Introducing gratitude in your life

The way you choose to start your day will determine how you will feel for the rest of it. The truth it most of us are completely aware of how important it is to prioritise our well-being, but sometimes don’t really know where to start. If life has been giving you lemons lately and you allowed them to rot instead of making lemonade, you may find it more difficult to get out of your current state of stress, confusion, anxiety, pressure, depression or whatever you are feeling at this point in your life that is blocking your true potential. The good news is that you do have it in you to make a change, but you must take 100% responsibility for it and take the first step. Every day is an opportunity to reinvent yourself, to be more open minded, to become more flexible in your approach, to love without expecting in it return, to be more focused, present and disciplined. And every moment in life is an experience which we can see with an open mind or from our ego’s perception. Ultimately, how we interpret what life brings for us influences our entire reality.

There is no such thing as a “bad day”. The word bad is the association we make to specific situations we react to in a matter we label as “bad” by comparing it with something we label as good. This is usually life seen through the ego self, that part of us which desires, craves more, creates our self-limiting beliefs and validates our fears by keeping us in an illusionary bubble of protection. Whilst the ego does play a part in our existence in the physical realm, learning to live from a deeper source will add more depth to our existence as a whole.
 
Wake up every morning feeling gratitude and find two aspects you feel thankful for. Some people may name five, ten, thirty whilst others will start with a small number. The important thing is to bring your awareness to these aspects and notice how it makes you feel when you show gratitude. Step out of the little bubble of self-entitlement and never-ending desires society teaches us to aspire to and connect with yourself, with that inner part of you that sometimes (in most cases more often than not) gets overshadowed by your ego. Give yourself some time first thing in the morning and get out in the nature before you get on with your activities for the day. You can go for a walk, choose to do some yoga or meditation in the park or if you are near a beach, simply sit by the water and relax, observe everything that’s around you with an open mind and slowly shift your attention inward. Focus on your senses – breathe, see and feel the fresh breeze against your skin; hear the ocean waves or tree branches around you move freely with the currents, let the sun’s rays radiate warmth and light upon and within you. Take this feeling of inner peace and light with you throughout your day and when something takes you away from it, remind yourself of it once again and go back to that state. Whatever happens, just know that you have that power to bring that feeling back to you whenever you want. The more you practice this, the more consistent it will become. Open your heart, help others if you can, smile more. Become aware of everything that exists in the present and what is happening for you in the now. Look around you and realise there is more to your world than just yourself. Be thankful, explore and enjoy life!