If you are reading this, chances are you’ve heard about the power of a gratitude practice. Perhaps you’ve even experienced some of the many positive benefits of gratitude in your own life. Yet, I wonder, how often do you practice gratitude when life gets painful?
I think for most of us, it’s easier to be in gratitude when things are going well in our lives. It feels more natural to express gratitude during those special moments, like when you land that dream job, achieve a life long goal, fall in love, or give birth to a child.
However, do you practice gratitude during the challenging moments, the dark and painful times that test your faith and belief in life, in yourself, or in a higher power?
For me, it has been the darkest moments of my life that have truly shown me the healing and transformative power of gratitude. In fact, there have been times when my practice of gratitude truly saved my life.
The first time was when I was struggled to escape an abusive relationship, and the second was when I faced a life-altering health diagnosis.
In both situations, I felt as if I was at a life and death crossroads in my life, and in the midst of a dark night of the soul. And the lifeline I found in both situations…was gratitude.
However, I will admit, it often wasn’t easy to find something to be grateful for. During these painful moments, the easy path, in all honesty, was to slip into depression and despair.
Further, it would have been easy to stay stuck in my victim story, especially since in one case, I was indeed being victimized. However, deep down I knew that staying stuck in victim consciousness was not the path of healing, and it was not the road that would help me reclaim my life.
Thankfully, in the midst of both of these struggles, I was reminded of the power of gratitude. As if by Divine intervention, someone or something came into my life to re-introduce me to the practice of gratitude. This was not new information to me either time, yet in the darkness, I had forgotten.
However, once I began to practice gratitude again, things began to shift in my life. Not all at once, but little by little through consistent practice, until one day I looked back and realized the miracles that had occurred.
For me, the key has been to always find something to be grateful for, in every situation, and to express WHY I am grateful for it. And…when I simply couldn’t find something to be grateful for, I imagined my ideal outcome, and expressed gratitude for that. I imagined what I wanted to happen, as if it was in happening in the present moment, and I felt into the experience of gratitude.
What I discovered in both situations, is that by practicing gratitude each day, I began to shift my energy, almost instantly, and that not only impacted how I felt, but also the dynamics of my relationship.
From an energetic perspective, practicing gratitude raises your vibration, which then influences everything around you. In my relationship, I discovered that when I shifted my energy, and my state of being, it had a small but measurable impact on diffusing the rage that was being directed at me.
Psychologically, I began to lift out of my depression and despair, and I found hope once again. I also found greater resiliency and internal resources for dealing with the stress and challenges that I was facing.
Physically, gratitude gave me more energy. Further, once I began to express genuine gratitude for my body, it also began to heal, and I started to see momentum in my recovery.
Now, I want to be clear – I’m not here to tell you to simply be grateful and everything will automatically change in your life.
However, when you make gratitude a consistent practice in your life, and a way of being, I can assure you that your life will change, and often, in miraculous ways.
Gratitude didn’t save my life in one day. Rather, it was my commitment to stepping out of my victim story, and into my heart center – every day – that created the profound shifts I have experienced in my life.
So how can you cultivate more gratitude in your life?
Here are some quick tips to help you begin to cultivate a practice of gratitude:
- Start a gratitude journal – each night before you go to bed, write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for and WHY. Stating why you are grateful is important, so please don’t neglect this step. Commit to doing this each night for 30 days and notice how it makes you feel.
- If you are working through a challenging situation in your life, or your own dark night of the soul, pick up a copy of the 15 Minute Miracle Revealed by Jacquelyn Aldana, along with her companion workbook, the Miracle Manifestation Manual. These are my primary go-to resources for creating a breakthrough in my life through the practice of gratitude. This is truly a powerful way to start your day, and if done consistently, it will yield results. I am living proof!
- Begin reading about gratitude every day – think of it as a practice in planting new seeds within your psyche. We become that which we fill our consciousness with, so be mindful of what you allow into your life.
- When dealing with a difficult person, situation, or circumstance in your life, practice finding at least one thing to be grateful for. If you can’t find something, simply express gratitude for the opportunity to grow, evolve, and/or heal through the situation. It is usually through our most difficult experiences that we learn the most, so be grateful for that opportunity.
- Make a commitment to stop complaining! This is the first step to getting out of victim consciousness. We can’t always control the circumstances in our lives, but we always have a choice in how we respond. Rather than complaining, shift your energy by finding at least one thing to be grateful for…at the very least, be grateful for another day, another breath, and another opportunity to make a new choice.
- Give back – if you are having a hard time feeling grateful in your life, take a time out to volunteer at a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, or animal shelter… or any other cause that speaks to your heart. Being of service to those who are less fortunate helps to put things in perspective, as you realize that things could always be worse. Further, hopefully it helps to reconnect you with your own heart center, and something greater!