Updated: 3 days ago
By now, most people are aware of the power of a gratitude practice. Everyone from C-suite executives to kindergarten teachers to Marines are implementing this seemingly simple approach to swapping the negative mind with more “positive vibes.” But if you’re anything like me, sometimes the routine of speaking or writing down the things we’re grateful for can begin to feel stale. Kind of like taking a vitamin. We know we should do it. We know it’s good for us. But often without us realizing it, our gratitude practice slips into just another thing on our wellness to-do list.
Gratitude as a Muscle
On one hand, that’s exactly what gratitude is—a practice. The more time and laser-sharp awareness we dedicate to choosing gratitude, the stronger our “gratitude muscle” becomes. Just as we train our bodies to reach physical goals, we train our minds to look for what is in the present moment rather than what isn’t. And while it is a simple practice, it’s certainly not always easy. As with anything in this world, consistency builds long-lasting results.
On the other hand, it can become easy to say the words without really feeling gratitude in our bodies. Even worse, the spiritually attuned person with the best of intentions can bypass deep, important emotions with a quick and conditioned, “but I know I should be grateful…”
Gratitude isn’t meant to be a band-aid over our wounds or a blindfold that lets us pretend the sometimes brutal reality of life isn’t happening. We certainly don’t ignore or suppress tough emotions in the face of pain and suffering. Rather, it’s an invitation to explore the complexity of holding seemingly conflicting emotions in our bodies at the same time. The human heart has the capacity to hold it all. It’s the free will of our perception to create “a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
Gratitude as Alchemy
Gratitude requires us to pause, to be all in on our devotion to higher consciousness. It grounds us in the reminder of who we are when the world around us feels chaotic and overwhelming. It simultaneously brings us into full-bodied awareness of the present and also transcends all time and space. We can create an entire paradigm shift with a single moment of thankfulness.
Let’s try it together right now. If you’re able, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Bring to mind someone for whom you feel deep gratitude. See them, hear them, smell them. Allow your heart to soften as you marinate in your feelings of gratefulness for this beloved person. Feel the warmth from your heart spilling out into the rest of your body, every cell, every atom, filling you with the radiance of this magic. Stay here as long as you like, letting gratitude work its alchemy in and through your body.
Holding Gratitude Through All Seasons
It’s easy to tap into the vibration of gratitude when we’re in the proverbial spring or summer seasons of life. But how do we hold onto our practice in the depths of our wintering? It requires commitment, not only to the practice, but to an abundant way of living.
So building that gratitude muscle starts by making small choices consistently that lead to big results. Sometimes it’s even a “fake it till you make it” situation, and that’s ok. Here are some fresh practices and resources to stir up your commitment to gratitude—
Next time you find yourself saying, “I have to________(fill in the blank with annoying obligation)” consider rewriting the story to say, “I get to___________(fill in the blank with said obligation).” Notice how different that feels in your body to stand in your power and shift out of victim mentality.
Meditate or journal on your experience of gratitude, like in Ross Gay's Book of Delights. Gay wrote little vignettes about something that delighted him every day for a year. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “The more you study delight, the more delight there is to study…I also learned this year that my delight grows—much like love and joy—when I share it.”
Create an Earth Altar to connect with your gratitude in nature.
Replace doomsday scrolling with positive content, such as The Gratitude Podcast.
Learn more about how gratitude positively impacts the mind, body and spirit. Tons of studies have been done documenting these effects, like this one from The Greater Good Science Center out of UC-Berkeley.
Share your gratitude by writing thank you notes to the people in your life who have blessed you in some big or small way. Tell them specifically what it is about them that you’re grateful for. If possible, send the notes. Gratitude exponentially and inevitably leads to joy. Feel them both expand within you when you share them.
Gratitude is simple but not superficial. It is a devotion
a willingness to keep showing up for life as it is, season after season.
In every breath, every choice, you can strengthen the muscle that turns a moment into a miracle.
