The Gratitude List with a Twist
We have a choice in every moment to see the glass half full or half empty; it is always our choice. When we exercise our right to be grateful, all that we cherish emerges true and unblemished, and all that does not serve us, fades away. Gratitude gives us a way of being in the world that is fundamentally positive, and this is the momentum that leads us to actualizing our vision in the world. Did you ever meet a visionary who was not grateful? Visionaries are inherently grateful, as they know their vision is part of a co-creation with spirit and without this connection, spirit-led vision is not possible.
As a coach, one of the most common predicaments I run into is people having a hard time appreciating themselves. No matter how much “success” they have had, there is still some part of them that believes they are not good enough. One of the keys to transforming this is practicing gratitude towards self. I developed this tool to assist my clients in not only learning to feel better about themselves, but to begin to embrace self-love.
How to Do a Gratitude List with a Twist:
1. Take a medium-sized journal and title it “Gratitude Journal.”
2. Then fill an entire page every day with kind, compassionate, loving, and, most important, truthful words about all the things you love and appreciate in your life. You may need to start with the basics, depending on how you feel. There is always something to appreciate. I always appreciate that I can walk, knowing there are others who can’t.
3. Then work your way up to what you love and appreciate about yourself. Your gratitude can begin with the small stuff and build to the bigger stuff—you. However, if you feel like jumping right into the big stuff, then go ahead. Over time, you will find that you become so much more appreciate of everything. This, in turn, creates a backlash effect where others begin to appreciate you. Since the world is a mirror, we change it by changing ourselves. Eventually, we will be able to focus on loving and appreciating ourselves, both on the list and off. This will help us to embody more fully who we are as spirit.
For example:
What I am grateful for…
I am grateful for the air I am breathing, I am grateful for my legs that carry me places, I am grateful for the trees and the sound of the birds, I am grateful for the home I live in & the garden outside my window blossoming with fresh vegetables waiting to be picked, I am grateful for my family, their health and well-being, I am grateful for my puppy who makes me smile no matter what mood I am in, I am grateful for listening to my inner guidance, I am grateful for being spirit led, I am grateful for the wisdom that flows through me, I am grateful for my kind heart, I am grateful for taking the time to work on myself…
Your Gratitude List may begin with all the reasons why you are grateful, like your family, your job, the clean air, or the food on your table, but it needs to end with what you love and appreciate about you. The reason you want to direct it at yourself is because as you do, you begin to value yourself more and more. This will eventually lead to self-love, and there is nothing you cannot be, do, and have when you love yourself. This is not ego love I’m talking about. It is recognizing that your spirit is love. All the love that you have been seeking externally can be found in your connection to your spirit.
