Being grateful can drastically change your life. I can say this with confidence because it changed mine, especially at a time when I felt like my world was completely crumbling.
Six years ago, I went through an awful breakup with someone I had long term plans with.
I was an emotional and mental disaster for weeks. I lost weight from the stress and heartache. I wasn't myself, and I was incredibly sad. I wanted to hide until this dark cloud passed.
My roommate comforted me and let me cope in the way I needed to -- which meant that I immediately went to bed when I got home from work every day and barely spoke to her.
On another emotionally dreary morning, I received an email from her. She found a job opportunity that would be a huge career move for me. Feeling a glimmer of hope that this may be just what I need to get out of my funk, and needing something new to focus on, I reached out to the hiring manager and dove into the interview process.
Going after this new job gave me a new burst of energy. I started to bounce back slowly from this dark place I was in.
While life seemed to suck badly lately, I realized I had so much to be grateful for: loving family, friends and opportunities surrounding me. Arriving at this new place of awareness, this light through the darkness, I started a new daily (spiritual) exercise to keep this momentum of gratitude going.
Every night before I went to sleep, I thought of 5 things that were good about that day. It could be anything big or small, but the recognition of it alone created positive energy. Whether a baby smiled at me, someone complimented my outfit, or I met a friend for coffee -- anything even slightly awesome -- I would write it down.
After doing this exercise every day for a few weeks, something changed. I changed. I started to become more energized and ready to take life on passionately, as I always had before. I felt stronger than ever and knew that much abundance was coming...
And, that dark cloud moved out of the way.
This new daily practice anchored me in the present. I was no longer focused on what happened or went wrong, or worried too much about what was to come, either. I had a newfound positivity in being present and mindful of all the goodness around me.
If you're going through a tough time or feel like something is off in life, I recommend trying this gratitude practice. In time, I believe that focusing on the positive will greatly impact your mindset and attitude for the better. It only takes a minute or two and is soothing way to end your day.
If you know someone who could use a little inspiration right now, share this with them. And no matter what's going on in life, what are you grateful for today? Share below!
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