This Simple Practice Is The Key To A Joyful Life

I am not sure it's possible to express the immense feelings of love, joy, pride and gratitude I feel when I look at these two photos of my boys and I.

There is just something so powerful about being a mother. Something so incredibly rewarding when you look at the children you birthed and raised and see who they are becoming. It warms your heart to the point it feels like exploding.

And that feeling, is never just a one time feeling. It's a lifelong vibe you get to enjoy, if you choose to. The immense gratitude for everything you can possibly think of and imagine about what it means to be a mother, as well as the joy you take in creating life and watching it grow, is indescribable.

The same is true when it comes to actively appreciating anything and everything in your life. Expressing your gratitude for everything you can possibly think of fills you up to the point of bursting.

Over the years, I've practiced gratitude to the point it has become a way of life. It wasn't always that way. I used to complain A LOT. All I could see was my lack, my struggle, my pain. 

Thankfully, I learned that my negative attitude was really bad for me and my health. Studies have concluded that the expression of gratitude can have profound and positive effects on our health, our moods and even profoundly impact our relationships. That was enough for me to dig in and get to practicing daily gratitude.

A few years ago, I hosted a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge. I was authentically so grateful for a plethora of things at that time I couldn't keep quiet about it. As I shared, I saw more women open up and share as well. Even to this day, women write in to me and say they are seeing the profound benefits.



This Thanksgiving I am beyond grateful. I appreciate the circle of my own life.

9 years ago my boys and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a liberated family. Seeing the joy and fun on my tired face in the older photo makes my heart warm over and shed tears of gratitude for what we've overcome as a family.

As I reflect back on the past 9 years, there has been a lot we have had to work through. I could focus on the struggle and mess it has been OR I can choose to see the beauty, triumph and joy it has been to recover from.

Looking at these two photos, I am grateful for my inner strength, courage and joy. Without it, I honestly have no idea where we'd be. I am grateful for my boys, they have proven to be so resilient.

These photos depict a sense of joy, love, unity. What you don't see is all the mess, chaos, hardship, struggle we endured together. In spite of those difficulties, we grew stronger.

A gratitude mindset helps you shift from a focus on your struggles to embrace life's challenges and roll with them. Trust that life is cycling in just the way it needs to for your ultimate good and growth.

9 years ago, was our first Thanksgiving after a volatile family split. While I could share all the challenges that were still in existence at the time, I'd rather share the victories. The biggest one being, I finally stood up for us and chose to move on in spite of how hard it was.

I know for many people the holiday's can bring up a lot of pain. They can feel so challenging for so many reasons (divorce, death of a loved one, family far away and more). This is a reminder to be of GREAT COURAGE.

No matter how hard life seems right now, you have what it takes to thrive.

You likely have so much in your life that you CAN be thankful for. You can be thankful for what you have personally overcome. Be grateful for where you may have had to take a stand for yourself in your own life. Choose to see where you've succeeded or an area of your life have you grown in.

Be grateful for any trauma you have healed from, even if you are not yet done healing. Choose to see it, even if it brings a few tears along with it. Gratitude (along with safety) heals those inner battle scars.

9 years ago, I was in a very different place emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. I was only just beginning to put myself back together, so I could also do the same for my kids. As I reflect, one thing I am incredibly grateful for was learning personal responsibility, for not only my actions but my ENERGY.

You see, I have had plenty to bitch about in life. Plenty of shit happened to me that was ugly and negative. I could dwell on it if I chose to, but I found when I did that in the past it only made me feel worse.

What I learned over the years is that gratitude helps me feel more hope, and it diminishes negative feelings such as resentment and regret.

And what I've seen is, the more I shift my mindset and choose gratitude, the more joy and satisfaction I experience in my life. 

Additionally, gratitude also makes me want to be more helpful, supportive, and charitable to others. Instead of stuck in my own 'shit' and feeling sorry for myself.

So a powerful way to find joy and satisfaction in life is to appreciate the brightness that already exists in your life (even if there's shitty stuff too).

Feeling gratitude for each moment you experience, and loving what is and what has been, will remind you that every breath you take holds a deep and profound awareness.

I am in love with my life now, what could be more joyful than that?

If you liked this post and are ready to practice gratitude, I encourage you to start today. It's as simple as keeping a small journal beside your bed and writing a couple things in first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed at night. As you practice it on your own and feel the benefits, don't forget to share your active appreciation with your family and friends.

You can make it a practice to tell your family something you appreciate about them every day. I also encourage you to tell YOURSELF something you are grateful for about YOU. Look in the mirror and tell yourself something you appreciate about yourself today!

Now, I'd love to hear from you. What are you grateful for in your life right now? How has a practice of gratitude caused you to experience more joy? Let me know in the comments.