One of the most transformational shifts you can make in your life and mindset is to practice and embody gratitude. Let’s be honest… this is easier said than done, especially on your hardest days. Rest assured in where you’re at, my love, because the beauty of a gratitude-filled mindset is that working on it is like building and toning a muscle: the more you practice flexing it, the stronger and more instinctually active it becomes.
In this post, I’ll share some of my favourite quotes to inspire you, activities to fulfill you, and prompts to guide you as you work to live, breathe and embody thankfulness in your life and mindset.
“The beauty of a gratitude-fuelled mindset is that working on it is like building muscle: the more you practice flexing it, the stronger and more instinctually active it becomes. “
The Spiritual Concept + Roots
Of course, many of us grew up knowing the importance of saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to be polite, but how many of us truly understood the deep concept of being in a state of gratitude? I know I certainly didn’t fully appreciate it until I dove deeper into my spirituality.
The spiritual concept of being in a state of gratefulness + thankfulness grounds itself in the belief that being grateful for what we have allows us to live our most fulfilled lives possible while also thanking the universe for all that is already in our life.
When we thank the universe for what we have., and what we hope to have soon, we’re embodying a state of abundance and believing that anything we desire is already within our reach.
The Goodness of Gratitude
The funny thing is, it not only feels great to be in a state of gratitude, but it’s also incredibly beneficial to our health and lifestyle. Gratitude boosts the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, as well as the hormone oxytocin, all of which are highly associated with wellbeing and positivity.
Studies have found that gratitude and being in a state of thankfulness can improve sleep, mood and immunity, as well as reduce depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.
Gratitude also benefits our social and professional relationships, making us more memorable to new connections.
So if you struggle to resonate or connect with the spiritual benefits and concept of gratitude, consider the health and relationship benefits alone as being reason enough to tap into your thankfulness!
This change in your thoughts and behaviours will literally change the way your body responds… as the Mayo Clinic beautifully phrases it:
“Remember that behavior changes biology. Positive gestures benefit you by releasing oxytocin, a hormone that helps connect people. ” – Mayo Clinic
5 Inspiring Gratitude Quotes
I am a big reader myself, and love to collect quotes that inspire me. I use these to form my affirmations and mantras that help me shift into a more positive growth mindset. Here are a few from my favourite authors and thought leaders:
“Upon awakening, let the words Thank You flow from your lips, for this will remind you to begin your day with gratitude and compassion.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
“There is no joy without gratitude.” – Dr. Brene Brown
“When you’re present in gratitude, you can’t be anywhere else” – Jay Shetty
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Gratitude is what we are without a story” – Byron Katie
Gratitude Activities
There are many ways to practice gratitude, but above all else, it’s important to practice DAILY in ways that feel good to you and make sense for your lifestyle.
For example, if donating money to someone in need (a practice we often associate with practicing gratitude) isn’t possible, consider how you could gift them with your presence or love instead. There are many ways to demonstrate thankfulness and to be generous with one another.
Below lists some gratitude activities to inspire you:
- Write a handwritten card to a loved one telling them how much you love and appreciate them, just because.
- At a cafe or restaurant, take the extra moment to get to know your server’s name, ask how they’re doing, and offer your compliments for their service.
- Write a note in your significant others’ lunch or on their desk to say how much you care about them.
- The next time you say ‘thank you’ to someone, consider what and why you’re thanking them for and be more specific with your thank you. For example, if a friend brings you coffee, instead of a simple thank you, you could say, “it meant so much to me you thought of me in this way; thank you!”
- Take a gratitude walk. Take a peaceful observatory walk in a wooded or scenic area and appreciate all the nature you see. Every bird, insect and leaf is miraculous if you stop to consider it!
- Create a gratitude wall, Pinterest board, or page in your journal of all the things in your life (no matter how big or small), that you’re grateful for. You can (and are encouraged) to continually add to this)
Let’s focus on two of these that can be done daily: your gratitude list, and journaling (you can even do them together as one activity!)
Your Gratitude List
A daily practice that is especially wonderful for you to try, especially when you’re first trying to drop into a gratitude mindset, is to write a gratitude list every day (in your journal, on a sticky note, or on your phone) of at leat 3 things you’re grateful for. The real challenge is that you have to try not to list the same things every day!
This simple exercise has been revolutionary for my clients, myself and my loved ones. I can’t recommend it enough. You’re invited to do this gratitude in conjunction with the guided prompts below, if you so desire…
5 Powerful Journal Prompts for Gratitude
- Today I interacted with (X) , who I’m incredibly grateful for because (Y). (Write about this experience, the person, and the specifics of the interaction. Be specific about why you appreciate this person and this encounter)
- This was a really challenging lesson in my life, but I’m grateful for what I learned from it…
- Today the universe worked in my favour when this happened…
- My favourite qualities about myself are my… (write down at least 5 qualities about you as a person you are grateful for)
- The thing I’m most grateful for in my life that I often don’t give enough credit to is…
I hope this post spoke to your soul, my love. And that you feel equipped to begin to embody gratitude in your life. If you’d like some extra guidance along the way, I’m here to hold gorgeously expansive space for you.
In the meantime, dive deeper into your journaling journey with 70 guided prompts… a gift from me to you!
Developing A Resilient Mindset with Journaling
If you’d like to get started with journaling and desire guiding prompts, this guide is MADE for you! With 70 resilience-building and self-love-cultivating prompts in a digitally-fillable journal, this is exactly what you need to guide you in this next stage of your wellness journey.
Download Your Prompts For Free
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