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In this blog, I’ve shared a number of times that I like certain words, I have favorite words, and I don’t like some words at all. Well, I also have words that I say a lot — and when I say ‘a lot,’ I literally mean I repeat them multiple times every single day. That’s pretty normal, right? We all do it, I think. Do you know what word you repeat most every day? Mine is ‘thank you.’ Okay, that’s two words … but it’s one phrase, so it still counts.
This habitual phrase isn’t a new tendency I’ve developed or something I’m practicing more lately because of the recent positive changes I’ve made in my life. Actually, ‘thank you’ was one of the first phrases I learned. My parents always share the same story with everyone about how I would ask for something when I wasn’t even two years old, using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ multiple times. They say it was so cute and impressive that people always complimented them on my good manners at such young age. I know, I know! I’m proud of it!
I was born to be grateful, I guess, and my parents did a great job of teaching me how to show it ever since I was a baby. When I say ‘thank you,’ it’s not empty. I promise you I don’t say it on autopilot. Every time I say ‘thank you,’ I feel it. This concept is a little complicated to explain because most people use this phrase as an automated reply to show good manners, but I’m pretty sure they don’t feel it.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines ‘thank you’ as “a polite expression of someone’s gratitude.” Therefore, we use ‘thanks’ or ‘thank you’ as the auditory form of that wonderful, positive feeling of gratitude. I personally perceive gratitude as a warm, sweet, internal hug. That’s the reason I mentioned above that whenever I say ‘thank you’ they aren’t empty words. I feel that warm, sweet hug every single time a ‘thank you’ leaves my mind or my mouth.
Because I love that feeling, gratitude is extremely important to me. In my opinion, when we feel grateful, we don’t have space for any negative feelings. Obviously, life’s situations constantly change and so do our emotions, so even when I do my best to keep a grateful mindset, I can get easily sidetracked. Our tendency to lose focus is the reason why awareness is key. If I’m aware that I’ve been sidetracked from my beautiful, grateful mindset, then I can return to it.
Last week was a pretty rough week for me as a business owner. I won’t share the details today because they might be boring to you, and I don’t want to make this post extra long. The point is that I was under greater pressure than normal. If you know me personally or through my blog, you know I’m extremely positive. I always see the light even when the situation is plain dark. Well, let’s say last week for a short period of time I had a hard time finding the light 😱
I had until Thursday to solve a situation, and I didn’t have the tools or the support to find a solution. By Tuesday afternoon I was about to lose my mind behind my desk. I felt emotionally sick. You know that ugly feeling of anxiety combined with desperation? It was horrible. When I was about to start crying, I noticed a little hourglass I have on my desk. I turned it over and let it run. It runs for a minute (I’ll talk about my minute technique later, in a different post.) So, I decided to say ‘thank you’ over and over during that minute. I don’t know why, but I just wanted to purposely thank God for his guidance. The first five times, I forced myself to stay right there, and then the sixth time, I felt it. The warm, sweet hug enveloped me, and I entered gratitude mode. I didn’t feel like crying anymore. I didn’t feel anxious or desperate. I was completely immersed in that internal warm, sweet hug that only gratitude can give me. It was beautiful!
When the minute was up, I was smiling … and yes, like a wonderful miracle I found the solution right in front of me. I opened a letter that had been on my desk for over two weeks, and it contained the help I needed. I immediately took action on it. I did everything I needed to do to initiate that help, and by Thursday afternoon I was able to solve the issue.
When I feel grateful, I leave no space for negative feelings. That warm, sweet hug fills my whole body and kicks out any negativity. Gratitude opens my mind to answers and solutions. Gratitude makes me a better person. Gratitude makes me feel loved and fulfilled. It has so many benefits that I make it a daily practice.
As I explained before, life has its own way to sidetrack us sometimes … perhaps many times. So, I purposely practice gratitude as soon as I open my eyes every morning. ‘Thank you’ are the first words I say when I wake up, and I keep a gratitude journal right beside my bed. Every single morning I write three things I am grateful for before I put my feet on the floor. I’m so committed to practice gratitude that it gets easier for me to come back to it when life wants to distract me.
A grateful heart is a happy heart, my friends! I invite you to find that unique internal feeling that gratitude can give you and make it your refuge. Practice it so much that it becomes natural for you to go back to it when you have trouble finding the light in a dark situation. Be grateful both intentionally and by second nature.
Love,
Irene
