The Gratitude Effect

“Happy people don’t make grateful people; grateful people make happy people.”

It’s November 2021. This kicks off the cheerful, giving, and thankful spirit that you and I embrace all year long. It’s a welcome reminder to remain mindful of our blessings and continue to look for opportunities to share our blessings.

One of my favorite traditions in my family is to go around the table and share the things we’re grateful for. Nothing’s too small to mention because “little” blessings aren’t real. God orchestrated innumerable pieces of history, thoughts, actions, and miracles to give us every single good thing we have in our lives. Isn’t that crazy to think about?!

If one person did one thing differently, whole civilizations would have never come into existence and entire generations would cease to exist. Just the same, if one person was never born, we might be missing vital pieces of scientific methodology to bring electricity into existence. This would mean no air conditioning. No air fryers. NO INSTANT POTS!!!!! Even the “smallest” blessings are a huge deal. The week I spent without my air fryer was a dark time in my household.

There are so many who wish they had what we have and vice versa.

Gratitude is more than a warm and fuzzy word. It literally improves our mindset, our health, and our quality of life. One of the most beautiful parts of my morning routine is gratitude. I don’t force myself to get all mushy deep with it. I just write 3 things I’m grateful for. That’s it. It can be the fact that my son gave me a hug without asking me for something immediately after, hot water in my house, and dogs with character and big personalities. Sometimes it’s as simple as “I’m grateful I can cook, I don’t currently have crazy clients, and I can talk to Jesus to stay out of jail.” Let’s count our blessings, my friend. Not being in jail is a big one. We’re too pretty for that nonsense.

Starting my day off by acknowledging the things going right in my life wires my brain to expect and focus on more positive things throughout my day, even if it’s truly the day from hell. The average person can think 4 conscious thoughts at once. Our subconscious minds process 11 million bits of information at a time. When we create habits like affirmations and gratitude before we start interacting with our families and the rest of the world, it teaches our brains how to react and what to expect over time.

When we approach life with a naturally positive outlook, we’re stressed less which adds years to our lives and lowers our risk for a plethora of painful or life-threatening issues like cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart problems, high cholesterol, and nerve damage. That said, I want to share a few things I’m grateful for this year.

Some might look at my life and see the painful losses, and struggles that I’ve faced, but I see all that I still have to treasure, and all of the struggles God has helped me overcome. I see the tangible growth I have prayed for. I see answered prayers that are a clear indicator that God sees me, loves me, and lights my path of purpose.

I can never thank God enough for my family.

My kids are my world. Their father may be with our Heavenly Father, but he left me the most beautiful blessings who are my favorite people on this planet from the inside out.

I’m elated when I see how far they’ve come from one year to the next. I can’t believe their talents and intellect came from my body.

I’m overwhelmed with joy when I see them accomplishing dreams and goals they’re proud of. No “I love you.” goes without adoration. I love them right back with my whole being.

My clients are bad mama-jammas!

My clients are amazing! Simply for following my pages, working with me, and implementing all that they learn, they’re changing their legacies. They mean business when they’re making informed decisions and asking questions from the doctor’s office to the grocery store, having conversations with those around them about their health, switching up their habits, and prioritizing their health. Anyone who takes the initiative to create and live out their best life from the roots on up is a force to be reckoned with. I am forever honored that my clients – including you, my reader – allow me to guide and assist you. I don’t take your trust and dedication lightly!

A healthy body and a sound mind should never go unappreciated.

I don’t take for granted my ability to think clearly and move freely. I like making my own decisions. I would hate to rely on someone else to make all of my decisions for me. The way my family is set up…we’d never be on time for a thing again. Nothing would be clean the way I want it. My meals would rarely be what I want and prepared the way I want. My business would be nearly impossible to run. My life would lack a lot of its vibrance without my clear thinking and free-will.

When I see people hurting and experiencing physical ailments, it breaks my heart knowing that 9 times out of 10, their illnesses are avoidable with education. The ideas and “facts” we’re fed from birth about nutrition focuses on the wrong things and presents blatant lies for truth. The most visible health and wellness information sets us up for failure and it’s not acceptable. Pain and suffering are popular, not natural. Read that again!

I’m so grateful for the little whispers of wisdom as I fought the uphill battle to find healing for my child. Those whispers lead to my own healing and this platform to change the future for millions of people for generations to come.

My relationship with God is the axis of my peace.

My relationship with God has completely transformed who I am as a person. People who knew me before I truly knew Christ would never believe I am who I am today. Obviously, maturity is expected with age, but God has granted me more than I can put into words. He has opened my eyes to oppressive thoughts and actions I had taken ownership of. I would have never recognized and obediently turned away from them without Him.

Some of those beliefs were all I’ve known my whole life. Sometimes, it seems easier to live with toxic behaviors because they’re all we know. But God understood my mindset and showed me His goodness. I learned that no matter what He tells me to do, His heart is pure. He wants bigger and better things for me than I could imagine. By trying to control everything instead of trusting the direction in which He’s guiding me, not only am I hurting myself, but I’m dodging all of the blessings He’s trying to give me.

He gives me vision, hope, joy, comfort, and light. The words to express all that I feel about Him don’t exist. He has been and always is so stinkin’ good to me.

Love overpowers every other emotion.

There’s nothing stronger than love. Nothing. Commercials and inspirational quotes might appear sappy, but it’s so true that steadfast love wins every single time. The most beautiful thing about it is that it’s rational. John Mayer has a song called Love Is A Verb, where he talks about all of the misconceptions we have about love. Often, we glamorize feelings and experiences disguised as love, which could become dangerous to use interchangeably. Love isn’t like a drug that makes us stupid and senseless. That’s infatuation. Love helps us pause, listen, analyze, and act in the best interest of those around us. When we embody 1 Corinthians 13, we will cause ripples of transformation, warmth, and growth. When we’re constantly acting with our own agendas at the forefront of our minds, we can never be the true love and light we want to be, even if we tell ourselves that’s our goal. So, I’m grateful for pure, selfless love.

I’ve got the best friends this world has to offer.

We’re made to be relational. We thrive in relationships and communities. We’re pack animals. If we don’t have our pack, our mental and emotional wellness suffers greatly, even if we think we’re made to be alone. People in solitary confinement literally lose their sanity because we’re all made for connection with one another.

I keep my circles small, and I listen carefully before choosing my friends. After all, we’re the sum total of the 5 closest people to us. If I am the 5 closest people to me, I must be ON IT DOGGONNIT! My friends are the most beautiful people from the inside out.

They’re lovers, supporters, achievers, sharers of wisdom, carers, and leaders. I can’t believe I get to be in communion with such greatness on a daily basis. We bounce ideas off of each other, show up for one another, and have each others’ backs no matter what. Most importantly, we can be real with each other, which is something I pray everyone has in their lifetime.

Real Food is an underappreciated gift.

We’re either fighting disease or feeding disease with the food we eat. We give our bodies choices when we consume real food, and eliminate our choices in the long run when we feed it fake foods. I am grateful for the ability to feed my body real food to avoid losing all of the above things I’m grateful for – my presence in my family, my family themselves, free will, a sound mind, physical, mental, and emotional health, and so much more.

What are the first 3 things that pop into your mind when I ask you what you’re thankful for? Tell me in the comments below, and share with someone who could use the beautiful power of gratitude.

Bringing the family back to the table,