For a long time, I operated as though gratitude was something I expressed only when things were going well. But over time, I’ve learned it’s most powerful when things feel uncertain or even difficult. Unlike the “thank you” we may say when someone hands us something, it is the kind of gratitude that shifts your perspective, the kind that makes you pause in the middle of your day and realise, “wow, there’s so much here to be thankful for”.
I don’t think gratitude ignores our struggles; I think it gives us the strength to see beyond them. I also believe the way we feel on the inside shapes the decisions we make on the outside. And really, whenever I’m in a grateful space, I make choices with more clarity and less pressure. I’m not rushing, I’m not comparing myself to others, and I’m not making decisions out of fear. I had decided to operate from this perspective because I had compared myself with others for a long time, or felt like nothing was enough. And nothing good comes out of constant worrying. This made me realise that growth feels empty without gratitude because there were times I achieved things I once prayed for, but instead of celebrating, I just rushed on to the next thing, and that left me feeling restless and unsatisfied.
Gratitude changes that. It allows me to pause and say, “This is progress. This is worth appreciating“. Even when things don’t go as planned, being grateful helps me see the lesson in every occurrence, instead of just the loss.
I believe the most beautiful part of gratitude is how it shapes our outlook for the future. When I choose gratitude, I’m not as anxious about what’s ahead. It reminds me that if I’ve made it through past challenges, I can handle what’s coming. It fills me with hope and reminds me that better is always possible.
Being grateful won’t erase life’s problems, but it will completely change how I experience them. It brings to my consciousness all the good experiences I’ve been blessed to have experienced, acknowledging that I need to put in the work to achieve my goals, and makes me feel grateful enough to want to pour into others.
If there’s one practice I’d encourage anyone to adopt, it’s really to pause and notice. Notice what you already have: the people in your life, the progress you’ve made, the moments of laughter, the breath in your lungs. Cause truly, when WE are grateful, OUR blessings multiply.
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