From Psychology Today:
“Experiencing and expressing gratitude is an important part of any spiritual practice. It opens the heart and activates positive emotion centers in the brain. Regular practice of gratitude can change the way our brain neurons fire into more positive automatic patterns. The positive emotions we evoke can soothe distress and broaden our thinking patterns so we develop a larger and more expansive view of our lives. Gratitude is an emotion of connectedness, which reminds us we are part of a larger universe with all living things.
To begin bringing gratitude into your life, you can deliberately meditate on all the things in your own life that help you or give you pleasure. You can also write a gratitude diary, posting pictures and writing about the things you feel grateful for each day…Gratitude can lead to feelings of love, appreciation, generosity, and compassion, which further open our hearts and help rewire our brains to fire in more positive ways.”
I have been keeping a gratitude journal for the past few weeks as part of focusing on the positive things, and I like that habit. I write down a few things I am grateful for, and/or an inspirational quote, but I would hypothetically include a happy doodle or drawing, if I felt so inspired.
Currently I am very appreciative of
- the good amount of sleep I’m getting
- coffee with stevia, and pre-workout caffeine
- my massage tonight
- a quiet house with time to myself
- my unwavering passion and dedication to my upcoming competitions
- my powerlifting coach Dan
- my nutrition coaches Dr. Joe and Michelle
- my roll dawg Emily for going to Argentina with me
- my bodybuilding patna Maria
- funny cat memes
- the artistic designs on mah nails
- the warm weather going on now
ETC!
Simple pleasures, my friends. I’m a simple creature?!
What are you grateful for today?
with love and appreciation,
Kristina
MAR