Need a Mindset Reset? Try this Gratitude Hack

The other night I was moaning that I didn’t have a Sunday. Which is to say, that I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do on Sunday. I was so busy rushing around that I didn’t get to enjoy myself.
 
That’s the story I was telling myself, and I was sticking to it.
 
Then, the next morning, I remembered: Oh, yeah. I got to go to a wonderful yoga class on Sunday. And I got to have coffee with my radiant niece. I got to meet a nice dog and his owners at the grocery store. I got to have brunch with my husband and dinner with my parents. I got to talk to a dear friend on the phone. I got to immerse myself in a long, group meditation. And, by the way, I got to spend an hour at the beach.
 
There was a gap between my perception of the day and its reality. The story I was telling myself was based on faulty perception. It was coming from a negative mindset.

You know what was missing between reality and perception? Gratitude.
 
Gratitude has an alchemical power to turn any moment around. Instead of lamenting what I didn’t have (which, obviously, wasn’t much), I could have been celebrating what I did have. I missed some big chunks of an otherwise wonderful day because I was fretting and whining and generally distracted from the gifts and joy right in front of me.
 
One of my favorite gratitude hacks is to turn my thinking on its head.

Instead of telling myself, “I have to…,” I switch it up and say, “I get to…!”

Whether it’s meeting my sweet friend for a walk or making dinner or even doing my taxes, I can get the upper hand on my negative mind by reminding myself how truly abundant my life is right here, right now.
 
What helps you turn around your negative thoughts? I’d love to know!

​Let’s share what makes our lives brighter and more meaningful. After all, the way forward is through, and the way through is together.