Practising gratitude is now hot.
Just like green juices and superfood-themed sweaters, gratitude has found its own place in the wellness world. Once overlooked as New Age and “woo woo” (both highly technical words in the industry), gratitude is now encouraged by spiritual gurus and successful entrepreneurs alike.
Meet Gratitude’s Cousin
Well, let me introduce you to a new buzzword: self-appreciation. You see, gratitude and self-appreciation are cousins, and self-appreciation is the lesser known cousin from the outskirts of Wellness and Spirituality-ville.
Being grateful is usually a state that affects internal feelings and possessions alike: you can be grateful for the sun, for your yoga mat, for your friends and family. However, it seems to me that practising gratitude is done mainly as an abundance magnet.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that attracting abundance is a bad thing—I am a big fan of abundance myself. However, I do believe it’s time to step up a notch and get out of our comfort zone. Let’s get acquainted with the practise of self-appreciation.
To me, being appreciative of ourselves is, effectively, much more personal and intimate than gratitude. I can be grateful for the money in my bank account and the trees, but what do I really appreciate about myself? What do you appreciate about yourself?
Acknowledging the value within ourselves and who we truly are is challenging.
Getting comfortable with being grateful is surely uplifting, but there is another layer to uncover: being able to recognise our own value as human beings, which is the most powerful medicine to heal our bodies and our minds.
Making Self-Appreciation a Habit
To be successful and bold, we will have to master the art of asking for what we are truly worth—this requires that we actually know what we are truly worth.
The way I like to split my practice 50/50 is by writing my gratitude list in the morning, and then writing my self-appreciation list in the evening. Extra brownie points if I manage to read it out loud in front of a mirror.
It's so easy to find so many things I may not like about myself, especially on Monday mornings, so it’s refreshing to shift my focus to why, ultimately, I am awesome. And so are you.
You must own your awesomeness before anybody else can truly see that. ~Fab Giovanetti
So get a piece of paper, and write 15 things you truly appreciate about yourself. Try to do this every evening and observe how it affects your mood and behavior. You are worth all the value you are giving yourself right now.
