5 WAYS TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND BE THANKFUL IN YOUR LIFE

Every day is a blessing and we are the lucky ones to experience it. Expressing gratitude requires us to sit back, reflect and count our blessings. Every day we have two choices: to stay in bed and keep dreaming, or to wake up and make our dreams a reality. Neither one is wrong because it is how you want to spend your life, but isn’t’ it wonderful to have the freedom to choose? We think we have all the time in the world, but time is simply an illusion. There is no better timing for anything than the present moment. When you learn to live in the present, and let go of past worries or future predictions, you might just realise how much you have to be thankful for. 

APPRECIATE EVERY BREATH

​I am amazed at how little appreciation we give to the one aspect that keeps us alive. Our breath is the rhythm of our life, it guides us through anything and nothing would be possible without it. As you wake up one morning, open your eyes and tale 5 minutes to just lay there in your bed. Start by inhaling through the nose all the way into your lungs, hold the breath for a few seconds then exhale through the mouth. With every inhale, bring your attention to your body and what happens when you inhale. Notice the air coming through the nose, into the lungs; notice your belly rising and your body receiving this beautiful energy. As you exhale through the mouth, realise just how you let the breath go out of your body completely. Continue with this mindful breathing exercise and start to appreciate every inhale, nourishing your body with a brand new opportunity to feel truly alive. You can also be thankful to every exhale, for allowing you to release the body completely, to let anything that no longer serves you go out of your self. If you start your day with complete awareness of your breath, bringing it in a deep, peaceful flow you can send this beautiful energy to your whole body, the physical, mental and emotional part. Realising then that everything else is secondary, that so long as you breathe, you are alive dear one! ​

BREAK OUT OF YOUR ROUTINE

FOR ONE DAY

Sometimes we can become so dependent on our daily routine that we fail to see all the blessings we get from each day. We can operate on a robotic level, focusing only on what we know. But every day, the universe sends us small signs of hope and inspiration, if only we just allow ourselves to see these. The truth is every day we can create something new, we can become more motivated, more in tune with what is going on within and around us. Do something completely different. Take the day off from work and understand that the world is not going to stop by you doing so. Regardless if you have your own business or work for somebody else, appreciating yourself and your existence should be your top priority in life. This way you can do so for everything you do and for those around you. Wake up, treat yourself to a nice breakfast (not a rushed take away bagel) go for a walk at your local park or beach, read that book you always wanted to start but never got around to it; allow yourself to actually enjoy your day, not to just live, but to feel truly alive. This will no doubt bring you more appreciation for the world, your life and passions. 

YOU ARE FREE

Perhaps one of the most underestimated aspects of life is that we are completely free to choose! Yes I mean it, you are free to live the life you want to live. The reason why we fail to see this sometimes is because we impose limitations in our path. This comes from an internal state of worry, fear and the need to be in control. The hard cold truth is that the more you try to control your life and every day, the more constricted you become internally. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to see that life is a magical journey in its full simplicity. When it feel complex it’s because this is your perception of it. Let yourself feel the freedom, the way you can just wake up and are free to choose how you will spend your day. If you don’t enjoy how you are doing so, then know that you are free to choose, to make changes so that every day, you do things that align with your purpose and your joy of life. 

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES

Take a mental walk down memory lane when you first met your partner or good friend. Reflect on the excitement you felt, the appreciation you had for them; how thankful you were to the divine that this person walked into your life. Just as we get stuck in a daily routine, we can do so with our social relationships as well. We forget to embrace every moment spent with these amazing souls that bring so much value, joy and love into our life. When was the last time you spent time with one of these people and truly appreciated every moment you were together? The most precious thing we can give to somebody and them to us is time, because as we should live in the moment, we realise that what matters is how we spend this present moment. Plan a date with your lover or good friend in which you just listen to them; look into their eyes and appreciate their existence on this planet and feel thankful for not only having them in your life, but for them wanting to be part of it and you part of theirs. As you sit there with them, remind yourself that your life in this moment is about you and them, together sharing a beautiful experience. Don’t worry about future happenings or past mistakes, just embrace this moment, together in the now and feel grateful for it. 

APPRECIATE YOURSELF

​How often do you feel lucky to be you? How often do you appreciate living this journey as you? There are so many reasons why you should be doing this and realising just what a beautiful, unique soul you are on this planet. Take time to get to know you; learn to appreciate every part of your being. Look at your body and give thanks to every part of it, for helping you become an active contributor to the world; give thanks to your mind for helping you be present in every moment (when you actually allow yourself to do so); give thanks to your emotional self for helping you feel so that you can feel truly alive and human; give thanks to your soul, that energetic part of you that is guiding you through life and is always there for you, even when you choose to ignore its guidance. Realise that you are unique and that what you see as flaws are really those little parts of you that nobody else has, they are the small aspects that make you, you! Be thankful for yourself, for your existence for the love you can give to yourself, others and the world; for the amazing things you can manifest to serve the world and others selflessly; for the simple fact that you are alive and you are experiencing this moment as you. Nobody else has that, only you, so learn to love it and remind yourself of this daily.