So grateful for Family, my #1 core value.

Grat-i-tude : The quality of being thankful. Readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Gratitude. It’s a very high vibrational feeling. It can lift someone up from “being a victim” to “feeling empowered”. It can change someone’s thought from focusing on “everything that’s going wrong” instead to “everything that’s going right.” Someone who was once seen as “selfish,” can now be seen as “giving and caring”. 

An Attitude of Gratitude has been scientifically proven to improve a person’s overall sense of well-being. Specifically their mental capacity. 

An article of Happify suggests, Scientists studying positive psychology found that a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. The happy effects disappeared within three to six months. This shows that gratitude is an act to be repeated again and again.

I remember back to a time when I was really struggling. It was mostly self-imposed. I was over-consuming food and alcohol to cope. This was making everything harder. I was quick to judge, very defensive, and honestly wasn’t showing gratitude for anything that I already had…

A boyfriend that loved me, and I didn’t feel lovable.

A house with roommates, felt like I had no personal space.

Food on the table, felt like the biggest enemy of all.

It wasn’t until I hit a breaking point that I finally realized it was all happening because of who I was being.

It began with one small act of kindness; painting a picture for a friend. That project reminded me what it felt like to just be a good person. The “Ah Ha” moment was, “Wow, it feels really good too give back. I feel better than I have in a long time!” I started to feel better and better from this day forward. Small tiny shifts. Like practicing yoga, not drinking alcohol, moving out of the house, etc. All led me to where I am today.

I share this story because I know it can feel hard to practice gratitude when things don’t seem to be going your way. Life transitions can be tough. This is when you need a gratitude practice more than ever. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice gratitude when life feels great. It feels great because of that reason. Keep practicing. Gratitude is 100% free and 100% available to you in nearly any circumstance. You may have to dig deep to find it.

Remember, all it takes is one small shift, to feel even a little bit better then what you did before. Gratitude will always be on your side. It was always make you feel better. You will most likely change the lives of the people that surround you. You will always heal the world with the power of gratitude.

Gratitude Always,

Macy