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INSPIRATIONAL STORIES
2 MIN READ
Judith’s Story – How Practicing Gratitude Daily Made Me Happier

I started practicing Gratitude daily after reading “The Magic” by Rhonda Byrne. At the time, I had just started to learn more and more about ‘The Law of Attraction’ and that gave me the courage to quit a job that didn’t fulfill me anymore to focus on my passion for music and acting.
However, as I was looking for work, I started to worry and not appreciate all the Blessings I had in my Life. When I started reading The Magic, it opened my eyes that I had taken things for granted such as the sun, the moon, my unlimited access to clean water, the healthy and nourishing food I enjoy every day, my senses, my clothes and so much more!
I started to practice Gratitude daily and logging all the Blessings in my Life on a daily basis. With every log, I felt more peaceful, trusting that with all The Universe’s Blessings I had enjoyed so far and was enjoying, there were still so many more to come.
It made me realize that while looking for what I want, I need not forget everything I have and appreciate every little thing.
It also improved my relationship with my partner as there are lovely exercises in Rhonda Byrne’s book to focus on relationships and appreciating all the people in our lives.
I do believe the combination of my daily Gratitude practices that renewed my Faith in The Universe combined with studying how The Law of Attraction works and having a daily routine to make sure I apply what I learn led me to find a job I really enjoyed. I found a job as a Singing Teacher a few months after that.
The opportunities and the Blessings that The Universe want to offer us are truly Infinite and having a Gratitude journal really helps to know this with your whole being.
When I felt that it was time to move on from my job as a Singing Teacher after a couple of years, I decided to trust The Universe, let go to make some room for newness, for what I asked for, and apply for a Master in Acting that at the time, I had no idea how I was going to pay.
Still, I applied, got in and I am now studying the Master of my dream which also includes a singing module and that is perfect for me.
My Master’s is now all paid for thanks to donations through a GoFundMe campaign I had the inspiration to start before my course, my savings, and a Postgraduate loan.
The Universe keeps supplying me and taking care of me since I decided to focus on My Mission with Faith and Gratitude.
Have a Beautiful Day!
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Hey, it’s the team of Gratitude! We’re driven to nurture the well-being of people around the world and are grateful to see you here. Connect with us at blog@gratefulness.me 🙂

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6 MIN READ
4 Important Lessons for Feeling Confident In Your Body

Here are the major lessons that helped me get over a body disorder and love myself again.

This topic is really close to my heart.
I was 18 when I had a body disorder and lost 8 kilos of weight in a short few months.
I felt horrible about myself and always pulled apart every tiny thing that wasn’t perfect in my body. Nothing was ever enough.
I thrived on comments that I looked slimmer. When someone was worried about how weak I looked, I took that as a compliment…
I felt guilty when I didn’t starve myself. And even when I had lost all this weight, I couldn’t see it. I still criticized my body…
Of course, I hadn’t realized then that what I had was a disorder.
It was when I started to be around better people and leave the one who had caused this, I began to see clearly.
I was encouraged to eat, knowing it was okay to have a filled stomach. It may sound silly to some but I was scared to give myself the chance to have a full meal before.
Slowly but surely, I was growing into myself again…
I’m much better off now. It’s been 5 years since that time and although I wouldn’t say that I never feel signs of my past self again, I am healthy.
Through this time, I have understood the faults in my thoughts before and I have changed them gradually.
I don’t starve myself anymore, I don’t fixate on my weight. My focus now is on how I feel in my body, not on the number on the scale.
So today I want to share the 4 lessons that took me from a body disorder to respecting my body. It has been a tough journey and I am grateful to be here now.
Change how you think
Let go of the comparison horror
Express gratitude to your body
Practice affirmations of body image
How to Be Confident In Your Body
1. Change how you think
For so long, we have equated our body’s value with its appearance. If it looks a certain way, the popular way, then it deserves appreciation.
Other people will give us more attention and compliment our figure. We would look in the mirror and feel adept.
Posing for photos would be easier, and so would be viewing them later.
For years, we have looked at celebrities and now we look at the much more relatable social media influencers.
They all look so frustratingly perfect and we want to be that too. It’s all about appearances.
But what if I was to tell you that we’re doing a grave injustice?
Placing our body’s value primarily on its appearance is severely understating how precious it is. Our body is life itself.
We all know that health is wealth, but why do we forget it until our health is compromised?
Without our bodies, we would be nowhere. We couldn’t do or feel anything. We simply wouldn’t be.
So, why is our focus on shaving down parts of our body and not on giving it the care and respect it deserves so much?
I’m not saying appearances don’t matter but they are so less important than a healthy life.
Let’s prioritize loving, caring, and respecting our bodies the most. Focus on how energized you feel, eating healthy, resting, and doing adequate exercise.
When you have a healthy body and state of mind, it will automatically reflect in your appearance. Let’s go health first, not beauty first.
2. Let go of the comparison horror
Yes, that was a dramatic title but that’s how it is. Comparison is horrible. It can take you from having a good day to obsessing over some things that don’t truly matter.
One of the worst catalysts of comparison is social media and celebrity content.
If it was not for this, I would never have found my nose too big, my calves too fat, my belly too round, my face too chubby, my jawline too soft, my eyes too common, my eyelashes too short, my fingers too thick, my hair too plain, and my body too imperfect.
Stay off of these apps if they make you feel worse about yourself.
There’s nothing to gain by comparison. And I’m not talking about finding inspiration from others and learning better choices from them.
I’m talking about the comparison that makes us envious, that makes us criticize ourselves and resent the other person.
We are all human beings and we can never be the kind of perfect we assume others to be. It doesn’t exist. Human lives and minds are too complex to be perfect.
The bottom line is that comparison will not get you anywhere and it’s incredibly unfair to your body and to the body you’re comparing yours with.
We are not sculptures. We are living beings. Comparing such different and special experiences is a very silly thing to do.
3. Express gratitude to your body
A helpful way to tackle negative thoughts and feel more confident in your body is to express gratitude for it.
Although it seems too simple of a solution, it’s powerful. Gratitude is an effective way to transition the mind’s focus from negative to positive.
Our body is our vessel, our ticket to life on earth. It’s the most important thing in our lives.
And, we take it for granted too often. So, let’s not wait for something unpleasant to happen to feel grateful. Let’s do it now so that we give our body what it deserves.
Here are some gratitude prompts to help you express gratitude to your body:
Think about the 5 ways that your body helps you each day and express gratitude for them.
List 3 things that you appreciate about your body.
How has your body supported you through life?
Gratitude journaling is my favorite way to stay grateful. It has helped me build a habit of expressing gratitude.
Here’s the journal that I’ve been using for more than three years. It’s really one of my most prized possessions.
4. Practice affirmations of body image
In my times of insecurity, be it about anything, I have relied on affirmations.
They’re that friend that tells you everything is okay, that you’ll get through this, that you can do it.
It’s those encouraging words you need when you’re uncertain, afraid, and unaware of your worth.
Body-positive affirmations will support you as you begin to feel more confident in your body.
Here are some examples:
I am perfect and complete just the way I am.
My body is a vessel for my awesomeness.
There is more to life than worrying about my weight. I’m ready to experience it.
I deserve to be treated with love and respect by my mind.
I trust the wisdom of my body.
I am accepting myself as I am right now.
I am feeling good about myself.
I am compassionate and warm to my body.
My very existence makes the world a better place.
I am taking care of my overall well-being.
I am choosing to do kind things for myself.
I love my body as it is today.
I am nourishing my body with healthy food.
I am worthy just as I am.
I am beautiful.
Here are some ways that you can practice these affirmations:
Listen to them on our Gratitude app: We have hundreds of recorded affirmations that you can listen to in short sessions. You can also create your own and record yourself saying them.
Write them repeatedly: Choose a few affirmations that connect with you deeply and write them down, 3 times each. You can do this daily, as many times as you want.
Paste them around: You can also paste your favorite affirmations in the places that you visit the most so that whenever you visit them, you’ll be reminded to say them.
And, that’s it! These were the 4 powerful ways that you can feel confident in your body and appreciate it for how amazing it is. I wish you well ahead. Take care 🙂
Next step: Take my 21-day self-love course! This course will help you focus not only on your body image but also on all other aspects that can help you develop stronger self-love.
We’ll talk about comparison, self-worth, external validation, self-acceptance, and so much more! It’re totally free at the moment, so I really encourage you to jump in.
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Aarushi Tewari
The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.

15-day New Year Challenge

Starting January 1

🌻
Begin the new year with a positive outlook
💖
Start fresh every day with a new prompt
📝
Examples to help you get ideas
⏰
Reminders to keep you on track

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4 MIN READ
50+ You Are Beautiful Quotes You, Her & Everyone

Feel beautiful!

In our current reality, beauty is associated with Instagram influencers, who wears what, trends, and perfect features.
It’s a word whose meaning gets lost in this massive surge of content and micro trends.
But, beauty is not defined by social media. It’s not all about how you and I look on the outside. Although appearances dominate the conversations beauty, I want to keep standing for the belief that beauty comes from within.
You are beautiful when you are kind, when you are happy, and when you care for yourself. You are beautiful when you love who you are and extend that love to the world. You are beautiful when you are compassionate and honest.
I know it may keep being a topic of discussion – what really is beauty? But, I keep choosing what it is every day because I know it feels good to be beautiful and we all deserve to feel that way.
So, today I am here with You are beautiful quotes to help you realize that you indeed are beautiful through the beauty of your heart.
You Are Beautiful Quotes
“Leave your hair natural. Let your beard grow out. Leave the makeup in the bag. Wear comfortable clothes. Stop worrying so much about your looks and start looking around you. You have missed so much beauty trying to become beautiful. You have missed your own worth trying to become worthy. Let the mask break open. Let it lie on the floor. Let yourself be seen. Let yourself see.”
― Vironika Tugaleva
“Yes, you are beautiful! You are magical because of all your flaws, quirks, and weirdness! Yes, you are beautiful in your own unique way.”
― Avijeet Das
“I think whenever there’s potential for beauty, beauty can be found. And everything has potential for beauty.”
― Kamand Kojouri
“If roses could talk, they would not boast of their beauty, because they know that they have always been beautiful.”
― Michael Bassey Johnson
“When you don’t feel beautiful,
look at your true reflection.
You are a miracle made out of stars,
my love, you are stardust perfection.”
― Christy Ann Martine
“Life is beautiful and so are you.”
― Debasish Mridha
“At some point, the girl who never thinks she is pretty, will believe she is. And she is beautiful.”
― Emily R. McCormick
“Forgive yourself for believing that you’re anything less than beautiful.”
― Iyanla Vanzant
“You are beautiful when you are happy.”
― Oscar Wilde
“You are worthy of love and respect. You are beautiful, gifted, and intelligent. Don’t let the storm make you forget it.”
― Russell T Davies
“You are worthy of love and respect. You are beautiful, gifted, and intelligent. Don’t let the storm make you forget it.”
― Russell T Davies
“Tall, thin, curvy, short – whatever you are, you are beautiful.”
― Demi Lovato
“To this day, the first thing that I do every morning is look in the mirror. I’ll tell myself, ‘Look at your skin. Look at your teeth and your smile. You are beautiful.’
― Khoudia Diop
“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”
― Markus Zusak
“How many years did I waste worrying about the way I look? I’m almost 60 and it has taken me all these years. Don’t wait until you get to my age to realize that you are beautiful.”
― Shirley Ballas
“You are good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, strong enough.”
― Lolly Daskal
“You are beautiful because of the light you carry inside you. You are beautiful because you say you are, and you hold yourself that way.”
― Mary Lambert
“You are beautiful. You are strong. You are worth it. You are loved.”
― Macaile Hutt
“You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.”
― Melissa Etheridge
“You are beautiful just the way you are.”
― Nick Vujicic
“Why would I try to change who I look like, what my race is? No. No no no. You are beautiful because that’s the skin you were born with. Love it. And be proud of it.”
― Shay Mitchell
“Just exactly as you are, this minute, right now, without changing a thing… you are beautiful. Beautiful enough to take God’s breath away…”
― Neale Donald Walsch
“Try your hardest to be confident in who you are. You are enough – you are beautiful.”
― Meagan Tandy
“You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable.”
― Steve Maraboli
“When I tell you that you’re beautiful, I don’t just mean your appearance. I mean all of you; who and what you are, is beautiful.”
― Steve Maraboli
“It’s OK to feel like you don’t look like the next person. But what you have to know is that you are beautiful and you are strong and you are worth it. It’s important to know that.”
― Jordin Sparks
“You are a beautiful and wonderful soul. Recognize and illuminate it.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita
It’s that heart of gold and stardust soul that makes you beautiful.
― R.M. Broderick
You are beautiful because of the light you carry inside you. You are beautiful because you say you are, and you hold yourself that way.
― Mary Lambert
And in her smile, I see something more beautiful than the stars.
― Beth Revis
What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully. You are so beautiful to me.
― Matthew Fox
You are beautiful in every single way. Words can’t bring you down.
― Christina Aguilera
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
― Amy Bloom
“It’s okay to wake up and look however you look. You are beautiful regardless.”
― Ella Mai
You Are Beautiful Sayings
You are absolutely stunning.
Your beauty radiates from within.
You are a vision of loveliness.
You have a beautiful heart.
Your smile makes me feel happier.
You are so wonderful and kind.
You are most beautiful when you love yourself.
Your appearance is truly captivating.
Your beauty is breathtaking.
The beauty in your heart shines on your face.
I am so happy to know a beautiful heart like yours.
our beauty is a joy to behold.
You are a beautiful human being.
You possess a rare and alluring beauty.
You are truly a sight to see.
Your beauty is one of a kind.
You are absolutely stunning!
You’re the belle of the ball.
You are startlingly beautiful.
You deserve to know you are beautiful even when you think you’re not.
And, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed these quotes and sayings. Let’s redefine what beautiful means and cultivate beauty in our hearts together. Share these quotes to make someone’s day. Stay blessed!
Continue Reading: 60 Be Yourself Quotes to Celebrate Your Uniqueness
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Aarushi Tewari
The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.

15-day New Year Challenge

Starting January 1

🌻
Begin the new year with a positive outlook
💖
Start fresh every day with a new prompt
📝
Examples to help you get ideas
⏰
Reminders to keep you on track

Start FREE Challenge
Related reads

QUOTES
4 MIN READ
30 Best March Quotes to Enjoy Your Time
Welcome the new month with joy and gratitude!

QUOTES
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45+ Life Is Beautiful Quotes to Enjoy The Present
Let’s feel happy to just be, here and now.

AFFIRMATIONS
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Let’s make the most of the end of the week.

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4 MIN READ
3 Reasons Why You Should Love Yourself First

You might’ve heard about loving yourself first and not taken it seriously. Here are 3 reasons why it’s important to do and how it’ll help you love others truly.

“To love without knowing how to love wounds the people we love.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
The words “love yourself first” can be taken in many different directions. One can take it as being selfish, always looking out for yourself at the expense of others.
Or, it can be taken as self-obsession. You only love yourself, others don’t mean anything to you.
But, we’re talking about love here. Love is not anything negative. It’s not something that takes away from others but gives wholeheartedly.
Love is about understanding, care, trust, respect, and best intentions.
In fact, if you love yourself, you can love others in the healthiest way. So, keeping that in mind, here are 3 reasons why you should love yourself first:
3 reasons why you should love yourself first
1. You won’t project your issues on others
When we have low self-esteem, we unintentionally make others suffer with ourselves.
For example, if we make a mistake and someone that we love points it out to us, we’re going to be so miserable about it that we’ll not focus on attending to the other person but get consumed in persecutory guilt (read more about forgiving yourself here).
We might try and make amends but it’ll be in very low spirits because all the time the thought of not being enough or adequate will trouble us.
Whatever we hold on from our past or things that we haven’t worked upon within ourselves will in some shape or form impact the people closest to us.
Those who don’t love themselves sometimes don’t let other people love them too. We think we don’t deserve it or that they don’t really mean it and are pitying us. Or, because they love us, they are forcibly staying with us.
But, it’s their choice. They’re choosing to be around. They’re choosing to love. And, not letting them really be around because we think we’re not good enough for them ends up doing exactly what we don’t want to inflict onto them.
So, by loving ourselves first, we’ll be able to provide the care that we want to others as well as ourselves. It’s a win-win!
Related: Tips to Form a Healthy Relationship with Yourself
2. It makes you independent
Another similar yet opposite result can be that we’re dependent on other people to fill the space that is ours to pour into.
We feel that something’s missing and we’ll start wanting others to make us feel that it’s not. We would want them to be close to us, listen to us whenever we want them to, and make us feel less hollow.
People also have a hard time or don’t enjoy being with themselves. Naturally, if you’re not fond of someone, you wouldn’t volunteer to spend time with them.
Someone who loves themselves indulges in the activities that they enjoy doing. It’s not uncomfortable to be alone.
I know all this is easier said than done, so I created the 21-Day Self Love Course to help you begin your self-love journey with daily guided lessons, affirmation sessions, and journal prompts.
If you feel that you don’t love yourself and need to get in touch with yourself, I would recommend you try it 🙂
Related: 9 Tips to Stop Being a People Pleaser and Respect Yourself
3. You’ll make better decisions
There’s this article that my best friend shared with me last year about Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on love.
It mentions that at the heart of Nhat Hanh’s teachings is the idea that “understanding is love’s other name.” It made a place in my heart.
So, if we love ourselves, we understand ourselves (which is why self-reflection is a part of my course) and therefore, can make decisions that we know are in line with what matters to us, and will take us toward what we want to make of our lives.
It also helps us choose what is right for us in the most minute of moments. It’s about knowing to set boundaries that will help out in the long run, not exerting ourselves, stopping people-pleasing, forgiving, learning and moving on, asking for support, and all seemingly simple things that collectively shape a beautiful life.
Related: 9 Steps to Manifest What You Really Want in Life
Final Words
Let me quote Thich Nhat Hanh again:
“If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink.
The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform.
When our hearts are small, our understanding and compassion are limited, and we suffer.
We can’t accept or tolerate others and their shortcomings, and we demand that they change.
But when our hearts expand, these same things don’t make us suffer anymore. We have a lot of understanding and compassion and can embrace others.
We accept others as they are, and then they have a chance to transform.”
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Love yourself first and so, love others truly and wholeheartedly. You deserve it and so do the people who love you. It’s time to prioritize your well-being and give yourself what you need.
I wish you the best!
👉 Continue reading: 3 Simple Tips to Beat All or Nothing Thinking
Take the 15-day New Year Challenge

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Aarushi Tewari
The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.

15-day New Year Challenge

Starting January 1

🌻
Begin the new year with a positive outlook
💖
Start fresh every day with a new prompt
📝
Examples to help you get ideas
⏰
Reminders to keep you on track

Start FREE Challenge
Related reads

QUOTES
4 MIN READ
30 Best March Quotes to Enjoy Your Time
Welcome the new month with joy and gratitude!

QUOTES
5 MIN READ
45+ Life Is Beautiful Quotes to Enjoy The Present
Let’s feel happy to just be, here and now.

QUOTES
4 MIN READ
50+ You Are Beautiful Quotes You, Her & Everyone
Feel beautiful!

Take the FREE New Year Challenge

15-day daily guided journaling

Start Challenge
Maybe Later
GRATITUDE