How Gratitude is Life Changing

How Gratitude is Life Changing

During an autoimmune flare, gratitude is usually the farthest thing from my mind.

What IS usually on my mind during a flare is my fatigue, body aches, muscle pain, fevers, brain fog, and so on.  My symptoms can consume my thoughts, if I let them.  When that happens, I not only feel horribly physically, I feel horribly mentally and spiritually as well.  Fun stuff.

Here’s the thing I learned…if not checked, my thoughts will take their own course and lead me somewhere I do not want to be.  Without even realizing it, I will find myself in a dark place.

Gratitude and Wellness

While there is no cure for my autoimmune disease, I have found wellness through nutrition, lifestyle, and a positive mindset, but it took time and patience.  Time and patience…and a secret weapon – gratitude!

Before I found wellness, I knew I personally needed to cultivate gratitude in my life in order to have a positive mindset.  In my heart, I knew I could not have one without the other.

A Daily Gratitude Practice

Keeping a daily gratitude journal was instrumental for me in developing an attitude of gratitude.  My gratitude journal was nothing fancy.  Every morning, I would simply write down at least 3 things I was grateful for.  Just three.  This gratitude practice took all of maybe 2 minutes, yet it helped to get me in the right frame of mind for the rest of my day.

Taking a couple of minutes in the morning to keep a daily gratitude journal also helped me recognize blessings in my life throughout my day.  Gratitude seemed to be a slippery slope.  The more I chose to be grateful, the more I found to be grateful for.  As my gratitude increased, I noticed I was happier, even though I was still sick!  Amazing!

Gratitude and Change

Gratitude (usually) does not immediately change your physical circumstances.  What it does change is your thoughts, attitude, and heart.  When your thoughts, attitude, and heart change, then YOU have the power and strength to change your physical circumstances.

For example, when I stopped focusing on the foods my body could not tolerate, but focused instead on the foods I COULD eat, I was happier and grateful for each healing food I ate.  In turn, my consistent nutrition helped my body to feel well in time.

Another example is when I am in an autoimmune flare, and focus on the things I can no longer do, I find myself in a dark place mentally.  When I stop and find gratitude for things I CAN do, no matter how small, my mindset and attitude turn around.  The more I focus on gratitude, the more hope, peace, and happiness I feel.

Another example is finances.  When I think, “I never have enough money for all of my financial goals,” I feel defeated and down.  When I shift my thinking to, “I am incredibly grateful for every dollar I have, and I am grateful for the financial goals I am achieving,” I feel hopeful and excited about my financial future.  The hope and excitement leads me to make better financial decisions.

The Power of Gratitude

There is truly power in gratitude.  The good news?  It is free and available to all!

Gratitude really does change lives!

For more on my daily gratitude practice, click here.

To read more about the power of gratitude, click here.