Journaling

It’s actually the doorway to joy. Brené Brown spent over a decade researching thousands of people and found something she didn’t expect: it’s not joyful people who are grateful. It’s grateful people who become joyful. Gratitude and joy feed each other, and gratitude is what lights the fire first.

But in my personal practice, it only “works” when I can actually feel it. Not just think it.

So I don’t start with what I’m grateful for. I start with what I’ve received. What brought me relief. What made me feel supported. An opportunity.

And I wait for that “ah” feeling in my body before I write anything down.

It’s a small shift that makes gratitude go from a task to something that actually fills you up.

I invite you to try just one thing today. Think of something (even something subtle or small) that you’ve received recently. Maybe it’s a kind word, an open door, a moment that gave you a little more breathing room. Something that, when you sit with it, brings that quiet sense of… relief. Like a sigh. Like a breath of fresh air. Start there. That’s your gratitude.