Building a Bulletproof Mindset Part 4

In last week’s edition of the Survivor to Thriver Newsletter, I discussed principle three of six (self-awareness, ownership, consistency, gratitude, catharsis, and challenge), Consistency.

In this week’s article, I am going to discuss Gratitude.

“Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.” – Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that giving gratitude to things in your life is going to change everything. It won’t.

If you would have recommended that I start each day with writing a list of things I was grateful for 20 years ago, I would have told you to go fu** yourself!

That’s where I was in my life!

When we’re going through a struggle, the last thing we want to think about is what we’re grateful for. 

After all, the world is ending all around us, right?

At least that’s how I felt and I’m sure you may feel the same way. 

Gratitude will help us to stop focusing on the world ending around us for a moment and give us a chance to change our mindset.

Even if it’s for a few moments, this adds up over time.

Now, I will tell you that this is mandatory if you want to change your life and start healing from your trauma. It’s absolutely mandatory. 

It’s crazy how things change (I still have to pinch myself sometimes)!

Giving thanks for your health, your family, your car, the fact that you can walk, your dog, your clothes, or whatever else you are thankful for, is not going to heal the trauma you incurred from abuse.

However, gratitude will get you in the habit of looking at the positive things around you.

It will help to slowly shift your mindset.

It’s a tool amongst other tools that are going to assist you with your healing journey.

I was a very negative person for years. 

I can’t say for sure if I was a negative person before my sexual abuse occurred at 15, but I would bet that I was to some extent. 

After my abuse I turned into an extremely negative person.

The negativity paired with a victim mentality kept me stuck in my hellish cycle for years, and it will do the same for you.

Again, this is about taking another step in the right direction to start recognizing your thoughts and how they tie in with how you feel. 

If you’re constantly thinking negative thoughts, you’re never going to feel joy, happiness, or gratitude. 

Practicing gratitude will get you in the habit of focusing on the good things in your life. 

It will get you thinking about what you’re thinking about. 

It will get you to be more intentional about your thoughts. 

Stay positive and take action!