Repeat after me: “I don’t chase, I attract”, you wonderful, smart, soon-to-be gratitude powerhouse, you.
Doesn’t it seem like we’re totally BFFs already? And it’s only lesson thirteen!
That puts us well over the halfway point, with eight days left of these super-powered shenanigans.
One of the reasons it’s so great that you’ve decided to do this course is because you’re gaining all the positive side-effects that gratitude brings with it.
Gratitude unshackles you from toxic emotions.
And expressing your gratitude in writing amplifies its effect.
It allows you to release the stuff that’s standing between you and joy, and it creates better mental health by shifting your focus away from the toxic emotions, like resentment and envy.
When you sit down and start writing about how grateful you are and how much other people have contributed to your life, it becomes considerably harder for you to ruminate on your negative feelings.
Plus the effects of this kind of gratitude last a long time.
Many studies have suggested that the mental health benefits of positive activities often decrease over time after you’ve done them.
But with gratitude journaling, there’s a snowball effect over time.
Science hasn’t yet decoded exactly why this is, all we know is that gratitude takes time to build up. My guess is that it has something to do with the fact that you’re hardwiring a new habit into your brain.
And when it comes to the brain, the more and longer you do something, the more your brain reinforces that behaviour and becomes more efficient at it.
What I’m trying to say is; don’t worry if you don’t instantly feel dramatically better after starting this gratitude journaling practice.
Give it at least 21 days.
Because it’s only with consistent practice that you’ll experience the benefits – and not just in terms of gratitude – the optimism WILL leak into other areas of your life as well.
Studies have shown that simply expressing gratitude can have lasting effects on the brain. And that practising gratitude trains your brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude.
So, once you install that optimism lens on your brain, it’ll eventually start viewing everything through it and being grateful actually becomes easier.
And to make it all flow a little easier, here’s one of my favourite affirmations:
“I don’t chase, I attract. Everything that belongs to me will find me.”
Repeat as often as you need!
JOURNALING PROMPTS:
- What touched you today?
- What things do you own that make life easier?
- What are your 3 biggest accomplishments?
