Choosing gratitude during hard times isn’t easy. The story of losing our dream home and how the power of gratitude helped us move past the heartache.

Last week, I shared a quick tip with my community via my email newsletter (sign up here!) about the power of gratitude to overcome difficult situations. In response to the feedback I received, I wanted to expand on that tip and share exactly how I worked through the heartbreak of losing our dream home by choosing gratitude.

Heartbreak and Choosing Gratitude: The power of gratitude during tough times.

During the past six months, I’ve learned a ton about the power of gratitude. I began keeping a daily gratitude journal back in August, and immediately noticed a difference in my attitude. After our home purchase started going south, I wrangled feelings of regret, despair, and hate toward the situation and the people involved.

Yet, something nagged at me to be grateful.

That may be because Thanksgiving was near. Or maybe because I’d just spent the previous month committed to my daily gratitude journal only to let that slip once things started going wrong. Regardless the reason, by choosing gratitude, I found my way out of the dark abyss forming around me. We’re still working to resolve our home situation, but even now, I feel much more happy, focused, and motivated, all thanks to the power of gratitude. Read on to learn how to choose gratitude to make a tough situation better.

Learn more about how choosing gratitude helps you achieve your goals.

 

Gratitude isn’t situational.

Is there any less reason to express gratitude during hard times verses when things are going good? Yes, it is EASIER to be grateful during good times. But, what about when things aren’t going so well? Should we still be grateful then?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We cannot always choose our circumstances. However, we can choose how we think about and respond to those circumstances. Our attitude, especially during difficult situations, can significantly contribute to our overall happiness and well-being.

Choosing gratitude during tough times holds power.

The power of gratitude extends into many aspects of our lives. According to Bliss Gratitude Journal, choosing gratitude “reduces stress, increases motivation and unleashes a flood of positivity, opening up new avenues to overcome difficulties.”

 

Choosing gratitude is all about perspective.

One thing I’ve learned about choosing gratitude: it’s all about perspective.

That’s not to say that you don’t have a right to feel the way you do during a tough situation. Believe me, I experienced a full realm of emotions during our messy, failed home purchase. However, even when things are going wrong, there’s still a lot of things that are going right. It could always be worse, and that alone is something to be grateful for.

Every time I’d think about how much I hated this situation, the same thought popped into my head:

“Someone else would love to have my problems.”

Meaning, someone else wishes the biggest problem they had was experiencing drama during the home buying process. It’s incredibly easy to take what we have for granted, and to look at others with envy. But, we often forget that there are many others looking at us, just wishing they had a fraction of what we do.

 

 

How to choose gratitude during a tough situation:

During difficult times, gratitude must be an intentional action. It’s not a simple choice, but a commitment. It takes effort, but the result is more joy, more peace, and an ever-growing appreciation for the life we have and the people we get to enjoy it with.

It’s all too easy to let bitterness, anger, and disappointment take reign over our lives. Instead, we must deliberately shift our attention from negative thoughts and worries to the goodness of our lives.

“It is during difficult times that gratitude must become a deliberate, active practice. You must seek it out and, when you find it, celebrate that goodness, soak it up.” Polly Campbell on Psychology Today

 

What if you’re having a hard time feeling grateful? Here are a few tips for you:

1. Give thanks for the little things.

The next time you’re going through a difficult situation, think about the little things so often taken for granted. Your basic needs that are consistently met. The functions your body performs without you even realizing. Any little thing that is going right in your life.

I have so much to be grateful for.

A roof over my head. Delicious food to eat and a fast metabolism to enjoy it. Clean water to drink. A loving family. Incredible husband. No major health issues. A Christmas tree and eyes to see its beauty. Incredible friends. Means to travel. Guys, it would take me thousands and thousands of words to list all the things for which I’m grateful.

There are so many reasons to be grateful. When we focus on those things instead of our problems, we gain a renewed sense of how blessed we truly are.

2. Recognize the opportunity for growth.

When our home purchase started spiraling downward, a lot of people (mostly our parents) commented about how much we learned in this situation and how that would help us in the future. In all honesty, I initially scoffed at those comments. I thought this “new knowledge” was useless beyond our home purchase. However, this situation stretched me in ways I never would’ve expected.

I’ve learned and grown in ways I may not have otherwise.

It strengthened our marriage as we made overwhelmingly large decisions in agreement with each other. I grew in patience as we waited endlessly for communications that never came. It pushed me to exercise grace as the only way to overcome the bitterness I felt. These are just a few ways this situation acted as an opportunity for growth and more reasons to be grateful.

Transform your difficult situation into a reason to be grateful. Here’s how:

• Think about how the situation offers an opportunity for growth. What can you learn? What benefits may come from dealing with it effectively?
• Choose how you want to respond to the situation. What values and strengths will you use to respond? How could dealing with it make you a better person?

3. A few other ideas to feel a little more grateful:

• Keep a daily gratitude journal – Every day, write down one thing you’re grateful for and why. Not only will this help gratitude become a regular practice, but during tough times, you can look back at your gratitude journal to remind yourself of all the good things in your life.
• Serve your community – Find something that you can do to make a difference in your community, and go do it. When we serve others, we feel good about ourselves. We know we’re doing good in the world and that gives us a little boost. It also helps us recognize the things in our life that we should be grateful for.
• Do something you’re good at – Go do something that allows you to put your skills and strengths to use. Putting our talents to use reminds us of all we are capable of, and, in turn, gives us another reason to be grateful.

 

Have you practiced choosing gratitude to get through a tough situation?