How Gratitude Brings Clarity [Two Simple Ways I'm Practicing Gratitude + More Thoughts on a Mid-Year Reset]

Let’s talk gratitude…

It’s week two of the July #soulmindbodyselfcare Reset. So, let’s talk about gratitude. Probably not the most popular topic [or is it?], but so key to this whole Reset. And life.

But you knew that.

If we’re not consistently practicing gratitude we’re going to lose sight of whats really important.

We’re going to hold on where we should let go.

We’re going to hoard + scrounge + cling. Meanwhile, the things that are important are going to pass us by before we even realize it.

I don’t want that and I’m guessing you don’t either. That’s why I sandwiched a week of focusing on gratitude in-between our weeks of naming what we need to let go of and naming what we need to embrace.

Gratitude is going to bring clarity to both.

How does gratitude bring clarity? Here are a few ways it brings clarity for me:

+ It helps put everything into perspective. When I look at the list of things I’m grateful for, it makes the little difficulties (even the big ones) pale in comparison to all of the blessings in my life.

+ It makes it clear where my priorities are. When I take the time to focus on gratitude, it shows me where and when I haven’t. And then I begin to see what I’ve been prioritizing. Where I’ve been holding on when I should be letting go.

I need you to know, dear reader – mama on the other side of the screen – gratitude doesn’t come easily to me. It’s not my default. I’m more of a glass half empty person.

But I also don’t want to throw up my hands in resignation. I don’t want to give up on something that I believe is key to “letting go of everything that isn’t important so we can fully embrace everything that is.”

Here are two simple ways I am choosing to practice gratitude daily:

No. 1 I am setting aside 15 minutes every day (usually first thing in the morning) to practice mindfulness, spend some time in prayer, and then name what I’m grateful for. The gratitude part seriously takes less than a minute, but it always leaves me feeling refreshed. I just start mentally listing all the things I’m grateful for in that moment and I stop when I feel done.

No. 2 I’m keeping a gratitude list. Just brain dump style. I leave my notebook out on the kitchen counter all day and when I pass it, as I think of things, I write down what I’m grateful for.