I cannot believe I have not already included this topic for a Monday Motivation post! Gratitude is one of the cornerstones of my life.  I didn’t really know that gratitude was a “thing” until I was in my 30’s or so. Because general thankfulness is the way I was raised.

I wasn’t actually raised with much, in retrospect, we were pretty poor – but I never really knew it. And one of the reasons I believe my family was generally happy with our every day, was because we were grateful for what we did have and did not compare ourselves to others. My mom instilled a spirit of gratitude for even the smallest of things and that is what we focused on. Even a good parking spot got a thank you.

When you’re looking for reasons to be grateful, it changes your perspective. There is always something wrong if you’re looking for it. But there is also always something right. You just have to shift your perception and your focus.

My mom laughs and says she should have named me “Rose” – because “no matter what sh*t I go through, I always come out smelling like one”. I never really thought about it until a recent visit with her, when I actually looked back and realized how right she is. With all of the struggles and tribulations I have experienced, I have always come through to the other side in a place of abundance. I attribute much of my “rosiness” to the attitude of gratitude I carry in my heart.

I won’t get too woo woo on you today, but can’t you feel the energy of the people around you? Think about it. Both the good and the bad energy? You KNOW when you enjoy being around somebody. And you really know when you DON’T like being around somebody, right? Gratitude is an energy that vibrates around a person and can change the world around you. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the one and only thing that will change your life, but it’s a great place to start.

And I don’t mean just sitting back and naming all the things you’re grateful for and then waiting for more. Gratitude is not like a drive through where you place your order and sit back expecting your results.

If you don’t believe me, here are just a few reasons why gratitude is good for you. And if you don’t know HOW to get to a place of thankfulness, start by keeping a Gratitude Journal each day. Take 5 minutes in the morning and write down what you are grateful for. It will seem a little weird to begin with, but eventually you’ll be looking for the good things in your life so you can write them down. Remember, there is always something you can find that is RIGHT.

We start our mornings at the studio with a few minutes of meditation, and then we all share one thing we are grateful for. It’s a great way to infuse a little extra happiness into the day. I dare you to try it!

And finally, when I was pulling together the images for this post, I came across The 31 Benefits of Gratitude. This is an amazing read and really sums everything up about gratefulness,  AND backs it with science if you don’t believe in the general energy of the attitude. Kudos to the author for really doing the research and spelling it out.

So. How do YOU practice gratefulness? Or do you? Will you now maybe consider shifting your perspective and looking for what is right in each situation and being thankful for it? Let me know! I’d love to hear your experiences.