Why REAL Gratitude Matters More Than Daily Gratitude Journals

Today, I want to dive into something we’ve all heard about but might not fully understand how to integrate into our lives: genuine gratitude and love.

And not just the surface-level “I’m grateful for my morning coffee” type of gratitude, but that deep, soul-fulfilling state that changes your entire perspective on life.

Practicing Gratitude: Not a To-Do List Entry

You’ve probably heard a ton about keeping a gratitude journal. “Just write down three things you’re grateful for every day,” they say, and voila, your life will transform into a series of wonderful miracles.

But let’s get real for a moment — gratitude is not about treating it like a daily chore or just another checkbox on your to-do list.

Think about it: when you genuinely feel grateful, you don’t need to remind yourself to jot it down.

It just happens. You FEEL it.

Like when you see a stunning sunset or catch a whiff of your favourite flower, you’re automatically swept up in a moment of pure appreciation. You don’t go, “Oh, I need to write this down later.” No, you just feel it, right there, in the moment.

The key here is to stop forcing it. If you’re just ticking boxes, are you truly feeling grateful, or are you just going through the motions because someone told you it would make you more successful or happier?

The latter, my friends, is what we need to move away from.

Healing: The Path to True Gratitude

Okay, let’s break this down a bit more. You’re using practices and techniques to “get to” gratitude or love, but here’s the problem: if those practices feel like hard work, then you’re not there yet. And that’s perfectly okay.

It simply means there’s some more healing to be done. Maybe you’re dealing with past hurts, self-doubt, or any of the multitude of life’s challenges.

The act of healing isn’t a one-and-done job. It’s like peeling an onion — you might cry a lot, and sometimes it feels never-ending, but each layer brings you closer to that core of who you are.

When you heal, you naturally become more loving and grateful. It’s like waking up and suddenly realising that the very act of living is a miracle in itself.

Trust me, when you’re genuinely healed and whole, gratitude and love won’t be practices you need to remind yourself of. They’ll simply be your way of being.

Can you imagine that?

Waking up every day and living from a place of such deep gratitude that everything else just falls into place?

The Power of Conscious Effort

Now, don’t get me wrong — there’s something to be said for making a conscious effort as you work on your healing.

It’s like putting on a “gratitude coat” to remind yourself that gratitude exists, even if it’s not quite second nature yet. You might not be naturally grateful for the traffic jam or the extra workload, but by making that conscious effort, you’re nudging yourself closer to that state of being.

But remember, the goal isn’t to wear that coat forever. Eventually, you want gratitude and love to become as automatic as breathing. That’s where the magic happens.

Bringing it All Together

So, here’s the big takeaway: don’t force gratitude.

Work on healing yourself first. Feel what you need to feel, peel back those onion layers, and one day, you’ll wake up and realise that love and gratitude have become part of your DNA.

Think of it like tuning an instrument. At first, it takes some effort. You might not hit the right notes immediately, but with patience and practice, you’ll start to play your unique melody effortlessly. Your life will become a beautiful composition of genuine emotions, and isn’t that the kind of symphony we’re all striving for?

So, take a deep breath, give yourself grace, and begin that beautiful journey of inner healing.

Trust me, when you reach that state where love and gratitude flow effortlessly, you’ll look back and realise that all that work was not just worth it—it was absolutely transformative.

Here’s to your incredible journey towards genuine gratitude and unconditional love. Until next time, keep healing and keep believing in the beauty of your own unique path.

Alexia Leachman
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