Greetings and welcome to the Why Struggle Podcast.
I'm your host,
Barbara J.
Faison,
And my intention with this podcast is to offer ideas,
Insights,
And inspirations so you can live life better.
Greetings and welcome to 2025 Week 7,
Tools,
Part 2.
This is an episode about using gratitude as a tool and a practice.
If you're new to the podcast,
Welcome,
And if you listen regularly,
Thank you.
I'm doing a series on tools for living,
And last week I talked about the first tool in the toolkit,
Breathing.
Were you able to take 10 deep breaths at some point in time during the day?
If not,
Maybe give it a try this week.
Set a reminder on your phone to stop and take 10 deep breaths.
Practicing gratitude is the second tool.
Gratitude is a simple practice that helps you feel better,
Stress less,
And can improve your overall health.
Yep,
That's from studies on the power of gratitude,
And I love that we now have tangible proof of the benefits.
Last year,
I talked about the science behind gratitude.
You can find out more in 2020,
Episode 38.
One of the biggest things I've discovered about gratitude is how I feel when I come from a place of appreciation.
Physically,
I feel my body shift from frustration to a more relaxed state when I choose to appreciate what is happening.
I don't have to like what's happening,
And if I accept it and shift my thoughts to being grateful,
It makes a huge difference in my next steps.
I make clearer decisions when I practice gratitude.
One of my beliefs is that all timing is just right,
And if I believe that,
What is happening right now is just right.
Being grateful and saying two simple words,
Thank you,
Is a powerful practice.
So I say thank you all day long.
Thank you is my go-to mantra during the day.
Do I get frustrated?
Yes,
I do,
And because I have practiced saying thank you so much,
It is natural for me to think it and or say it out loud.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I smile as I say those words,
And I feel my body shifting from frustration to appreciation.
If you've listened to any of my podcasts,
You know what time it is.
It's time to practice.
In this gratitude practice,
Start thinking of what you're grateful for in this moment,
And we will speak those out loud with enthusiasm.
I'm going to share a few things that I'm grateful for in this moment as an example of this gratitude practice.
I feel so grateful to be mobile and able to exercise regularly.
I am so grateful that I have the ability to think and make sound decisions.
I give thanks for my supportive husband,
My brother,
And my family and friends.
Thank you for access to healthy food.
Thank you for my creative approach to cooking.
I love having a flexible work schedule.
I am so grateful for ideas.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Now,
It's your turn.
Are you ready?
Let's do it.
Take a few deep breaths to ground you in the present moment.
Place both hands in the center of your chest.
You may stack them on top of each other or place them side by side or whatever way feels best in this moment.
You will take a breath in through your nose and a loud exhale out of your mouth,
And we'll do that three times.
Deep breath in and exhale.
Deep breath in and exhale.
Last time,
Deep breath in and exhale.
Start with your gratitude practice by saying out loud what you're grateful for in this moment with enthusiasm.
You can just say thank you as well.
I'll be back shortly to close the practice.
I'm back.
How was that for you?
That was a simple gratitude practice.
Take a moment to notice how you feel in your body.
If you have an adjective that comes up,
Say that out loud right now.
For me,
It is loving.
One of the benefits of gratitude is that it helps us use negative language less.
I think that's a pretty good benefit.
What about you?
I'm grateful that I started this podcast in 2017 on a whim.
What are you grateful for in this moment?
Leave a comment,
Observation,
Or reflection where you're listening to this podcast.
