It's said that gratitude is the highest positive vibration. Yes, even higher than love. There are many theories on the best way to tap into your gratitude. Over the past year and a half, I've been following some of these practices. Heres what I've found worked best for me!
Before I get into how I attempt to live in a state of gratitude 24/7...I have to tell you that not every day is perfect. You're going to have shitty weeks and randomly frustrating days for no reason at all, but this is something you can do to help change that. The more positivity you're putting out into the universe, the more you'll get back! If you're just starting out, its probably going to be tricky to get into this habit, but once you do, it will feel like second nature.
I also have to say, I am no master and I'm still just figuring this whole thing out myself. I thought I would share with you what I've learned so far and hope it sparks something in you.
The first tool that I started using was my daily gratitude book. Every morning, I would wake up with my cup of coffee and write down 3 things I was grateful for that day, 3 things I wanted to happen that day and 3 daily affirmations. Now, this worked very well for awhile, I did it for a full year. Yes, I missed a couple days here and there, but when I did, I would journal about the days I missed, talking about my gratitude for them. Some days were harder than others, and so, I would mention the little things, like the cup of coffee I was drinking, or the sunset from last night, or even my cozy pajamas. I noticed anytime that I would have had a shitty day, I was able to pull myself out of it a lot easier because of my gratitude book. I think this method is great if you already keep a journal, and write in it fairly consistently.
About a year into doing this, my fiance Riker and I, started a new version of the gratitude book, but we took out the writing completely and started telling each other three things we are grateful for at the end of our day, before we go to sleep. I like this method much better for many reasons... one of them, because we hold each other accountable so, If I was going to forget, he would remind me and vice versa. Second, I LOVE going to sleep with a grateful heart. I believe that dreams are how our minds fix a lot of problems. Hence, the saying "sleep on it". Going to sleep with the feeling of gratitude can only make these problems feel a little lighter. After we say the three things we're grateful for, we add in 1 win for the day! That way, you go to bed feeling accomplished and grateful. I prefer this method but, if you don't have anyone who would want to do this with you, try out the book.
I think those are the best two ways to start tapping into your gratitude on a daily basis.
One more little tip, for getting out of a bad day, is allowing yourself to feel whatever emotion has come up and let it go. Really take the time to notice how you're feeling. Allow yourself to really feel it, sometimes giving yourself a time limit helps. It sounds silly because of course, you feel it but instead of pushing it aside and trying to move on with your day right away, give it the time it needs. If you take a moment to allow yourself to really feel the anger or frustration or whatever negative emotion you may have, it allows you to let it go easier and won't haunt the rest of your day. When you're done feeling that anger or frustration, meditate on the things you are grateful for and carry on!
Those are my little tips to live a more grateful life! I hope you get a chance to use some of these tools. Let me know if you have any gratitude tips, I would love to hear them!
xx
S