S1 Ep:21 Crossing Bridges: Embracing the Transformative Power of Gratitude

Join me, Rae, on this soul-stirring journey of Crossing Bridges, where we unlock the transformative power of gratitude to craft a more fulfilling life. Gratitude isn't just a practice for the good times; it's a beacon during our darkest days, offering a new perspective that can elevate our happiness. Listen in as I share my own experiences, from battling depression and mourning to discovering the profound impact of gratitude. I provide simple, actionable steps that you can weave into your daily life to nurture this powerful habit. Whether it's through mindful breathing exercises or jotting down daily thanks, you'll learn to appreciate life's tapestry, embracing both the highs and the lows with a grateful heart.

Embrace the journey of building resilience through the lens of gratitude in this latest gathering of Crossing Bridges. As we wrap up, I reflect on the internal victories we achieve by making gratitude a cornerstone of our daily routine. These moments of thankfulness fortify us against life's challenges, guiding us toward greater strength. Remember to carry forward the practice of gratitude and share the shifts you experience. Your stories are an integral part of our community's fabric, encouraging others to find solace in gratitude. Share the experience, and your stories of gratitude, as they become a beacon for others within our circle. Subscribe, leave a review, and spread the healing power of gratitude. Here's to staying positive, staying grateful, and eagerly awaiting the insights our next episode will bring.

HIGHLIGHTS:

(03:04 - 05:24) Practicing Gratitude Through Breathing

CHAPTERS:

(00:20) Cultivating Gratitude for a Fulfilling Life

Gratitude can transform our lives by creating a positive outlook through simple practices like routine, mindfulness, and breathing exercises.

(15:11) Embracing Gratitude and Building Resilience

Gratitude's transformative power, resilience as a guiding light, and embracing challenges and strengths in our journey towards greater strength.

TRANSCRIPT:

00:20 - Rachel "Rae" Mindy (Host)

Hey there, soulful family, welcome to Crossing Bridges with Bray, a sanctuary for those who are navigating the depths within. I am Bray, your companion on this exploration of self-discovery, healing and the profound beauty that arises from the darkest moments. Today's topic is close to my heart. It is all about cultivating a gratitude shift to create a more fulfilling life. We all know that life isn't always about sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes we face challenges that test our resilience and make us question everything. But guess what? Even in those tough times, gratitude can be a powerful ally. What if I told you this simple yet powerful tool can shift your perspective and boost your happiness? Today we are diving deep into the world of gratitude, exploring its benefits, practical tips for incorporating into your daily routine and how you can truly transform your outlook. I will even share how taking mindful moments of gratitude changed my life. 

01:42

You know, gratitude, honestly, to me, is being grateful for what you have and for what you've experienced. It is not just a dictionary definition, it's a daily practice. It's about appreciating the journey, the good and the not so good. It's not to say, it's not just saying thank you, but appreciating what you have and what you have experienced. Gratitude is like an ultimate reset button when everything seems to be falling apart. It gives us perspective. It helps us to move from a place of want or need to a place of appreciation and peace. What helped me in the beginning was not forcing, but practicing the power of quick gratitude bursts, whether it was appreciating the warmth of the sun on my face, the taste of my morning tea or even the fact that I could breathe, that I could see, that I could hear, that I could walk, that I could talk, those small moments added to a significant shift in perspective. So why not try it yourself? Let's take a few moments right now and let's just take some time, like, put away everything you know, sit down or stand up or lay down, whatever it is that you want to do, but let's take three deep breaths. Let's take a breath in through your nose and out through your mouth three times. We're going to hold it at the top. So let's go the first one in through your nose, hold it at the top, and out through your mouth One more time. Let's go again in through your nose, hold it, and out through your mouth One more time in through your nose, folding, and out through your mouth. Now, identify something that you are grateful for. Just notice how it feels Amazing right Now. Imagine doing this throughout the day. And here's the cool part you don't need to do anything fancy to practice gratitude, whether you are into journaling or simply saying it to yourself in quiet moments. Find a routine that works for you, in other words, the breathing, and all of that does not necessarily have to be done Whatever seems to work for you, if you simply want to write down three things that you're grateful for every day and then build on that Because I'll just be totally transparent I did not even resonate with gratitude. 

05:25

I was like what does that mean? What is that Like? I mean, at the point in my life where I really started on this journey, I was really not well. I was depressed, I was going through different phases of mourning. I also was not necessarily a positive person. There are just so many things that I could go into as to how I used to be but I really wanted to change. 

05:56

And because I wanted to change and I knew that gratitude was very, very, very important, I started simple, and that's exactly what I was getting ready to say. I started writing down five things that I was grateful for every morning and I just got like a notebook I think at the time it was probably like a composition notebook and every day I would put a date at the top of the page, you know, like in the corner, and I would list one, two, three, four, five, and I would write down everything that I was grateful for, and sometimes I did it in the morning and in the evening, sometimes I did it just once a day and it grew from there. But that's where I started, and so, if it is journaling, journaling is my jam. So I'm always going to suggest journaling, because writing something down is very, very powerful, very powerful. But make you know, creating statements or speaking out, excuse me, what you're grateful for, or saying it in your quiet moments. You know like. You don't even have to vocalize it if you don't want to. 

07:13

Whatever works for you, whatever continues the routine, because the routine is the. The routine is one of the most important things. If you want to change, the only way that you will be able to is if you do this on a regular basis. Nothing actually that you do to change, to improve yourself, to upgrade or whatever it is you want to call it. Nothing is done by doing it one time. You know I've used the example before, but like, if you're building muscle and things of that nature, like you can't just lift that weight once, it's not going to help you, right, it has to be done every day, maybe twice a day, you know. However, that works. 

07:59

So again, and I remember back in the day when I did start this practice you know I think Oprah was talking about having a gratitude journal and things of that nature so eventually I got a gratitude journal and I would just write in it every single day, sometimes more than once a day, because what happened for me is, the more that I did it, the more I felt better. So when I wanted to feel good, if I wasn't feeling not quite right, I would write down what I was grateful for, to remember and to shift my mind away from negative thoughts and start thinking about things that I really cherish, that I really loved, that I really enjoy the people, that I love the experiences, whatever. Those things work, and so I always want to Share that. You start simple and you build on it. You don't have to do any great and grand thing when you've never done it before, right, you just do something small, something short and you continue to do it on a regular basis. 

09:08

And for me, you know, I used to speak about what I was grateful for, even when I was in my car. You know, at some point I was not even Drive to work Without anything. It would just be me talking to God. You know, speaking what I was grateful for, speaking what, speaking my day into existence. Today is going to be a great day. Things are that nature. Nothing but great things are gonna happen to for me. Today, all is well, everything is always working out for me. Things of that nature, right, and those things for me, eventually, the more and more that I said them, the more and more that I believe them, the more and more that I felt them and the more and more the shift started to take place, and it continued to take place and continue to take place. 

10:01

You know, the other day, a video popped into my feed and it was, you know, just a dose of wisdom from Steve Harvey, right? An old video that he had created, I'm not even sure how long ago, but he was basically talking about coding your mind Excuse me, coding your mind for depression, with gratitude. And and he, you know he was basically saying. Well, actually, you know what? I'll just share with you exactly what he was saying. One way to code your mind from depression is with gratitude. Every time I feel myself starting to feel some kind of way, I just take out a piece of paper and a pencil and I start. I just start writing down everything that I'm grateful for, and Whatever that is whether it's my health, that I can walk, that I can see, that I have a car it may not be the car that I want I have a place to live. I ate today and I can see a way that I will eat tomorrow. I've got a friend that I can call and share my troubles with and just be real detailed with it. You would be stunned how long you will be writing. He went on to say now let me tell you what happens. 

11:26

Your gratitude erases all negativity, because there's no room for negativity. It's not a magic trick. Joy and depression cannot reside in the same place. Those two things cannot exist at the same time. Also, what it does? It changes your focus from what you don't have To what you do have. Gratitude changes your perception. Your perception changes your existence. That's all you're trying to do. 

11:57

After you've done. After you've done that, here's what I want you to do write a list of Of everything that you are grateful for. I want you to read that list every morning when you wake up, of everything that you're grateful for. And after you've thanked him for all this stuff, I want you to take another piece of paper and I want you to write on this piece of paper everything that you want in the present tense, everything that you want now. And what God is going to do is he is going to tie those two lists together. So now, since you are showing me all the gratitude that you have for what I've already done, this is what God is saying. Remember, I said the more grateful you are, the more stuff he will give you to be grateful for. So what he's going to do is he's going to take this list and he's going to start putting things on the other side, the side of things that you're grateful for, right? So eventually, what will happen is the list of the things that you want will be moved over to the things that you're grateful for. That's basically what he was saying towards the end of the snippet, and I was like, okay, all right, now. 

13:19

I don't think that I ever took his advice and did this particular excuse me did this particular exercise, but what I will say is that I love this because this is something that you can do. It's not going to take all day long and, of course, this is something that you can do in the morning, the evening, whenever you want to do it, but the point of it is to do it and to practice it, right. So you're going to write down everything that you're grateful for. I don't care if you want to do two or three things because you're just starting, or if you want to actually take this practice on and put it into motion, and then, in the present tense, you want to write down all the things that you want, and you're going to continue every morning. To excuse me, read this list right, read the first list, which is your gratitude list. The second list is the things that you want, in the present tense. I'm so happy and so grateful now that I have a new Mercedes block or whatever. I am so happy and so grateful now that I received my promotion at work. I am so happy and grateful. Okay, you get it, and so let's continue. Let's continue. 

14:42

So, before we wrap up this episode on gratitude. Remember, it is not just a good feeling. Practice, it's a life changer. Embrace it, make it yours and watch the magic happen. It's like a magnet for more blessings. Trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me, it works. 

15:11

So I want to say, first of all, thank you for hanging out with me and until next time, I really want you to stay grateful. I want this to be a practice in your life and I want to hear from you, maybe a week from now, a month from now, however long it takes for you to get a result. If you practice this every single day, I promise you your life will change, your perspective will change. So, as we conclude another chapter of Cross and Bridges with Ray, remember that your resilience is a beacon of light and every step you take within yourself is a victory. Thank you for joining me on this transformative journey. Until next time, embrace the bridges you cross and the strength you carry within. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with your fellow gratitude enthusiasts. As always, stay positive, stay grateful and stay tuned for more episodes. Catch you on the next one. Bye. 

Gratitude, Depression, Resilience, Transformative, Mindfulness, Happiness, Appreciation, Routine, Breathing Exercises, Mindful, Perspective, Well-being, Strength, Solace, Challenges, Strengths, Bridges, Community, Reflections, Enriching Conversation, Internal Triumphs, Celebrating, Fortifying, Spirit, Storms, Victories, Shifts, Positive Outlook, Embracing, Building, Habit, Acknowledging, Guiding Light, Gathering, Subscribing, Reviewing, Sharing, Transforming, Cultivating, Fulfilling Life, Enriching, Reflections, Path of Gratitude, Internal Victories, Small Gestures, Elevate, Overall Happiness, Resilient, Mindful Breathing, Gratitude Journal, Mindful Breathing Exercises, Grateful Heart, Enriching Conversation, Insights, Reflections, Path of Gratitude, Internal Victories, Small Gestures, Elevate, Overall Happiness, Resilient, Mindful Breathing, Gratitude Journal, Mindful Breathing Exercises, Grateful Heart, Enriching Conversation, Insights, Reflections, Path of Gratitude, Internal Victories, Small Gestures, Elevate, Overall Happiness, Resilient, Mindful Breathing

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/crossing-bridges-with-rae/exclusive-content