I am the middle child of five to a single mom who grew up in a small village in Quebec, Canada. We did not always have our basic needs met, but every summer and winter holiday was spent at my grandmother’s in Toronto. It was hard to see other kids with new clothes and toys, and I often felt envious of them. I dreamed of a day when I could have all the things I wanted.
Fast forward to 2015. I was married, had a job, my own apartment (since before being married), and enough money to do the things I wanted to do, like go on vacation outside the country. When my marriage was being put to the test, I came across a gratitude challenge that suggested posting a picture on social media every day for 365 days with something you were grateful for. At that time, I was really into photography and liked the idea of focusing on the positive. Before this, I often blamed others whenever things were hard or did not go my way. I spent the year doing that challenge and cultivated a habit of gratitude. It helped me understand that I was the master of my own destiny and that no matter what I faced there was always something to be grateful for.
This is not to say it was easy. There were days when I did not know what to be grateful for, either because it was a tough day or nothing eventful happened, or so I thought at first. As time went on and the habit became solid, it was easier to identify things to be grateful for. What I loved most about this process was that it inspired others to do the same or to look at their lives through a lens of gratitude.
Once the year was over, I stopped posting on social media, but I felt the need to keep the practice going. I searched the Google Play Store for an app that could help, and I found the Gratitude App. At first, I used it only to note what I was grateful for every day, but eventually I started writing affirmations each morning. Since then, the app has evolved a lot, and I love that it provides a daily quote to focus my attention. It feels like a booster to my affirmations. I also like the new feature that provides additional affirmations. It is always great to have more ideas for how great you are.
Ultimately, living a life of gratitude through affirmations and mindful reflection on what is good in my life has been the greatest source of joy and peace for me. Where I once constantly questioned what I had or what I could be, now I acknowledge where I have been and can more easily appreciate the gifts I have that will lead me to where I want to go. The bonus is that it helps me appreciate others and the little things they do. It definitely helped save my marriage.
I once said to a friend that I wish I had known about creating a habit of gratitude, and not allowing fear to rule my life, earlier on. It would have made growing up and my teenage years much more bearable. Even though that was not the case, I am grateful that I get to pass this habit on to my children and hope they will use it as a balm for the difficulties they face and a source of inspiration.
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