Top 5 Ways to Feel Gratitude in Challenging Times

Trust me, by November 2020; I was partying hard with my pity because I had my “limit” of COVID-19! My pity party quickly led to a minor meltdown and disrupted all the positivity I intentionally tried to build throughout the year. Do you know the problem with that? Did you see how many “I’s” were in that equation?

Ego vs. Inner Goddess

You CANNOT fulfill your destiny with your ego because it is focused only on self-fulfillment. Instead, to navigate your destined path, you MUST request Divine Guidance from your Higher Self. Why? Your Higher Self is not self-fulfilling; it serves the greater good.  Paul Wellstone said it best, “We all do better when we all do better.”

Therefore, I went inward directly to my Inner Goddess, which led to a huge epiphany. I realized I was living disconnected all my life. Meaning that while I believed in a Higher Power, I still made most of my decisions with ego.

On November 14, 2021, I finally released ego control and connected to Inner Goddess Power. From now on, instead of I, it’s We. We (Connected Inner Goddess and Ego) powerfully affirm our destiny as a light-working educator. We vow to help elevate vibrations for the greater good by sharing light and educating others to do the same.

Inner Peace Program

After that November meltdown/epiphany, it was apparent that our inner peace level could use an increase. So, we immediately went to work and spent all of December 2020 creating an Inner Peace Program for the entirety of 2021!

The first quarter is all about establishing that Divine Connection. Our earlier sentiment bears repeating; you CANNOT fulfill your destiny with your ego alone. Therefore, the first thing we must do is connect to a Higher Source. One of the best ways to connect to that Divine Energy is to express gratitude for current blessings with intent. Believe us; if you are reading this, you are blessed, despite everything else happening in your life right now. So continue reading and join us in our 5-day Gratitude Challenge.

5 Ways to Feel Gratitude in Challenging Times

As 2020 taught us, life is unpredictable and often very challenging. Each day we’re faced with obstacles that test our ability to cope well with difficulties. It’s easy to get angry, scared, or resentful and forget about gratitude for the good things in our life. If we don’t cherish and feel grateful for the good stuff, how can we justify wanting more of it?

Consider these simple gratitude practices when you need support in challenging times:

1. Include an act of kindness in your day.

When we’re going through a stressful or difficult period in our lives, we get so self-centered and focused on self-pity that we rarely stop thinking about others. This way of thinking is why we need to break away from this damaging mindset by doing something kind. Need further guidance? Try these questions to get started:

Who is the most deserving of my simple act of kindness today?
Who has shown me support and love lately?
What can I do to honor their support and affection?

By being kind and generous to others, you create a greater sense of connection that generates a more positive outlook on life. Additionally, you feel better about yourself. It is a win/win!

2. Say thank you for the little things.

When things don’t go your way, and you feel like a victim of life, it can be challenging to feel grateful. Yet, there are plenty of small joys around you, even on the most difficult of days. You can notice them by shifting the point of your focus. For instance:

What kind of blessings have I received lately?
How can I show my gratitude for those blessings?
Is there someone who deserves a thank you note from me?

Being able to say thank you for the small things helps you in shifting your focus from life’s challenges to life’s pleasures. This way, your mind expands and supports you in finding solutions and ways to get unstuck and move forward.

3. Re-frame your negativity.

Challenging times bring an abundance of negativity. If you struggle for any reason, you will likely start to sabotage yourself by creating sadness, falling into despair, evoking regrets, and generating tons of unproductive negative thoughts.

Changing your perspective is the best way to re-frame negativity. Remember that everything in life comes in the form of duality. Nothing is purely good or bad. Look at the goodness and benefits of your current struggles and try to learn from them.

Negative thoughts only have the power to hurt you if you let them.

4. Keep a gratitude journal.

A gratitude journal is likely the most popular gratitude practice. It comes with various benefits, including better quality sleep, increased immunity, greater levels of resilience, and improved mood. All these benefits are needed when you’re going through a tough time in life.

To start a gratitude journal, all you need is a few moments of quiet time without distractions, a willingness to reflect, and a way to capture your thoughts (notebook, phone, laptop).

You can start by reflecting on the following questions:

What experiences can I express more gratitude in my life?
What happened lately that makes me feel thankful?
What opportunities do I have today?
What have the significant others in my life done that I am grateful for?

Writing helps you organize thoughts, process information, and experience and support you in accepting your challenging times by putting them in context.

5. Spread loving kindness.

The practice of loving-kindness meditation emphasizes the person’s strength and capacity to feel unconditional gratitude.

Besides opening your heart to appreciation, this tool is great for building lasting compassion towards yourself and others. Compassion is crucial if you’re looking to reduce stress and overcome obstacles in your life.

Loving-kindness meditation serves as a tool for creating unconditional, inclusive love that leads to true wisdom. The love made this way has no conditions, and it doesn’t need to be deserved in any way.

Final Thoughts

Everyone struggles and experiences difficulty from time to time in their life. However, true inner peace isn’t about what happens to you; it is about how you choose to respond.

Next time you find yourself having a tough time, remember that crisis is also an incredible growth opportunity. Embrace the challenge, enrich it with gratitude, and you’ll experience authentic growth toward inner peace.

If you would like additional guidance or support, just contact us and we can rise together!

DON’T STOP NOW, CHECK OUT THESE RELATED POSTS!

START RISING

We all have a Divinely Elevated (higher) purpose in life to serve the greater good. 

Our Divinely Elevated Purpose is to use our blessed gifts and talents for sharing our light with other sisters searching for healing as well.

So we hope you find the information we provide on this site helpful and it inspires you to start rising!

However, you don’t have to do it alone. Let’s rise together by encouraging all of our sisters to join us in choosing to live our best lives in light, love, peace, and happiness! 

For additional guidance or support, contact us here, or join our DEW Sister Tribe below!

DEW TRIBE VIBES

JOIN OUR TRIBE TODAY!

Each week various extended activities, relating to the focus for the week, will be available to our tribe sisters for practice.

Such activities could include meditations, affirmations, worksheets, journal prompts, mentorships and more.

Additionally, you can tap into some amazing positive energy for encouragement, inspiration, motivation, wisdom, love, light, positive energy, and support from other like-minded sisters working toward similar goals.

So check us out sis and let’s start rising together!

INCREASE YOUR INNER PEACE

OUR KIND OF “THERAPY” SESSIONS

TRAVEL THERAPY

The first portion of our travel therapy will include reviews and tips of the places we’ve traveled.

The next portion will include videos highlighting some of our favorite experiences.

The final portion will incorporate our “art therapy” piece into our travels.

ART THERAPY

First, grab your favorite snacks and beverage.

Then get cozy and ready to experience our unique virtual art gallery exhibition.

Finally, be prepared to elevate your mood and enjoy the show!

RETAIL THERAPY

A little responsible retail therapy is an awesome way to maintain balance, as well as, raise your vibration.

So head over to our shop and browse around for some unique DEAR originals created with light, love, and positive energy to elevate your space today!

READING NOT REALLY YOUR THING?

We are all unique, traveling along our own individual journey. Every person’s journey is different, because every person is a unique individual. What may work for one, may not work for another.

YOU (and your Inner Goddess) are the only one who knows what fits best in your journey and what makes the most sense for you.

So, maybe reading doesn’t float your boat or maybe you are a visual learner. Either way, subscribe and follow our Youtube channel today! We update it weekly with short videos regarding mindfulness, meditation, poetry, prayers, angel invocations, and more!

 

SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW TODAY!

STAY CONNECTED

LIKE~SHARE~FOLLOW

Nikki Rhodes
Lightworker, Educator, Artist

We hope to provide encouragement, inspiration, love, and light to any sister who wants to start rising with us to be Divinely Elevated!

Therefore, all of our services are entirely donation-based. Pay whatever you can, even if that means paying it forward at a later time.

We believe the focus should be on the actual healing. So if you are interested in working with us, feel free to request more information or schedule an appointment.

Namaste

Phone: 502-233-9305

Email: startrising@divinelyelevated.com

We have been certified by Divine Guidance to be a light-worker, healer, and educator. Professional education, training, and certifications are included in our nearly 50 years of experience. While we are addressed by many titles; medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed therapist we are not. We provide the information and advice (including sister-friend therapy, art therapy, retail therapy, travel therapy and all other services) on this site in good faith.

No information on this site is intended to serve as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

We care about your well-being, so if you need assistance beyond our experience, the following is an additional resource:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.

Divinely Elevated

View Comments

  • Yesterday, #3 resonated with me most. As a matter of fact, I have purposefully spent the last couple of years actively "re-framing" negative energy.

    However, after completing Day 1 in the Gratefulness Challenge, #2 resonates with me the most now. It was amazing what a small shift of focus can do for your perspective and mindset.

    Additionally, this is another confirming example of synchronicity in my life. "Notice" how this blog post and the Gratefulness Challenge blended? My Inner Goddess tells me that was NOT by accident, but Divinely planned. Oh, I love Divine Connection; the power is truly amazing!