Grateful

I don't like to admit this, but I have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of my circumstances.

I noticed this about myself a few years ago when I found myself in a place of constantly dwelling on all that was going wrong rather than enjoying the moment and focusing on the good things.

I got tired of listening to my own complaints and dealing with my own bad attitude. I got tired of being grumpy or sulky. And I realized that complaining and dwelling on negativity doesn't help me or others or the situation, in fact, it often hurts.

What helps is action and being present to the moment and, most of all, gratitude. Gratitude shifts our perspective and causes us to seek out the good things in our circumstances. Gratitude is powerful. And no matter what: there is always, always, always something to be grateful for.

If you're in that place of feeling like negativity is all you see - I'm sorry and I get it. I wonder if practicing gratitude would ease some of that heaviness for you.

For me, finding something to be grateful for was a habit that changed my life for the better. I started small and slow but it's become a regular part of my life and I can see what a difference it's made in my overall outlook. It doesn't make everything okay (even though I wish it did) and it doesn't mean that there aren't super awful parts of life (cause there are) but it does help me get through the not-okay parts of life with more joy and the awful parts with hope. ​