How to Shift Your Reality with Gratitude

In today’s issue:

  • When strangers “pay it forward”

  • Your brain on friendship

  • Shift your reality with gratitude

  • Giving: the greatest selfish act

  • Gratitude 2.0

When Strangers “Pay it Forward”

While eating their dinner, a family from Queensland, Australia met an older couple who complimented the small family.

They noted how much the little one reminded them of their own grandchild. This pleasant interaction would have been nice enough, but a simple act of generosity turned this everyday dinner into a moment they will never forget:

“When we finished dinner, we went to the counter to pay…but when we arrived the cashier told us it was all taken care of. She pointed in the direction of this lovely couple. This generous couple had paid for my family’s meal and drinks.

“We were in absolute shock and it made me cry…To think that there are still so many kind and generous people out there who ‘pay it forward’ to others, just because they see the good in something is just the most beautiful thing.

"My heart is full of gratitude and it’s reminded me how important it is to ‘pay it forward’. If this beautiful couple is reading this, we thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts and thank you for reminding us to be kind and pay it forward.” (sunnyskyz.com)

What a great reminder, not only that a little generosity can go a long way, but that we all have something to give, and something to be grateful for.

Your Brain on Friendship

There is plenty of science on the health benefits of living in a community. We are social creatures, after all! Whether it’s your relatives or your chosen family, friends or fellow hobbyists, your community is keeping you healthier longer.

The benefits don’t stop at increased feelings of support and belonging. There are hormonal and neurochemical processes at play when we are socializing, including when we are preparing and sharing meals together! No time for the whole episode? No problem. Check out the timestamps and pick where you’d like to start.

Shift Your Reality with Gratitude

We can radically transform our experiences, attitude, and perspective of reality through the practice of gratitude.

Think of the last moment you experienced difficulty with particularly challenging. How might your experience have shifted if you felt gratitude for this individual in the moment of struggle? When we open to a state of gratitude, we can experience a fundamental shift in our reality, even in the most difficult of conversations.

Gratitude is a gift you give not only to yourself, but to all those around you… so, wouldn’t it be amazing to understand your particular way of showing (and receiving) gratitude? Wouldn’t it be amazing to know your unique “recipe” for shifting your perspective so you could move into gratitude?

That’s what you can do through the power of the Enneagram.

Giving: The Greatest Selfish Act

Why is giving to others one of the best things you can do for yourself?

This in-depth infographic describes the many benefits of being generous and thinking of others. Plus the pitfalls of actual selfish behavior, in case all those benefits weren’t enough!

Now, something we don’t often consider doing is giving to ourselves. Oftentimes we feel like it’s a chore to engage in any kind of self-care. That’s why we like easy self-care rituals that make it effortless to “give” to ourselves, in particular our bodies.

These Apple Cider Vinegar gummies are one of the easiest ways we’ve found to give our bodies a much-needed “nudge” toward health.

Gratitude 2.0

It’s time to revamp your gratitude practice and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start. We all dread the moment before dinner when we have to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for. Why are we feeling so on the spot? Because we spend too much time thinking about what’s wrong. And while we do try to be grateful, maybe we haven’t been doing it right!