THE TRUTH ABOUT GRATITUDE

With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about gratitude and how living a thankful life can make you a genuinely happier person. This post is definitely a little more heart-felt than usual, but I felt compelled to write it. So, here goes…

SHOP MY LOOK

THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS?

I’m not claiming to know the secret to happiness, but I CAN say that becoming a more grateful person has helped me find a new level of contentment and I want to share how I did it!

It doesn’t matter where you are, who you are, or what your life situation may be. You can always change your life with gratitude. However, you need to do more than think gratefully, you need to actually feel it. You need to feel it in your heart and every inch of your body! It may sound difficult, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy! (I’ll touch on this more coming up).

“CHOOSE YOUR TUDE”

When you’re sitting at home or in your car thinking about everything that’s going wrong in your life, it’s not really a good feeling is it? For me, it can oftentimes lead to a downward spiral headed straight for Crazy-Town. Population 2: Kanye & Me. (Only difference is Kanye makes money off of his angst.) #ChampaignProblems

The key is to recognize when you’re about to spiral out so that you can stop the Negative Nancy transition before she totally takes over. I like to call this the “Choose Your Tude” moment. It’s basically when you tell yourself to shut up (kindly of course) and you immediately start listing off the positives in your life. “I have a loving family, my best friend is coming to visit this weekend, I’m taking a trip to XYZ in a few months, etc.”

If you feel like you don’t have a single thing to be thankful for, then be grateful for the air in your lungs. Be grateful for an able body that can get you from point A to point B. Be thankful for the roof over your head.

There were days when I felt like the only thing I had to be thankful for was half of a leftover sandwich in the fridge. (And my husband. He reads this). It doesn’t matter what it is Find something good and run with it.

TIPS FOR STAYING GRATEFUL

SAY IT/WRITE IT

Writing these positives down definitely helps, but I like saying them out loud and listing them off when I say my prayers at night. Remember when I told you that you need to think it and feel it? Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the blessings in my life that I start to cry! I’m talking “I’m watching The Notebook for the first time” cry. I feel like an absolute lunatic, but it really feels so good!

VISUAL AID & PROOF IT WORKS

My Senior year of college I read The Secret and it talked all about how gratitude and mindfulness could help you get what you want out of life. It’s all about the law of attraction, and I was IN TO IT! So, I decided to doodle the word “Gratitude” right above my door handle. When I shut my door at night, I saw it. When I opened my door in the morning, I saw it. After a month, I met the man that is now my husband.

Fast forward five years, and I’m having a difficult time at my job. I’m unhappy with the course of my career and feeling stuck in a rut. I created a vision board filled with my goals as well as pictures of my loved ones. It reminded me that even if I’m not where I want to be at the moment I still have, and will always have, this amazing group of people that love and support me. About six months later I created TheNomisNiche.com and quit my full time job to focus on blogging. Less than a year after that I landed the exact job that I had been dreaming of. I also just found my vision board when we moved in August. Everything came true! I’m talking everything.

GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS

Experts say it takes about 21 days to form a habit. (I still don’t know why they couldn’t just say 20, but whatever). Here are a easy habits to get into as you continue your journey of gratitude. When you’re in the car, say thank you every time you stop. Make it a point to say thank you seven times in a row to yourself everyday (like when you brush your teeth or when you’re making the coffee). Say thank you to the people around you, and if they’re not there, write them a thank you letter. Everyone likes getting mail that isn’t a bill 🙂

DON’T BELIEVE ME?

If you’ve read though this and still think I’m full of it, take it from these people…

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” – Dalai Lama

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

As I wrap this post up, I want to say thank you to all of you for visiting The Noms Niche. I hope you have an incredible Thanksgiving and if you’re brave enough to participate in Black Friday, Godspeed!

Love, Lindsey