Oct 30

Oct 30 5 Ways to Practice Gratitude

Not sure what gratitude means or how to incorporate gratitude into your life? I gotchu.

First, let’s start with what gratitude means… it’s taking time to reflect (think or say or write) about what you are thankful for in your life... it could be as simple as a good night’s sleep, or as big as the relationships you have with your friends or family. You can even be grateful for tough times, because they help you learn and grow. @joed and others talk about being grateful for the goals you haven’t achieved or manifested yet, because it can make the future more real. There’s really no wrong way or time to practice, just dedicate some time & mental space for it!

Next, HOW do you practice? Here are a few ideas:

Keep a daily gratitude journal or jar - This is pretty flexible! A journal is something you could do every morning or every night, writing anywhere from 1 to 10 things you are grateful for at each entry. See my previous post (on Oct 19) for explanation of the gratitude jar!

Change “I have to” to “I get to” - This is really all about your mindset and how you operate. When you shift your mindset from doing things out of *responsibility* to one of *opportunity* you are (1) owning your time and (2) shifting into a positive mental state. This is MASSIVE for growth AND gratitude!

Hug someone important to you - And not just any old hug, make this one count! (Pro Hug Tips: use both arms, be square with the other person, and they should last at least 3 seconds) Adding “I’m so grateful” for you is a nice addition. Including why you’re grateful for that person is even better!

Write a thank you note to yourself - You can thank yourself for anything… for graduating high school, for training for a race, for eating well, for following your gut, for taking a risk, for saying yes - OR no! I’ve actually found once I start this exercise I keep thinking of more things to add to the list!

Pay it forward - this could be paying forward your gratitude in so many ways… it can be a big gesture or something small (I like these the best, there are so many opportunities for random acts of kindness)! A few examples: buying a coffee for someone random, volunteering, donating money, saying something kind to someone, mentoring someone, holding the door for strangers, etc.