5 Ways To Anchor In Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces in the universe, but it’s illusive and the hardest to lean into when your world is falling apart.

You, as a human, are built out of love. The only reason you may not feel like it right now is because you came here as a soul to experience the complications of hardship. Beneath all that tells you that you’re not worthy lies a powerful foundation of love.

Gratitude always brings you back to this core. It’s what you naturally resonate, so when you express it out into the world, it brings you into harmony with the entirety of your experience. It opens you to the richness of everything going on around and inside of you. This is what it is to be human.

If you find gratitude to be the most difficult thing to find even when circumstances aren’t challenging, here are 5 ways to centre your thoughts on something more productive that ruminating on what you cannot change.

Like anything else, gratitude is a habit that can be built over time.

People

Relationships with other humans are complicated and unavoidable. Be grateful for the ones that lift you up, give you energy, add vibrancy and purpose to your life. They are keepers for however long you’re lucky to have them in your experience for. Since life is never simple, there will always be those who hurt you, challenge you, make you question yourself or tear down your self worth or perception. These people you can be grateful for too. Humans enter our lives to bring us either love or lessons. Some offer us both. When you can’t find gratitude in someone for what they add, be grateful for the lessons they bring you. When it comes right down to it, success is the best revenge; you can always grow from any experience. Their growth, however, is always up to them. Always use what’s most difficult to lift you up, not tear others down. The world benefits when you heal like this.

Safety

Foundational things like food and shelter are something that not everybody has. Even if you have the bare minimum, be thankful for it. Space, time, life… these are things that are invaluable and cannot be taken for granted. Our time here is over fast and every day you have enough food to nourish you, physical safety and a place to rest is a good day. In my darkest times I was grateful for every breath I took. Why? Every breath meant I was still alive and the fight wasn’t over yet. If you’re breathing, you haven’t lost the war. Find gratitude in the smallest of things because these things mean far more than anything superficial ever will.

Health

Perfection isn’t the point, it never was. I had a doctor once tell me “if you keep looking, you will always find something wrong”. We live in an imperfect world, one where the odds are stacked against us by design. Those in charge keep our power by keeping us down and unhealthy. Look at your consistent daily habits and see where you can improve. Don’t allow the pursuit of perfection to keep you from making necessary changes. Focus on everything that is going well inside your body and your mind. Things may not be pristine, but you can always find something to celebrate. Be grateful you’re human. You’re alive. You’re here. If your health is keeping you from some opportunities, trust me, there are others for you to reach out and grab. Protect your human vessel but don’t think that lack of perfect health means you are any less perfect yourself.

Opportunity

Life provides limitless chances to create open doors for yourself. The greater the challenge in front of you, the more powerful the opportunity to grow and evolve. You are a work in progress and will never stop learning, growing, reinventing yourself and your life. Instead of focusing on what could be better, look behind you and understand what you’ve overcome to get here. Look at all you’ve accomplished. Even if it looks like the end of the road from where you’re standing, it’s only a call to look at things differently. Keep going and fight for what you want. Doors open when a mind rooted in gratitude decides to see the world for its chances to succeed as opposed to being a victim to its circumstances.

Wealth

It’s an energy. As soon as you create movement there, it flows. Keep it moving. The more you anchor in gratitude and abundance, the more luck you will have, but remember that wealth isn’t always monetary. It’s an extension of relationships, safety, health and opportunity. No matter what you think you do not have, keep your focus off of it. Focus is a very powerful force. It’s how you spend one of your commodities that is more precious than money… energy. Where you take your mind matters. Where you take it over and over again will dictate your life but, if you’re paying attention and willing to change, it will point you to exactly where you need healing. Keep an open mind when it comes to feeling rich in this world. There’s more to it that a dollar sign.

Be grateful for everything you have around you. Relentlessly. It moves mountains and will bring you powerfully home to yourself, every time.

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For a deeper dive into these areas, check out the F7: Seven Days to Forgiveness ebook + course.