The Gift of Gratitude

Let's give ourselves the gift of gratitude this season.

Give yourself permission to integrate the complexities of life, accept joy and embody love.

There's nothing new under the sun - so I love when I hear something objectively new that feels old. Something that reminds me that we all have the authority to lift ourselves up from within. Something that reminds me to ask - What is really real? What actually matters? What is true?

I'm a bit of a podcast junkie, but its rare that I'll listen to the same episode more than once. This one was a comforting exception that explored how gratitude can be empowering while reminding us that the concept requires care. The weaponization of gratitude is unnecessary, yet all too common. The reminder that gratitude can exist within your reality, within your struggle, within your personal evolution is truly empowering. There can be disease and gratitude. There can be pain and gratitude. There can be grief and gratitude.

"Gratitude was never meant to ease your pain, it was meant to sit beside it" - Jay Shetty

Jay Shetty's take on self-compassion, gratitude, and the pit falls of comparison make for a refreshing listen/read as we enjoy this season of giving. Thanking "the version of you who survived" is a reminder to embrace duality - none of us are the same as we were yesterday and we can embrace growth and gratitude at the same time.

8 Simple Mindset Shifts to Feel Gratitude Even When Your Life Isn't Where You Want it To Be

This episode outlines 8 mindset shifts to elevate gratitude's presence in your daily life, the last of which is to "stay thankful to your past self". He recommends writing a letter to yourself to gain some perspective.

Writing a thank you note as a gift to yourself seems corny at first, but after completing the exercise I felt a unique sense freedom from looking inward with a deep sense of gratitude for my creator and my self.

Try it and let me know what you think.

Blessings & Happy Holidays,

" Write a thank you note to your past self.

The one that kept going when it was hard.

Neuroscientists call this The Self Compassion Recall.

It activates the medial prefrontal cortex, increasing emotional regulation and self worth.

We spend so much time trying to move on from our past,

that we forget to thank the person who got us through it.

The version of you who stayed up all night worrying,

but still showed up to work.

The one who loved people that didn't love back.

The one that held everything together when no one noticed.

That version wasn't perfect, but they were powerful.

Without them, you wouldn't be here.

Thanking the version of you who survived isn't self indulgence, It's self respect.

It's saying you did the best you could, with what you had, and that was enough.

Most of us skip this step.

We rush to become wiser, calmer, more healed...

but the 'you' who endured is the foundation of the 'you' who's evolving.

Thank the version of you who survived.

The one that held it together when everything felt like it was falling apart.

The one that got out of bed when they didn't want to.

Who went to work with a broken heart.

Thank the version of you who didn't have the answers, but kept going anyway.

Who made decisions they weren't proud of, but did the best with what they knew.

Who stayed kind, even when life wasn't.

You don't have to hate who you were, just because you've grown.

That version of you wasn't weak, they were doing what it took to survive.

You don't owe them judgement.

You owe them gratitude."

You can check out the full episode here. Press play & lets talk about it.