EP376: Simple Ways to Express and Embody Gratitude (Even When Things Are HARD)
In honor of Thanksgiving, I’m going to get a little more personal than usual today.
I’m going to share some vulnerable stories from my own life, and the strategies that help me embody gratitude to get through some of my hardest moments.
I was inspired to record this episode because so many people have been reaching out to me because things have been really hard for them lately.
Business is hard.
Generating cash flow is hard.
While there are a lot of people who are crushing it in business right now, many of us are experiencing some of our most challenging times.
So, if you’re in a funk, or feeling in a slump and need that little extra boost of gratitude, this episode is for you.
How do you react when things aren’t going well?
There are two ways to react when things are not going well:
You can get caught in the story which often leads to a downward spiral causing burn out and making the situation worse.
Or you can get scrappy and resourceful, and try to think outside of the box for what can be done to change your current situation.
The truth is that business will always ebb and flow through ups and downs. You can’t expect things to always be easy and I don’t want you to get jaded thinking it will always be hard.
It requires resilience to keep moving forward.
Developing a gratitude process when you’re in a funk
The benefits of developing a gratitude practice is common knowledge. However, one of the things that I learned a long time ago is that when you’re in a funk and everything feels like it’s crumbling around you it can be very difficult to recognize anything that is going well.
Because of this, I’ve found it extremely helpful to develop the practice of writing in my gratitude journal daily.
All businesses, including mine, have cycles where things are going really well and at other times, we have to make sacrifices as a business owner.
By developing this practice into a habit, even if I feel broke, and that things aren’t going well I’m sitting down daily, striving to acknowledge and have gratitude for the money and opportunities that I do have.
So if you're feeling in a place of lack –
- You're not doing enough.
- You're not profitable enough.
- You aren't paying yourself enough.
Whatever it might be, I want you to get to a place where you are grateful for all of the money that you've ever generated and all the money that is in your bank account right now.
Feel that sense of gratitude.
Same thing with relationships. Over the last six months one of my most difficult personal challenges was working through whether the relationship with the person who I think is the love of my life would continue or not.
Instead of getting caught in the story and spiraling, I found myself being grateful for the experiences that we have had together.
This relationship has been completely transformational to me. It opened my heart to love again. I’m now grateful to be on the other side of that hardship.
Staying connected to your community even when it’s not local.
I left my entire life and my community when I moved from New York to Arizona during lock down at the beginning of the pandemic.
Since moving, I haven’t made a lot of friends here. Although it’s been hard, it’s reminded me how important it is to stay in touch with the people you love.
So, what I try to do to stay connected to my community is to reach out to two or three people a week that I haven’t spoken to in a while.
I either send a text or hop on a quick phone call or something so that we can connect and really love on each other.
I think if this is something you’re avoiding and you’re feeling super isolated, the more you reach out to people and feel their support, the more grateful and uplifted you’ll become.
When you feel supported, you will feel more grateful
I cannot overstate how important it is to have community.
That’s part of the reason that I started Flourish and Thrive Academy in the first place.
Remember how far you’ve come
When you’re feeling down on yourself and everything that’s going on for you and your business, I want you to remember how far you’ve come.
Really embody that statement.
You. Have. Come. So. Far.
Recently I posted a video on Instagram for Entrepreneurs day. It featured one of my best selling collections from the 90’s and early 2000’s (and the embarrassing photography that it comes with).
Digital photography wasn’t a thing, and I didn’t know anything about product photography at the start of my business.
I literally used to photocopy my pieces to make my line sheets.
It’s embarrassing to look back on AND it’s amazing to see how far I’ve come over the last 25 years.
My business started with an idea and a passion for jewelry, and now I’ve written a best selling book, I’ve sold millions of dollars worth of jewelry, and thanks to you guys who are listening, I have millions of downloads on this podcast.
If you’re looking to implement a gratitude process into your life during difficult times, this episode shares the vulnerable details surrounding my own struggles and how I got through it.
xo, Tracy.
Links:
Fast Cash Strategies Mini Course
Laying The Foundation
The Desired Brand Effect