!
2. Gratitude can truly enhance the beauty of your life.
When you become AWARE of every thing in your life that you have to be grateful for, it truly enhances the beauty in your life & helps you to become more present.
As I sit here writing to you all today my heart is so full from just writing about this topic, but I am looking around at my table, the colors, the table coverings, candles, flowers, & everything is so rich in color & texture.
When you really think about all of the color in life, & all of the smells, textures, the people, & every detail that you see each & every day it is overwhelmingly beautiful.
As you are reading this, are you able to feel that deep sense of gratitude creeping into your being? That shift from survival to really becoming aware of all that you have. This shift is the shift of change, when everything in your life becomes so much more beautiful.
Think about grass. How green it is, how soft it is & how it can light up a field like no other.
How about flowers, how good they smell & how colorful they are.
And the sky.
How the bright blue colors can really brighten a day.
Think about your children’s faces? Their smiles? Those little miracles are so precious, who couldn’t be grateful for them.
Then there is laughter? When someone is belly laughing at work, home, or anywhere do you want to share in the fun? Does it make you smile?
One you realize that every color, smell, face, noise, texture, person is something to be grateful for, all of a sudden they are so much more beautiful! I promise!
3. Gratitude increases your productivity.
This is amazing! When you become grateful for everything that you have, you become so much more productive!
For example: Let’s talk about cleaning the house.
We all know that cleaning our house is not the most exciting thing to do, right? BUT, if you change the way you see it, it becomes more fun, I promise! When I am cleaning my house I am so grateful for every single thing in it. I am grateful to have a house, that I am healthy & able to clean it. I am grateful for all of the comforts & beautiful things that I own. It becomes therapeutic to clean it, I enjoy it, & I get it so much done so much more quickly because I am not fighting it anymore!
If you are working somewhere that you don’t enjoy working, start finding things to be grateful for about it. Do you earn money? Does that money enhance your life? Are you safe at work? Is there electricity? Do you have co-workers that you like? Do you learning something new from work? Have you made new relationships, do you have more opportunities there? Etc.
Look for the good aspects of work because we ALL know there are many!
Be GRATEFUL for what your job provides you & how it enhances your life instead of how horrible it is! By focusing on the negative it is only becoming more negative. You are in control…so change it!
You’ll be so much more energetic & productive when you focus on all that you have to be grateful for!
4. Gratitude enhances your mood & attitude!
We have all heard, “Wake up with an attitude of gratitude.” Right? Well, there is something to that for sure! By understanding the power that gratitude has, you are unlocking the key to happiness & change!
When you are looking for all of the things that you are grateful in life you automatically feel better! You are more energetic & happy because your focus is on the POSITIVE instead of what is NEGATIVE in your life!
Even though this seems so simple, it is not. We tend to focus on what our problems are instead of what makes us happy & what we have, so when we reverse that thinking, we begin the transformation. The transformation that changes our lives!
Try being grateful for something & angry at the same time. You can’t do it! This is powerful & beautiful!
5. Gratitude enhances relationships.
Just as gratitude enhances the beauty in your life it will enhance relationships as well. When are grateful for the relationships that you already have, they become better.
Just as we have already said when you focus on what you are grateful for, you receive more of it. The same is true regarding relationships.
Many times in relationships we focus on what drives us crazy, instead of what we love about them. This can be in any relationship. Unfortunately, after being married for 30 years, I am often guilty of this too!
When I am frustrated with someone I stop thinking of their negative qualities & replace that by thinking of their good qualities! This truly helps lessen the frustration, I promise.
So, next time that you are frustrated with someone, I challenge you to make a list of all of their good qualities. Focus on that list & I promise over time you will see less of the behavior that you don’t like!
6. Gratitude reduces stress!
This is huge! We all know that stress can be so harmful to our health & overall well-being, so if we can reduce it in any way we should!
You are probably wondering how this works, right? Let me explain.
Most of us become stressed over certain things like, money, bills, children, work, relationships, our health, etc. We do this because we are focused on the ‘lack of’ instead of the ‘abundance of,’ right? We don’t usually get stressed about having too much money, or too great of health, right?
Change the way you think from being ‘lack of’ to “grateful for’ & it automatically reduces your stress.
For ex: If I am stressed about finances, I think about how grateful I am for the money that I have right now & how grateful I am for all of the money that I am receiving in the future! I reflect on how I have always had enough to get by & how grateful I am for that, instead of focusing on not having enough.
This can be hard at times, I know, but this is important because if you can master this, your life will change!
I will be completely honest. I am a work in progress regarding this, but I know for a fact that this works. When I concentrate on ONLY positive, I truly receive ONLY the positive! When I stress over finances, I get more to stress about!
Trust me it works!
7. Gratitude increases your health!
By reducing your stress, & increasing your happiness you automatically become healthier. Every day when awake, I am so grateful for every breath that I take, for each & every day that I feel amazing, that my organs & muscles are strong & healthy. And guess what? Each & every day I feel pretty darn good!
By looking at the beauty in life & at all of the things in life that we have to be grateful for you, begin to feel pretty darn great. There is definitely a pep in your step, you are a bit more energetic, confident, happy, enthusiastic, & optimistic.
All from changing your awareness about all of the things that we take for granted in our lives to be grateful for all of the things we have in our lives. What a simple change!
What do you think? Do you think your health is worth that? I sure do!
8. Gratitude brings you more to be grateful for.
I mentioned this in a few of previous posts. The links for these posts will me down below in the Related Topics section. Please check those out for more information!
I have talked a lot about this phrase before because this is such a life changer! Everyone should know this! It should be taught in the school districts & be mainstream for everyone. We are such powerful individuals & we have the power to create anything that we desire, we just have to retrain our minds.
The most important phrase for you to remember is, “Thoughts become things!”
This phrase has been a life changer for me, because when your thoughts are primarily focused on what you are grateful for in your life, then you receive more things to be grateful for!!!
THIS IS MY FAVORITE LESSON EVER!
I have been tracking this in my journals for years & I have seen the how positive the outcome is, IF you use it in the right way!
Now that we know how amazing the benefits are from using gratitude why wouldn’t you start using it? Many people are looking to change their lives, so they research everything, take courses, get counseling, you name it, they try it. I know that I did!
Who knew you could change your life simply by using GRATITUDE!
Here are some very simple tips on how to implement gratitude easily into your daily schedule:
1. Take time daily to express gratitude for each & every thing in your life.
This has to be step 1!
You need to create a routine & this is a perfect place to start!
When you are going through your daily routine start focusing on all of the little things that help make your day easy & great, & all that you have to be grateful for instead of letting your thoughts drift to what is negative in your life.
Start expressing gratitude for each & every item that you recognize. Electricity, your bed, food, water, etc. You can express your gratitude for them in so many different ways.
You can say, “Thank you for ….,” out loud, or you can say it in your mind! Depending on how grateful you are for each item, you can do both. The more ways that you express gratitude the more powerful gratitude becomes!
I say, “Thank you,” out loud all of the time, which always makes me smile. It feels great!
2. When you are getting ready for your day, think of 10 things that you are most grateful for.
This is easy. The list should be hundreds of items long. Start with 10 of your FAVORITE things & you’ll be amazed at how good you feel.
When I am in the shower I use that time to concentrate on what I am grateful for. I also use my affirmations at that time. It is already ‘ME’ time, so I might as well use my time productively & clean my mind as well! Right?
I love that time because it gets me motivated & excited for my day!
3. Before you go to bed write down 1 thing that you were most grateful for during your day!
Whatever stood out to you the most, during your day write it down! The power behind writing what you are grateful for is unbelievable!
4. Tell someone how grateful you are for them.
Write a list of all of the people whom you are grateful for. Each day choose one person to express your gratitude to. This is such a FUN project & it leaves you feeling amazing, & it leaves them feeling amazing too!
It is a double bonus! You’ll love it!!!
5. Put a one dollar bill in your wallet to where you can always see it.
Money is the focal point for so many of us, I know. We need money to continue living our lives so we better become very grateful for every single penny that we have! This is where the one dollar bill comes into play.
Every time you open your wallet & see that dollar bill say, ‘”Thank you for all of the money that I have & all that is coming to me!” Remember…thoughts are things, so when doing this exercise envision all of money that you want!
6. Every morning be grateful for your health!
You already know why this is so important! Take the time to really be grateful for your overall health. Your strong bones, muscles, healthy organs, tissue, everything! This is very important!
7. Before you go to sleep, focus on something that makes you feel good!
It is so important to focus on something that makes you to feel good because reflecting on what you’re grateful for can lead to having a better nights sleep, greater happiness & even a healthier immune system.
By focusing on one thing to be grateful for you’ll be receiving 3 benefits! Make sure to enjoy that!
I know that this post is long & somewhat repetitive but it is that way for a reason. The more you hear about ALL that you have to be grateful for the more you will start tuning into that power. This is extremely important! There is a method to my madness, I promise!
I am challenging you all to start your 7 Day Gratitude Challenge today! Educate your family on gratitude & let’s get started together!
Each & every day for seven days, I want you to write in your FREE Downloadable 7 Day Gratitude Journal! This is what you will be doing daily:
Become aware of ALL of the things that make your life easier. (Car, heat, your home, towels, water, food, etc.)
Write 1 new person per day that you are grateful for. Each day, tell that person you are grateful for them.
Before you go to bed, write down 1 thing that you were REALLY grateful for during your day.
Before you go to sleep, think about whatever made you the happiest during the day.
When you wake up be grateful for your health.
When you are getting ready for your day think of 10 things that you are grateful for and write them down! Do not repeat any items during the 7 Day Challenge! You can list them aloud our in your head but spend time doing writing them every single day! This is very important! Do not use type them into your devices…use your handwriting!
Put a $1 bill into your wallet. Each day when you go to pay for something say, “Thank you for this money!” This is very important! As you focus on what you are grateful for you receive more of! This is SO important!
Focus on ABUNDANCE instead of LACK OF!
Remember THOUGHTS become THINGS! Think of this as you think of a complaint or something negative!
OK everyone! Here we go! I want to hear how your gratitude challenge is going! We can do this together!
If you found the information today helpful & would like a FREE PDF Download for the 7 Day Gratitude Challenge become a Giggling Life subscriber here!
You will not only receive your free PDF download, but you will be the first to receive new information, new events, & posts before everyone else. I have a lot of amazing things coming your way & I can’t wait to share it with all of you!
We are a community all striving for the same thing…so let’s do this together! I am excited to start this journey with you all! 🙂
Gratitude is not a ‘holiday’ word, it is a life changing word! It’s time to band together & change our lives & our communities! 🙂
Much love to you all!
You got this!
XOXO,
Kristi
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