How to Unlock a Happy Future with Gratitude

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If I could guarantee you a happy future, would you even believe me? Because what I’m talking about in today’s episode can do just that!

Today I am talking about how to unlock a happy future with gratitude. Gratitude is more than just a quick flippant thank you and moving on, it’s a deep appreciation for something that you have received, and it actually has the power to rewire your brain. I’ll be sharing research-based evidence on how this works, and I’ll be sharing three ways you can express gratitude, to start to see this shift in your life. So if you’re ready to truly start appreciating all that you have received, past, present and future, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, I discuss:

How operating from a place of gratitude rewires your brain and teaches you to scan the world for the positive, rather than the negative, which then triggers a series of positive events in your brain and body.

Gratitude stimulates the release of dopamine, which is a happy motivating hormone, as well as serotonin which is calming – a lack of these can actually cause depression! Gratitude also stimulates oxytocin, which is a feel good hormone, norepinephrine which is an energy transmitter, and it regulates and reduces cortisol, the stress hormone.

Studies and research also prove the power of gratitude! Dr. Joshua Brown and Dr John Long, professors of psychological and brain sciences, conducted a study with 300 students who were all seeking mental health counselling, and found that those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health within just four weeks than those who hadn’t.

Three ways to express our gratitude to begin making this shift in our mind and in our bodies are:

Firstly, express gratitude for the past, looking backwards at the experiences in your life (even the more challenging experiences) with gratitude for how they shaped you, strengthened you, or taught you something. As Oprah says, true forgiveness is when you can say thank you for the experience.

Graciousness for the present, and in taking the time to be grateful for life as it unfolds in the now – in that first sip of coffee, or the sunshine coming through the trees, or the laughter of your kids (even if they are making a mess…!) As Roy Bennett said, being grateful doesn’t mean everything is necessarily good, it just means you can accept those things as a gift.

Being grateful for what’s to come and all that the future holds. By looking to the future hopeful and optimistic, it will create a shift in you, which then means the future will be good, because you’ll be seeing and feeling the good! Gratitude creates happiness, you don’t have to wait for happiness to then be grateful.

Let’s hold each other accountable! I’m asking you to join me in a challenge of 30 Days of Gratitude Journalin! It can look like whatever you want it to, and if you need a helping hand, we have a free download of our own gratitude journal sheets you can use.

Some questions you can ask yourself as journaling prompts are – What excited me today? What exhausted me today? What did I learn?

We can do this together! IWe can rewire our brains and begin to rewrite our story with the positive! Message me at @radiantwomanhood and @tabithablue to share with me how you’re getting on and to hold me accountable too!

And lastly, I just want to say that I am so deeply grateful and appreciative for you! thank you for taking the time out of your busy days and schedules to be here right now. You are the reason I am here too, because I know you have the potential to create and live the life you want – a life of gratitude, connection, meaning an happiness.

If you know of another woman in your life who would benefit from this episode, please share this with her too.

And if you have any topics you’d like me to cover here on the Radiant Womanhood podcast, please DM me – I’m all ears!

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