Developing an Attitude of Gratitude

Heeey everyone, I know you missed me, so save your troubles from all saying it at once, where have you been? Because we're not super acquainted like that, I won't say "minding the business that pays me" (lol), even though that's what I want to say. I think we're on cool enough terms to joke now, and if you can't take a joke, my sincere apologies to your sense of humor. I needed a little mental break from the blog, in all honesty. As much as I enjoy yapping (or typing away), I enjoy resting just as much. Plus, I already informed you all a few episodes back on how I believe resting is essential with everything we do in life. So I decided to take my own advice. How have you guys been? I hope you're doing something that brings you joy.

On today's episode I want to focus on how shifting our attitudes towards a more grateful mindset as we approach the holiday season. Not saying that is the only time to express gratitude, however I do feel that by starting now; maybe it'll help us carry this energy into the new year. Add to your routine and watch become a daily habit. Let's get into the things then, shall we? We're going to discuss:

• what we're grateful for

• who we're grateful for

• how we can spread gratefulness on to others

Do you ever catch yourself complaining about things that don't/won't matter once your focus is on something else? Maybe you don't take time out to reflect on everything that went well throughout your day. Oftentimes, we get so caught up in our day-to-day activities that we forget some of the simplest things that should make our days feel amazing. Now, I'm not saying every day you'll start off in a positive state; however, at some point, something has taken place that helped your mood improve. I believe that if we took time out to reflect on the good moments that happen to us during the week, it would help us maintain a consistent mood of joy. You can start by just reflecting on what takes place throughout your day; some people do this by using a journal. If a journal isn't your thing, maybe use your notes app or record yourself to hear everything that you experienced during the month that brought you joy. Personally, I feel like joy isn't something you should only feel during huge moments that take place in your life, but it should be an emotion that is expressed during the simplest things as well.

Before the next upcoming holiday meets us at our doorsteps (I know Thanksgiving is next week, hush lol), I suggest implementing this into your daily routine so that it becomes a natural habit during the new year.

Expressing how grateful we are for the things that take place in our life is one thing, yet telling those who have been placed along our journey that we're grateful for their presence is another thing that we can overlook as well. We can tell ourselves that it's not that we don't want to; it's just that we may not have time, which, let's be honest, is an excuse. If you can make time for things like social media or television shows, then you can also spend at least five minutes telling someone who has impacted your life in some way how grateful you are to have them. It doesn't have to be a catch-up session of your current life events (which you should make time for as well, but that's none of my business sips invisible tea lol); however, a quick text to say "Hey, I was thinking about you and just wanted to let you know I'm grateful for your existence in my life"—not those words verbatim, but something along those lines—should do it. You don't know how something as simple as that could make someone's day and yours as well. I won't sit and act as if this is something I've mastered because it's not. At one point in my life, I was great at keeping in touch with mostly everyone I'm connected with; however, I have slacked a little bit in that area (you see that? That's called accountability lol), so I'll be sure to take my own advice as well. I will say that this is another habit that you could start as soon as today to carry on into the new year.

Outside of spreading how grateful we are for those we love, we can also serve as a beacon of light to those we encounter during our daily routines and tasks. Acts of kindness and generosity can take many forms, and they often leave a profound impact on the lives of others. For instance, I frequently hear stories—and I have personally experienced this phenomenon as well—of someone choosing to pay it forward to me while I was in line at a drive-thru establishment. The feeling of having someone cover my order, whether it was a simple coffee or a full meal, not only brightened my day but also inspired me to consider how I could extend that same kindness to others in the future.

That's my time, I hope this episode inspires you and hopefully uplifts you in some kind of way to not only add joy to your life but to find ways to extend that joy to other as well. Have a great weekend and we'll chat soon! =)