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This may sound sappy, but I love all the seasons. Each for different reasons as what they offer is so incredibly different. As we head into fall, I find I can really embrace my gratitude. I am so grateful for so many things and in the fall, as we start seeing the Thankful and Grateful décor leading up to Thanksgiving, I truly feel my heart expand.
About this time last year, I saw an event pop up on Facebook from an acquaintance. I didn’t really know this lady well, but we had joined archery together and spent an hour a week practicing in the same league for a couple of months. We had connected enough to be “Facebook friends” and something about her post intrigued me. She was partnering with another lady to offer a gratitude practice workshop. In the middle of a pandemic, I remember thinking, “how much good at this time could this really do, but it can’t hurt to be more grateful…right?”
I count not have been more wrong...
I could not have been more wrong about the level of impact this could have for me. This course opened a whole new world. Now, I know that sounds dramatic but stick with me a moment.
Did you know that just the act of being grateful can help you deal with stress? It can improve your health; help you sleep better and make you more resilient.
I felt more energy and just generally happier.
Practicing Gratitude
You could sit down each day and journal about what you are grateful for right now and that would help you. You could get a gratitude journal with prompts that will help expand your list. I used The Gratitude Sidekick Journal from Habit Nest. The real game changer for me was the workshop though. The friendships that were built in this group will last a lifetime. We really dug deep into things that held us back and kept us from moving forward. We laughed and cried and felt such joy as our new friends made progress in their lives.
This experience led me to really think about the things in my life that I am grateful for. Not just the big things like my family but all the little things that we can be grateful for on a daily basis and everything in between. When you wake up, take a breath and feel thankful for the air that you breath, your day starts with a whole different tone. When you start your day in gratitude it is amazing what you can accomplish.
Really thinking and evaluating the things in your life that bring you joy creates a sharp contrast against the things that don’t. Some of the things that suck your energy still have to be done and there is no getting around it, like cleaning the bathroom😉.
Make room for more joy in your life.
However, sometimes we can rearrange things to shift those things out and shift things in that bring you more joy. I have had my own business for quite some time and I know being my own boss brings me joy. I also know that being in my garden and sharing tips about how to be more self sufficient and provide healthy homemade goods for my family, brings me joy. It helps me feel like I am doing a small part to help make this world a better place. So, bringing it back to how the gratitude workshop is changing my life, I am now shifting my focus to put more of those things that bring joy into my life. I am working with clients that I love, and I have started my dream business all about homestead education. I am partnering with other businesswomen to help more people make a difference in more parts of their lives. That Facebook acquaintance, she is one amazing lady, that I am so grateful to be able to call my friend and to partner with her and collaborate on business ideas. Just wait until you see what fun stuff we are working on. Gretchen’s Happy Homestead is a direct result of participating in The Gratitude Project.
So, can a little bit of gratitude change your life? It sure can’t hurt and who knows maybe you will find a little more joy in the process. I am honored to call Valerie and Stephanie my friends and they just opened up enrollment for The 2021 Gratitude Project. I would strongly encourage you to give yourself the gift of gratitude this season. You never know how it might change your life.