Feel The Gratitude! (Just Beware The "Gratitude Grinch"!)

 Feel The Gratitude! (Just Beware The "Gratitude Grinch"!)

By Frank Gjata,

Founder Conscious Ink

We’ve all heard about the power and benefits of having an attitude of gratitude. And it’s true. When we focus on what we’re grateful for, we emit an energy that welcomes more things to be grateful for. It’s the opposite of a vicious circle…it’s a delicious circle, you could say.

But what about when we're not feeling especially grateful? In fact, perhaps the opposite.

Cue in suspenseful music. Dun. Dun. Dun.

Are we bad people when we're not feeling the gratitude?

Perhaps we're in yoga class, or some other similar place or situation, when someone says, “Okay, everyone feel grateful now.” And we might easily go there in that moment. Or, in our head, we might go, “f#ck the f#ck off.

Has this happened to you? Have you ever felt "gratitude shamed”...for not being able to instantly shift to the attitude of gratitude, while everyone near you sits in a peaceful seated pose with prayer hands seemingly obediently blissfully grateful? 

Gratitude shaming. It’s a thing.

(At least, we may be shaming ourselves. And we may do so for feeling, or not feeling, a variety of things, like gratitude, we think we should, or shouldn't.)

If feeling grateful doesn't actually feel good in any particular moment, let that be a sign that perhaps another feeling wants to be moved through first.

So, what are we incorrigible ingrates to do??

Well, for starters, take a deep, full breath. 

Then go ahead and feel what you’re feeling. 

Whatever it is.

Whenever we act compassionately and unconditionally loving to ourselves, we will automatically and instantaneously be delivered to gratitude land. No coercing or efforting or cursing needed.

Sometimes, what is blocking our connection to gratitude is a feeling that we haven’t been willing to acknowledge, and feel.

So, go ahead. Feel away! 

We can’t lose here.  

— Cultivate a practice of gratitude that genuinely feels good to you. It will bring more goodness.

— Feel what you feel. Invite and allow all feelings to move through. That will feel good. You’ll feel grateful. And that will bring more goodness.

So, why not take this moment now to see which of the above routes you might be drawn to? 

Enjoy a few deep breaths.

Close your eyes (if it safe to do so).

Tune in to what/who you are genuinely grateful for. Feel the gratitude swirl within you.

And/or notice what other feeling may be showing up in this moment. Breathe. Be with it. Allow it to move through. Notice how you feel afterward. Repeat as needed. 

Sometimes, the "Gratitude Grinch" just needs some unconditional love to connect back to its true nature, like us all.

Thank you for being here. 

Frank Gjata

Founder, Conscious Ink