Cultivate Abundance: Affirmations of Gratitude to Transform Your Life
Ever Felt Like You Had Nothing to Be Grateful For? I’ve Been There.
Back in 2022, I spent my birthday completely alone. Not the kind of alone where you just have a quiet day to yourself—no, I mean alone alone.
I was in the early stages of legally separating from my supposed-to-be life partner. I had no contact with my biological family (a story for another time), and I was living in California—3,000 miles away from NYC, the city I grew up in, where all my friends were.
Everything I had built, dreamed of, and planned for was rooted in my identity as a married woman. And suddenly, it was all gone. My future, my stability, my sense of self—it vanished in what felt like an instant.
For weeks, I barely ate. I barely slept. I cried more than I thought was humanly possible. And then one day, after exhausting every possible tear, I made a decision: If I couldn’t change what happened, I was going to fill my life with something new.
That’s when I stumbled upon the word abundance.
What Is Abundance?
At first, it felt like a foreign concept. How could I feel abundant when I had lost everything?
Abundance isn’t just about wealth or material success. It’s about recognizing the richness that already exists in our lives—love, experiences, knowledge, simple joys. But here’s the catch: you have to train your mind to see it.
I tried everything to ‘feel’ abundant—buying new things, changing my environment, forcing positive thoughts—but nothing stuck. And then, I found the one practice that changed everything: a five-minute gratitude journal.
Gratitude: The Simple Yet Powerful Mindset Shift
At first, writing in a gratitude journal felt like a paradox. How was I supposed to feel grateful when I had nothing left? It felt ironic, even ridiculous.
But science backs this up: Studies show that practicing gratitude rewires the brain by strengthening neural pathways associated with positive thinking (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). The more you train yourself to notice things to be grateful for, the easier it becomes.
I started small.
“I’m grateful for my warm bed.”
“I’m grateful for the coffee I had this morning.”
“I’m grateful for the kindness of a stranger who held the door open.”
Some days, as you can see from an entry on November 8, 2022, I struggled to find even one thing. But I committed to writing three every day.
And slowly, my lists grew. Soon, I was filling up entire pages, unable to stop writing down what I was grateful for. I literally couldn’t stop writing what I was grateful for. I was so excited to wake up in the morning to write these down. I was experiencing a massive from the inside.
The Real Shift: Gratitude in the Smallest Moments
One day, I was at a local bakery, sipping my tea when I noticed a father and daughter sharing a cupcake. The way she giggled as he pretended to steal a bite, the way his eyes softened with love—it made me smile.
A few minutes later, I witnessed two friends holding their stomachs, laughing so hard they could barely breathe. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt grateful just to witness these tiny, beautiful moments.
That feeling was the first real shift. I noticed I was taking bigger, longer breaths, and that small moment felt like a reset—one that I so desperately needed.
From Scarcity to Overflow: How Gratitude Saved Me
I’ve now filled three full gratitude journals. I always keep extras on hand to give to friends because I believe in this practice so much.
It saved me from sinking into the bitterness of my divorce. It reminded me that even in loss, there is always something to be grateful for. I found gratitude in:
The way the sunlight hits my plants in the morning.
The sound of my favorite song on a random grocery store speaker.
The way a stranger’s laughter can be contagious.
The simple fact that I woke up today.
Reframing My Divorce: Gratitude for the Hardest Moments
The biggest shift came when I started to reframe the purpose of my divorce. Of course, it was still incredibly tragic and heartbreaking, but I chose to see the gratitude in it.
At least I had an opportunity to start anew. At least I was getting divorced earlier rather than later. At least I wasn’t staying in a marriage that no longer served me. That perspective didn’t erase the pain, but it gave it purpose.
This was gratitude in action. It wasn’t just about listing things in a journal—it was about rewiring my mind to find abundance in the hardest moments.
Affirmations of Gratitude: Rewiring Your Mind for Abundance
Beyond journaling, I started creating Affirmations of Gratitude—powerful statements that reinforced my mindset shift. Saying them out loud daily helped me embody gratitude on a deeper level. Here are a few of my favorites:
I am deeply grateful for the love that flows into my life.
I appreciate the people who support, encourage, and uplift me.
I am thankful for the deep connections that make life so meaningful.
I cherish the moments of laughter and joy shared with those I love.
I appreciate the kindness I give and receive each day.
Want More?
I’ve compiled dozens of powerful gratitude affirmations that you can incorporate into your daily practice. Follow my Pinterest board (linked here) to explore them all or read them all here in my post: “50 Affirmations of Gratitude”.
Struggling to Find Gratitude? Let’s Work Together
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I don’t even know where to start”, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. And sometimes, the best next step is having someone guide you.
If you want to cultivate an attitude with gratitude but feel stuck, maybe a coach is exactly what you need. Schedule a call with me, and let’s build the foundation for a more abundant, grateful life together.
[Disclaimer: This post ‘Cultivate Abundance: Affirmations of Gratitude to Transform Your Life’ contains links to products I believe to be useful to the reader, from which I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to the reader.]
Gratitude changed my life. And I promise, if you commit to it, it will change yours too. Because no matter what you’ve lost, there is always, always something to be grateful for.
