Does Practicing Gratitude Leave You Feeling Empty?
When you can’t seem to ‘tap into thankful’, try this.
For many of us these days, most days feel heavy. Very heavy. So heavy that even ‘practicing gratitude’ has become elusive. It just seems to have somehow, at some time, slipped away.
I mean, can you remember when you were able to close your eyes, take a breath and lean into something you were thankful for? Even if it was something seemingly insignificant or small, you could tap into a sense of gratitude that would help you reset and keep you from spiraling into hopelessness or despair?
I can. I can remember when…but not lately.
Lately, when I’ve tried to harness the power of gratitude, I’ve just felt empty.
That is, until recently, when I learned a game changing trick to flip the practicing gratitude script.
Instead of trying to force myself to feel thankful and judging myself when I don’t, now I identify something that’s important to me and I think about what life would be like without it. For instance...
What would it be like to not be able to hear the birds sing?
What would it be like to not have a supportive partner?
What would it be like to not be able to afford groceries?
What would it be like to not feel the warmth of the sunshine?
Got it? Okay. Now, it’s your turn.
Try it. Pick something that’s important to you and ask:
What would it be like to NOT have XYZ?
Keep it simple. Or, make it profound.
But then, sit in that space - without it - for a moment. Let the lack or loss of it start to stir. Because something almost magical will happen. The heaviness will begin to lift and the emptiness will slowly disappear as gratitude starts to reappear.
By reframing how we approach practicing gratitude in times when it seems absolutely inaccessible, we can begin to reconnect with it.
Even if only for a moment.
Even if it’s brief.
And, even if it’s only a beginning, the effect can be profound.
It’s interesting how even gratitude or belief can feel heavy if it comes only from the mind.
In my own work, I’ve seen something deeper I call the Ontological Radiation Field the quiet energy that radiates when we live from our root.
From there, gratitude isn’t forced, it simply flows as presence, like a calm wave that needs no explanation.
Mình thấy hay là ngay cả lòng biết ơn hay niềm tin, nếu chỉ xuất phát từ ý nghĩ thì đôi khi cũng thấy nặng nề. Trong công việc của mình, mình gọi có một tầng sâu hơn trường bức xạ bản thể: năng lượng tĩnh lặng tỏa ra khi ta sống từ gốc. Từ đó, biết ơn không cần gượng ép, mà tự nhiên chảy ra như một làn sóng bình an, không cần lời giải thích.
Excellent suggest, thank you! 🙏