“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self-love and gratitude are both important to living well.  Both will influence who you pick as a partner, how you present at work, in your relationships with family/friends, how you engage in sports or fitness, and how you cope with problems in your life. 

Let’s first define self-love and gratitude. 

What is self-love? 

It is the state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth.  Self-love grows or changes by those things that mature us.  When we do things that will expand our self-love, we can begin to accept our weaknesses and strengths and feel less of a need to explain our short-comings to others.  This will help one focus on finding personal meaning and fulfilling this through our own efforts.  The more self-love you have the more you will attract those people or circumstances that will support a healthy well-being. 

What is gratitude? 

It is the quality of being thankful or a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It has been suggested that gratitude is one of the most important human emotions for the success of society.  It is a powerful tool for increasing one’s well-being in many different areas of their life.  It is a source of human strength.  When we feel gratitude and express gratitude, it can cause a chain reaction of reciprocal good deeds.  This will reinforce one’s appreciation of relationships with others.  Think of gratitude as being a nutrient that feeds our relationships, in any setting of our daily lives (Family, work, school, etc); when we express our gratitude, it not only helps us be happier, it improves the lives of others.   As humans, we often develop our own set of routines and expectations that lead to a sense of comfort in which we take things and each other for granted.  This will affect the quality of our relationships and our sense of well-being.  Relationships within ourselves and  with others need to be nourished to grow.  Being more aware of what truly makes you happy will help bring positivity back into life when things can be tough. 

Self-love and gratitude are habits that should be a part of your daily life.  While we cannot control all aspects of our life, we can reverse our thinking to be more positive when life throws it’s curve balls.  Happiness does not come from achieving bigger and better; it comes from being grateful for those things that we have.  Below are some ways to expand self-love and express gratitude, which in turn will help us be more aware of our strengths rather than what we lack, resulting in improved relationships with others and improved self-worth.  Own yourself, there is nothing more badass than that!!

Tips To Expand Self-love

• Be mindful-be aware of what you are thinking, what you are feeling, and what you want. This will help one be in touch with who they are and act on this rather than acting on what others might want from them
• Understand needs and wants-when we turn away from those things that feel good and exciting to do what is needed to stay strong and centered this increases our self-love and helps us stay focused on what is needed rather than automatic behaviors typically lesson self-love
• Self-care-take care of your basic needs, nourish yourself with healthy activities, proper sleep, and social interactions
• Set boundaries-set limits or say no to those things that cause harm to you physically, emotionally, or spiritually
• Protect yourself and your relationships-get rid of those relationships that take pleasure in your pain or loss; focus on those relationships that take pleasure in your happiness and success
• Forgive yourself-it is beneficial to take responsibility for our actions, however punishing ourselves too much will interfere with our ability to learn and grow. Accept the fact that you are not perfect, remember:  There are no failures only lessons learned.  When one is unable to move past shame one does not feel worthy or lovable.
• Live intentionally-if your intention is to live a meaningful or healthy life, your decisions you make will support this and you will accomplish what you are setting out to do

Ways To Express Gratitude

• Before you start your day acknowledge those things you are grateful for; this can set the tone for the day
• Spend time with those people in your life that are positive, loved, and you are thankful for; positive relationships are the strongest predictors of happiness and one’s ability to cope with stress
• Take time to express your love and gratitude; one will feel more grateful if they generate positive energy. Always be aware of what you are putting into the world; you are going to receive whatever you put in
• Don’t focus on the negative-focus on embracing the positive moments, when we do this we slow down enough to enjoy the little things in life

 

Embrace the happiness and pain of life-what matters in life is how we deal with negative moments; when we are able to identify the lesson in both positive and negative moments we will grow as people and in our relationships. Look at negative moments as challenges that you can overcome instead of times of regret. 

If you are interested in working with me please CLICK HERE to Schedule Your Appointment. 

Please feel free to email me directly at Maggie@CardinalPointWI.com

Be Grateful Every Day!

 

 

 

Maggie Ann Wellness Solutions Located At Cardinal Point in Menasha, WI