The simple definition of gratitude is a feeling of appreciation or thanks. And in all honesty gratitude is as simple as that definition, yet it is one of your most powerful tools. Gratitude by itself can change your life.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” –Melody Beattie
Gratitude has the ability to pull us out of our deepest darkest places because it helps us see the light. It helps us see the beauty that is right in front of us. There is always something to be thankful for, to appreciate even in the worst and hardest moments. When is comes down to basics…I am grateful for air to breathe. I am grateful for clean water to drink, which is not a grantee for all in our world unfortunately. And even in the toughest moments of my life, I am grateful for the lessons and the opportunity to grow. There is always something don’t let yourself believe there is not.
It is true when said it is not happy and fulfilled people who are full of gratitude, it is those full of gratitude that are happy and fulfilled. We can choose to live in misery or we can choose to live in life. Even with struggle we can live. Be grateful for the struggle because the beauty of each struggle is you getting stronger, you learning and growing. And by the way growth is of the up most importance in life because the second we stop growing is the second we stop feeling free. Happiness and fulfillment is not found it is created. We don’t happen upon it we build it and we do so by finding the little beauties surrounding us.
When November rolls around and its Thanksgiving time we all join in on the gratitude challenges and we say our gratitudes out loud. Think about that time of year and how you feel full of life and joyful. We feel those feelings because we have allowed ourselves to see the beauty that surrounds us every day. So instead of just saying your gratitudes out loud at thanksgiving time, say them every day. Say them, shout them, write them, share them…let those tiny basic gratitudes be known in your heart and let those big significant gratitudes be known in your heart. Not just today, not just tomorrow but every single day.
Let Gratitude be the power that turns your life around. Let yourself feel fulfilled and joyful. If you struggle take a deep breathe start with 1 gratitude in the morning and 1 at night. Basic gratitude, significant gratitude or anywhere in between let that gratitude be known.
Get out there and start feeling the power of Gratitude!
XO
Katie Bell
