21 Days Of Gratitude: Gratitude Challenge Update

Those of you who have been following along with this newsletter for a while now know that this November we are challenging you to incorporate gratitude into your daily life. I have been participating in this gratitude challenge myself and I thought that I would fill you in on my experience. 

Day 21 of this gratitude challenge has helped me to understand that all of the power we hold exists within the present moment. When you live in the future or the past, you give this power away. In this way, gratitude has helped remove me from the anxiety that comes with the unknown of the future, and instead to ground down into the ease of the present moment. Rather than waiting for the next big thing, I have began to revel in the many amazing opportunities that have already come my way and promptly act upon them.

Since adopting this daily gratitude practice, there has been a big shift in how I approach my work as a writer. I have stopped tirelessly pursuing the approval of a publisher to validate my work and have instead thrown myself into the creative process of writing because of the tingly, invigorated feeling I leave the keyboard with. With gratitude, the feeling that creating gifts me with is enough on it's own; anything else is icing on the cake. This doesn't mean that I have abandoned publishing my work altogether, rather I am now open to alternatives and can better enjoy the process while I work towards my goals. Instead of throwing my entire worth as a writer into the approval or rejection of a publisher, fixating on gratitude helps me detach from the outcome and remain open to possibilities I may not be aware of. Rather than an all or nothing approach, I now approach my work with a this or something better mentality. 

I have also become more resourceful, focusing on what I have rather than what I lack. For instance, feeling grateful for the food I have at home has helped me to be more creative when it comes to mealtime. Rather than scowling at the empty cupboards, scrolling through takeout menus, feeling gratitude for what I already have opens up new possibilities for a seemingly bland pantry. A pantry stocked with oats, sweet potatoes and bananas shifts from a mild disappointment to the creation of sweet potato pancakes. Choosing to feel grateful has helped me to work with what I have to create more of what I want– making lemonade out of lemons, so to speak. 

All in all, honing in on gratitude has thus far created a greater sense of inner peace and ease in my life. I feel more grounded in the present, grateful for what I already have and ready to act upon opportunities as they come my way. 

We are eager to hear about your experience with this gratitude challenge, feel free to share below in the comment section, on Facebook or Instagram.

Sending lots of love and gratitude your way!

Amanda,

Conscious Ink Staffer