The Power of Gratitude

Almost every night I take our dogs on a walk. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I used to walk just for the purpose of sneaking in a little exercise and to get the dogs moving, especially because on of our sweet cockapoos, Bella, is a little chunky and our vet said she needed more exercise. However, walking has become a transformational experience in the past couple of months. Rather than trying to rush through the walk as I used to so that I could accomplish more of my ‘to-do’ list waiting for me at home, I’ve learned to settle in and embrace the moment. For the past year, I’ve been on my own self-discovery journey. I’m not sure if that sounds silly or not to others, but that’s what I would call it. I went from focusing all of my energy on doing everything under the sun that I could in connection with work, that I lost sight of myself and what was right in front of me. I’m sure many can relate with this feeling.

My Gratitude Journey

I began to focus more on my own health by attending a gym that I absolutely love back in December 2018, in addition to walking daily. I realized there were so many benefits to both. I could feel myself becoming more centered, focused, calm, and purposeful with my life. However, I often found myself still rushing through walks. I don’t recall the exact moment or precisely why it started, but during one walk I recall finding myself listing everything amazing around me. It hit me right then and there what I’d been missing. If you’d asked me prior to that moment, I would have told you that I absolutely express gratitude. But, I didn’t. At least, not to the depth I do now.

Each night, I now make it a routine to find things around me that I appreciate. It may be the laughter of children in the distance, the warm (or cool air–– we are in NY after all), the smell of fall, or the beauty of nature that surrounds me. Some days, I have to put more effort in to being present. By nature, I’m goal oriented and very driven, so I’ve had to be intentional when it comes to practicing being present and in the moment. I often find myself redirecting my own thinking, and the more I do, the better I feel that I become.

During my walk, I also reflect on the day and select all the positive moments to focus on. This practice has been instrumental! All too often we get hung up on that one bad moment within a day or fixated on deadlines, that we may miss the beauty that life provides us. When we begin to focus on the positives within our day, we often realize that they far outweigh any negatives. It also trains our brain to recognize the positives as opposed to the negatives; rewiring our brain.

What About Those Negative Thoughts?

If a negative thought creeps in my mind, I shift to thinking about what I learned from the experience. This has taken time and practice, but I made the choice that that’s what I’m going to do, so I stick to it. I would never tell anyone to dismiss challenges, but rather, let’s own them. We all face challenges, but it’s what we do with them or learn from them that matters. Some days this feels harder than others. I hate saying that, but that’s the reality. Some days I feel the weight of all I have to do or the stress that I face, but as I walk and intentionally seek what I’m grateful for, everything else seems to melt away. It’s quite a phenomenon and I sometimes I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to realize how powerful it can be.

*With that said, there are some scenarios that may hit us like a ton of bricks or take our breath away. Challenges come in all sizes. Additionally, if we are struggling with mental health, gratitude can help, but we may also benefit from a different level of support.

Recently I purchased a gratitude journal based off of the recommendations of my good friend, LaVonna Roth. While I do write daily in my journal and value this time, I’ve found that I do my best gratitude ‘journaling’ while walking. Being in the moment and appreciating my surroundings is grounding. It helps me clear my head and encourages me to focus on what’s most important. I just love the space, the time, the movement and the thinking.

Maintain a Positive Mindset

In today’s world, it’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Social media can create the perception that others have exceptional lives that are carefree, glamorous, or what seems to be ‘perfect.’ I promise, no one’s life is perfect. The truth is, we typically don’t post our troubles; we share what we are proud of or perhaps what inspires us. Essentially, we author our stories through pictures and posts, the way we want them to be seen. The same goes for all of the beautiful classroom pictures found in places such as Instagram. A picture can make everything seem so beautiful and put together, but beneath that surface are professional and/or personal struggles; no one is immune. However, rather than focusing on comparing our lives to others or questioning why our lives aren’t as great, we can focus on the good we have. Doing so, positively influences our thought process and mindset. Mandy Froehlich wrote an excellent post titled, Controlling the Way Social Media Makes Us Feel, if you’re interested in exploring the topic more.

Throughout the day, I find myself expressing more appreciation and gratitude for what I do, people I’m surrounded by, and for all I have. I am happy with who I am, where I am. That’s not to say that I’m not still growing or working towards goals, it’s just that I rest assured that I’m a continuous work in progress and am growing at my own rate. Life isn’t a race, it’s a journey. We’re all on a different path to our own unique destination. There’s beauty in watching the growth of others unfold and seeing where our journeys may lead. To me, there’s so much in life to be celebrated. Celebrating the growth and wins of others, doesn’t make our personal journey any less. Whatever gets you focused on gratitude, go after it. It really is transformational.

“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

-Harvard Health Publishing

There are many ways we can begin to express and feel more gratitude. Here are 5 L.E.A.P. Tips to get you started.

Engage in Gratitude Journaling: Gratitude journaling can be done in five minutes or less each day. I found my journal on Amazon for under ten dollars. Each morning I open it up and jot down what I’m thankful for. Some days it’s simple things such as a hot cup of coffee. Other times my thoughts are deeper as I express gratitude for loved ones or for the ability to persevere through specific challenges.

Observe Your Surroundings: The saying of, “Stop and smell the roses,” has to have been created by someone who grasped the value of appreciating little moments. Like a true New Yorker, I am always on the go. Taking time to observe the sights and sounds of nature can be soothing. When we pause and admire the beauty of the our surroundings, we often spark feelings of gratitude.

Meditate: Meditation can bring us serenity. Many of us know that we need to find the calm amidst our storm, but avoid doing so in favor of getting more accomplished. Meditation calms our minds and bodies as we engage in deep breathing. As we calm our bodies, we begin to get in touch with what we appreciate most. There are many resources on gratitude meditation, if interested, here is one that will take you through an exercise.

Write Notes of Thanks: How often do we express gratitude to others? I can’t recall who it was, but I remember seeing a post on Twitter about a principal who wrote one thank you note each day to a different teacher. By participating in this act, we not only foster gratitude in ourselves, but we also uplift another individual. Expressing gratitude to others fosters connectedness and deeper appreciation for one another.

Random Acts of Kindness: Everyone enjoys a great RAK! In fact, just the other day I received one myself. As I pulled up to the drive through window of Dunkin’ Donuts, I was informed that my order was paid for by the person in front of me. I was so taken aback, but still thought to pay it forward to the car behind me. It brought me so much joy to give a small gift to someone else, knowing that they didn’t even expect it. We can express gratitude through doing random acts of kindness for others to cultivate joy. Looking for ideas? Check out RandomActsofKindness.org and A Passion for Kindness, by Tamara Letter.

Additionally, starting November 1st, 2019, Tara Martin and Tisha Richmond are kicking off #GratitudeSnaps again this year! To join the challenge, simply take a picture of something you’re grateful for and share to #GratitudeSnaps on Twitter! This challenge concludes on November, 27th. Interested in knowing more? Check out Gratitude Snaps 2019.

Embrace Moments to Express Gratitude

The other night while walking, I took in the beauty of the cloud formations, colors of the sky as the sun set, and silhouettes of trees. I felt thankful that I’d grown in my ability to embrace these moments. It was such a simple thing to feel gratitude towards, but yet, the appreciation genuinely ran deep. In the past, I would have just hustled right by with a list of things running through my mind. I encourage you to embrace time to slow down and just appreciate your surroundings. Think about all the good that’s around you. Consider your journey and how far you’ve come. Sure, we all have stress and things we need to get to, those things will be there. But, let’s not just rush through life ignoring the beauty, people and moments to celebrate that are all around us. I’m still learning the power of taking care of myself, embracing moments, and expressing gratitude. The more I practice it, the more natural it becomes. I have so much to express gratitude for, including, YOU!