
Grace and gratitude have great power in our lives
By Patty Casebolt
When you think of the words grace and gratitude, what comes to mind? For me, I think I have held both as concepts instead of lived experiences. I didn’t take an active approach to cultivating them in my life. Then came the pandemic. My stress level was overwhelming and at times, traumatic. My heart hurt because my family was divided. Friendships were lost. My physical well-being suffered as a result. My resilience “tank” was on empty, and I judged myself for not bouncing back.
Relief began after I read an article about the healing power of cultivating grace and gratitude. The word “grace” has definitions that include approval or favor, mercy freely given, and beauty. The word “gratitude” is defined as a state of being grateful, or thankfulness. It is a strong feeling of appreciation to someone or something for being helpful. I was motivated to explore how I could cultivate these two things in my life.
I started by creating a social media challenge on Facebook and invited others to join me. Each day for 30 days, I posted three things I was grateful for and why. Others joined in. My mood began to improve, and I took a more active approach to finding things to be grateful for. In the end, holding myself accountable to making this a daily habit improved my ability to connect with myself and helped me beyond the 30-day challenge.
This exercise also helped me find grace for myself and receive it from others. As I became more aware of what brought me gratitude, I noticed how much I had been holding. I was able to compare my feelings. I realized that I was doing the best I could during the most challenging time of my life to that point. I also realized that others were doing their best under the circumstances. As I continued to post to social media, I began to hear from friends and family who had been silent. We began to have something to connect with besides the pandemic. Over time, those relationships began to heal.
Here are some examples of how you can cultivate both grace and gratitude in your life.
Grace
- Acts of kindness: Holding the door for someone or offering to help without being asked, for example.
- Forgiveness: Choosing to let go of a grudge and move forward
- Self-compassion: Being gentle with yourself after making a mistake
- Patience: Remaining calm and understanding in situations that you find difficult.
- Support in difficult times: Offering a comforting presence during a challenging moment.
- Unconditional love: This is often modeled by our pets. Feeling loved without strings attached or judgment.
- Encouragement: Uplifting someone who feels overwhelmed or unsure.
- Compassionate listening: Actively giving someone your full attention. Listening without trying to “fix.”
Gratitude
- Thanking others: Expressing thanks by acknowledging support.
- Gratitude in relationships: Regularly expressing appreciation and acknowledgement to others.
- Journaling: Every day, noticing and writing down three things every day you are grateful for.
- Complimenting others: Acknowledging what you appreciate about someone.
- Mindful moments: Becoming present and appreciating what is positive in your life.
- Self-acknowledgment: Practicing self-care and appreciating making yourself a priority.
- Daily affirmations: Creating and reciting a positive affirmation that highlights what you appreciate about yourself.
- Volunteering: Helping others can provide perspective so you appreciate the positive in your life.
When I am gentle with myself, accepting my emotions and practicing self-compassion, I create grace in my life. When I appreciate life’s beauty and focus on what brings my heart joy, I experience gratitude. Both are essential to my well-being, helping me stay connected not just to others, but also to myself. I hope you will find these two essentials, too.
Patty Casebolt is The Learning Well officer and is a facilitator for workshops including Grace and Gratitude, a two-day session scheduled in November.
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