Karleigh Lynne

30 Days of Gratitude Week 4

When was the last time you showed gratitude for the actual things surrounding you?

And I don’t just mean “a roof over my head.”

I want you to truly take a step back and think about what you use, what you’re surrounded by. When you do this, you’re teaching your brain how to seek out gratitude instead of focusing so hard on the negative.

So in this last week of the Gratitude challenge, let’s be grateful for the things we take for granted. Let’s go!

Special Items

A lot of us hold onto things from our past and for good reason.

I’ve been obsessed with Eeyore since before I could talk. When I was 5 years old, I got my first stuffed Eeyore at Disneyland. I slept with it every night until I was 19 years old. The only reason I stopped is because I started spending a lot of time at my boyfriend’s house and I didn’t want to forget him there. I’m now 27 years old and I still have him. He’s right by my bed and I cuddle him most nights, especially when I’m having a hard time. I’m so incredibly grateful for him.

What are some things you have in your life that have a lot of meaning to them?

It doesn’t need to be something you got when you were a kid. Just anything that is special to you.

Maybe it’s a blanket, shirt, table, picture?

It’s possible you don’t have something that you absolutely loved and you miss it. That counts, too. You can still be grateful for the time you had with it and what it means to you.

It may not even be something that has a lot of nostalgic meaning. Maybe it’s something you bought with your own money after you left an abusive relationship. I still have the first shirt I bought for my son with my own money. That’s special.

Think about the things around you that really stand out and are special to you. Be grateful for them.

Things that support you day to day

What are things that you use everyday that you now take for granted?

There are a lot of things I used every dang day that I never acted grateful for.

Things like the coffee maker, my laptop, my water bottle, my Xbox, the clothes I wear.

Chances are, you’re in the same boat. You’re living your life spending so much time thinking about what you don’t have while forgetting what you do.

How are you reading this right now? Your phone? A computer at the library? A tablet? Be grateful for that.

Are you drinking anything? Be grateful for it. Are you sitting on a chair, at a desk? Scoot back and look at it. Show some gratitude.

By choosing to be grateful on purpose for these things, you’re teaching your brain to look for things to be grateful for. This means it won’t have as much energy to focus on the negative, thereby increasing your mood and your productivity.

Prompts

• What is an item I had as a kid that means/meant a lot to me?
• What is something that I keep because it feels special to me?
• How can I find ways to be grateful for the things that bring me joy?
• What is something I use every day? How can I be grateful for it?
• What is something I take for granted but want to show gratitude for?

Taking time to be grateful for the things in your life is another powerful way to teach your brain gratitude. Because our brains lean toward the negative, you’re naturally drawn towards the things you want, things you don’t have. This contributes to a lot of crappy feelings and can contribute to depression and anxiety. Learning how to be grateful for the things around us forces our brains to find things to be grateful for daily.

This means that overall, you’ll be happier, more joyful, and even if something does happen, you won’t be down for as long. That’s how powerful gratitude is.

This is the last week of the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge! I can’t believe it’s already been a month.

I’d love for you to shout yourself out and be proud of the work you’re doing! Be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can celebrate with you! I want to cheer you on! I’m so dang proud of you!

Click here to find me on Insta!