Get Your Gratitude Juices Flowing

Recently someone wrote me saying this: “I hope I can recapture my ability to pursue my dreams but for now it feels more like survival.” Does this feel like you?

When I read these lines, I was heart-broken. These words came from someone I have long admired for her entrepreneurial spirit and winning attitude. It came from a woman who was actively following her dreams and passion. In her own way, she had been an unwitting role model for me.

Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Maybe the noise you are hearing is telling you the time isn’t right to pursue your dreams. After all, we can certainly look at what’s going on in the world right now and justify waiting for a sign from the universe.

But deep down, I have a feeling you know this is just an excuse (a good one, but an excuse nonetheless). Because if it isn’t the economy or COVID or the weather, it’ll be something.

There’s always something.

But for now, it feels like survival and that doesn’t feel good.

What does feel good? Gratitude, that’s what! And we can always be grateful for something no matter what’s going on in our life.

To help get your gratitude juices flowing, here’s my top four list of what you can appreciate now. 

1. Think about the people who love you and care for you. Think about those who have made a difference in your life (maybe it’s me!). Think about the positive impact you’ve made on someone else because you were thoughtful and considerate. Think about the people who may go out of their way to pay attention to you or compliment you. Appreciate that.
2. Think about yourself. What makes you unique? Do you have a skill or a talent that others rave about? There is something that makes you different and unique from everyone else. Too often we want to be just like everyone else, but that sameness robs us of our passion and our joy. Find your gift and talent. Appreciate that.
3. Think about the problems you don’t have. We all have challenges and issues that seem to rob us from experiencing joy. Our problems can take up a lot of negative mental room in our minds. Consider for a moment the problems you don’t have. I can still remember a few years ago when I volunteered at a fundraiser for several families that lost everything to a house fire. And when I say they lost everything, I mean it!  Photographs, cars, clothing, and all of the small necessities of life went up in flames. What problems don’t you have?  Appreciate that.
4. Think about the times you were courageous and moved through fear. Avoid comparing your level of courage with someone else’s. Avoid denying your courage because you may not have been as successful as you had hoped. When did you say “yes” to something you didn’t know how to do? When did you reach out and meet someone for the first time? When did you speak up or defend someone else? Think about your courage. Appreciate that.

Of course, we need to be consistent in our appreciation and gratitude. Perhaps you can make it a nightly practice, that’s what I do. Before I go to sleep, I think about three to five things that I can be grateful for. Sometimes my appreciation is regarding something I did or something I said to someone else; sometimes it’s something that happened (or didn’t happen); sometimes it is about feelings I experienced during the day

Say yes to yourself by practicing gratitude!

About Janet:

Hi, I’m Janet and I’m all about helping you to awaken to your value, wholeness, and connection to the divine. And I do this by teaching and guiding you back to the truth of who you are and who you came here to be. Left to our own devices, most of us don’t know how to begin or where to start. We can’t see beyond our blind spots. That’s where I come in.

With decades of coaching, teaching, and mentoring success, I bring my clients what they need to crush their excuses so they can amplify their impact, boost their self-confidence, connect with their calling, and live their aligned life.