Arriving In Gratitude

Life moves fast and asks a lot. Gratitude begins when we pause long enough to notice what’s already steady and kind: a breath that keeps arriving, a body that carries us, one honest blessing hiding in plain sight. Let a simple thank-you soften the day and offer a gentler lens to return to - proof that “enough” can be felt right here.

Transcript

Welcome to day one of the Gratitude Challenge here on Insight Timer.

This is your daily pause to step out of the rush and pay attention to the small things in your life that often go unseen.

The moments that lift you,

The people who show up for you,

And the sense of enoughness that grows when you make space to notice what is already here.

Enjoy today's session.

Welcome to Insight Timer's 10-Day Gratitude Challenge.

My name is Terry Cole.

I am a licensed psychotherapist,

An author,

And a mindfulness expert,

And I am so happy that you are joining us on this 10-day journey into more gratitude,

Because let's be honest,

Life can be a lot.

It moves fast.

Most of us spend our days managing a million different things,

Thinking about what still needs to get done,

What still needs fixing.

It is so easy to overlook what's already working,

What and who are quietly holding us together.

That's what this challenge is all about,

Slowing down long enough to notice what's steady,

What's kind,

What's already good.

Taking a moment daily for the next 10 days to highlight what is right in your life,

Right now.

And gratitude isn't about pretending life's perfect,

Right?

It's about training your mind to pause and linger for a few moments and recognize the parts that are.

First things first,

Let's arrive here right now,

In this moment.

If you're comfortable doing so,

Gently close your eyes.

If not,

You can just soften your gaze and let your attention turn inward.

And let's start by just taking a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Really let yourself feel it.

And then exhale,

Maybe a little longer than usual,

Just letting your shoulders drop.

Let's do that again.

Long,

Slow,

Deep breath in through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

One more time,

Breathing in and now hold it at the top for a moment and release.

And now I'll ask you to bring your awareness to your body.

You don't need to change anything.

This is a grounding gratitude practice,

Where the only thing we need to do right now is just notice.

So bring your attention to your breath.

Is your breath deep?

Is it shallow?

Is it slow?

In this moment,

Is it fast or slow?

There's no right or wrong answer,

Just notice.

And now focus on your body.

Where are you holding tension?

Can you identify in your jaw,

Your shoulders,

Your belly?

Again,

We're not judging anything.

We're really just honestly dialing into how does your body feel right now?

Now I'll ask you to gently bring your attention to the space around you.

What do you hear?

What can you feel?

Is the chair or the couch or the bed that's beneath you,

Is it soft?

Is it hard?

Do you feel your feet on the ground?

What is the temperature in the air on your skin?

Is it warm?

Is it cool?

Now,

Gratitude begins with simply noticing.

When noticing the breath that keeps you alive without you having to think about it.

Just for a moment,

Let's give gratitude to this incredible God pod that does all of this automatic stuff that we never even have to think about.

Breathing,

Blinking your eyes,

Swallowing.

Just right now,

Notice this body that carries you through each day,

Even when you don't give it much credit or treat it very nice,

Right?

Now,

Even with your eyes closed,

Notice the light in the room.

Is it bright?

Is it natural?

Can you visualize it in your mind's eye without opening your eyes?

Now,

I want you to notice that you have this moment,

This pause,

This chance to begin again with more gratitude.

Because gratitude is not for checking boxes or a performance.

It is a felt experience.

So often,

We make gratitude into a mental exercise,

Listing things that we should be grateful for,

But real gratitude,

It lives in your body.

It's that warmth in your chest when you think about someone that you love.

It's how it feels to be reunited with someone that you haven't seen in a long time.

It's that feeling of having an incredible cup of coffee when you wake up in the morning.

It's a quiet settling in your nervous system.

So right now,

I invite you to think of one thing,

Just one,

That you feel genuinely thankful for.

It doesn't have to be big.

In fact,

Sometimes the smallest things are the most powerful.

Maybe it's the person who loves you exactly as you are,

Or a warm cup of tea this morning.

The fact that you woke up today with a chance to do it all over again,

Right?

A friend who lets you vent without fixing you,

That's my favorite.

So once you have that one thing,

Don't just name it,

Feel it,

Bring it into your body.

Imagine that feeling of gratitude settling into your chest.

Let yourself really be with the goodness of it.

Let it expand.

Let it soften something inside you.

If emotions come up,

Gratitude,

Relief,

Sadness,

Even grief,

That's okay.

Just let them be here.

They're all welcome.

They all belong.

Now just breathe into this feeling and memorize it with your body.

When you're ready,

Take one more long,

Slow,

Deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.

And as you bring your attention and your awareness back to the room that you're in,

The day that's in front of you,

To whatever's next,

Remember this.

You just practiced something radical.

In a world that constantly demands more from you,

You gave yourself permission to pause,

To notice,

To feel,

To be present to your blessings.

So before we finish,

I want to invite you to do one more thing.

Carry this feeling with you into the rest of the day.

We know that gratitude doesn't erase what's difficult,

But it helps us see more clearly.

And to bring us all together today on day one,

Please share one thing you feel grateful for in your life today in the challenge forum.

Tomorrow in day two,

You will look at the small,

Everyday pleasures that often pass unnoticed.

Good luck for the rest of the challenge,

And as always,

Take care of you.

Reviews

A beautiful moment of gratitude that helps me to be grateful for all of my blessings each and every day. Thank you 🙏

I love just being grateful and having gratitude for my mamy blessings I have in this life!

Thank you teacher! My heart is lined with gratitude. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❗️

Lovely guidance and transition to sleep. Thank you 🙏🏽

TC! Love your voice & message!
Calm Joy Self
Love 💕 have a blissful Day 🪷💖🌞

Thoughtful, awakening, succinct. Just what I needed!

What a lovely, calming, grounding voice, such clear directions really nice pace

Brilliant session, loved the references used. Met me where I'm at.

Love this as a daily practice! Thank you for being a bright light in the world ✨🤍

Very straightforward gratitude reflection and grounding, thanks 🙏🏻

Her voice is comforting as well as her gratitude prompts.

Appreciated the connection between mindfulness and gratitude!

Excellent. So true , there is a difference between listing gratitudes and really feeling them

Grateful for this meditation. And my ability to breath.

A must! As always Teri Cole excellent! Brings you back & reminds you of what really matters in life 🙏🏼 Namaste

Absolutely beautiful. Everything about that hit gently and perfectly.

Clear, connected to gratitude. Thank you, Terri. Your ripple goes far.

A beautiful, soul soothing experience gently delivered with grace ♥️