It might sound like one of those phrases that people say “focus on the small things in life” – but in a world overly complicated, constantly bombarded by sensationalist news, ideas of appearing in a certain way, and owning things, really what we need is to look at what we have and be grateful for it. Practicing gratitude will let you see that what you have is all that you need. Gratitude is diametrically opposite to greed and by being grateful to what you have, you are quietly but surely going against capitalism and consumerism. And that is good.

Gratitude changes my focus on what is good in my life

Food is one of the most important aspects of life as it is necessary for the survival of all living beings. As humans in a society mostly consumeristic and capitalistic, many of us have lost touch with how food is made and how it arrives on our plates. Especially those eating meat and fish, and drinking milk have a high cognitive dissonance with how what they eat did arrive on their plate – not only for the animal lives involved, but also for all the workers who had to process them.

This is not to say that vegans are always fully conscious of all that is behind their food, but we have connected some dots. However, unless you are producing your own food, many people have been handling your food, from the seed to getting the final product on the shelves. When you are making your next meal, think about how those ingredients have arrived in your hands and thank all those who have worked so that you could have them in your kitchen.

I realize that whatever I eat and drink passes through many hands before reaching me. I am thankful to all these people.

This is so important and it is not easy because there are so many circumstances that make you feel like you do not have the energy and passion to make your thoughts a reality. But I found that creating a routine does help in dedicating some energy to do this – even chipping away 5 minutes per day it can be useful to build your passions, and then you can eventually build up from there.

I have the energy and passion to make my thoughts a reality.

All emotions are valid and must be listened to so that it is possible to deal with them. When talking about affirmations, gratitude, and building a more loving life, there can be a risk of stepping into what is known as “toxic positivity”, basically only looking for positive emotions (i.e. “positive vibes only”) without wanting to deal with the negative ones. But that is not a healthy way of living: when you don’t deal with something, that will just build up and what could have been a manageable thing will then be much more difficult to deal with down the road.

Learning how to cope with different emotions will help grow and truly live a kind and grateful life.

I accept my emotions and let them serve their purpose

Many of the affirmations for gratitude and kindness seem to be connected to the Law of Attraction, or at least to principles similar to such law because in order to practice gratitude and a kinder life, we also have to be kind to others and show gratitude for what we have in our lives. In doing so we will be on the receiving end of good things and positive experiences.

My heart is open and receptive to giving and receiving love. I am a magnet for positive loving experiences

There isn’t much we can do to live a more peaceful life, especially because we cannot control external factors and circumstances (i.e. family, friends, politics, society we live in, etc.). However, what we can do is to try and take back control of some aspects of our life – we can feel overwhelmed when things are spiraling and we can’t get a grip of a situation or also emotions. But when we pause and focus on just the next step, complete said step, and then think about the next one and so on, this can help us regain control and ultimately bring back peace to ourselves. Similar to when you have to complete any task that, at first, looks like immense, but then, if you break it down in smaller tasks, it will help us accomplish said task.

I preserve the peace I feel surrounding me by seeking out the good in each and every situation today

There is a fine line between being selfish and self-love – by being selfish, one does things only for oneself without thinking about how one’s actions might affect others. But self-love is different: self-love is showing kindness to oneself, is thinking about doing things but there is also a consideration of how actions might affect others. And in a way, self-love is what enables us to also help others. We can’t pour from an empty cup: loving yourself and showing kindness to yourself will enable you to better help others.

I choose to be kind to myself and love myself unconditionally

There are days when you will feel low and it is not realistic to always be positive and chirpy. Nevertheless, there are days when we feel good and we can better appreciate life and what it brings us. Whenever there is a good day, embrace it so that on one of those low days one can look back and smile.

I welcome and appreciate the good things life has to offer. It is my greatest desire to live each and every day with unlimited gratitude