Latest / Grounded Growth / Gratitude: The Habit That Changes How You See Everything
Transcript
- Stephanie Petry: Hi, welcome back, I'm Stephanie Petrie. And we are going to wrap up our Faith Foundation series with talking about gratitude, the habit that changes how we see everything. In this episode, we're gonna talk about why gratitude can feel difficult, what happens when we don't practice gratitude, what gratitude actually does, and simple gratitude habits that can change our perspective. Nicole Ghirardi: called Girardi. Stephanie Petry: as well as gratitude that protects our heart through faith. go ahead and kick this episode off. Nicole Ghirardi: Perfect. Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances, but it shows you how you experience them. Many women are not lacking blessings, they are lacking the margin to notice them. So sometimes the biggest perspective shift comes from simply paying attention to what is already good. ⁓ So gratitude can feel difficult is kind of one of our biggest topics here. So Steph, why don't you start? Stephanie Petry: I think because our life is already so full that we feel like there's no time for gratitude. And honestly, I just experienced this this past week and especially yesterday. Like I just was feeling extremely full with all of my responsibilities of this week and having, you know, multiple performances and rehearsals. And then this women's retreat this weekend that there were just a lot of great things and great responsibilities. but it was great and it just was taking a toll on me. And so being able to flip the script to gratitude was a big one for me because I was allowing a negative situation, one negative situation dictate my emotions and how I felt about all the things. So I really had to make place and make space for gratitude. And really there are real pressures and those real responsibilities that we just talked about. and they are real struggles. Like those are, it's heavy, it's a lot. It takes our time and our energy and it's sacrifice of service. And sometimes gratitude can feel almost out of reach when you're in the messy middle of it all because you're in that constant to-do mode instead of gratitude mode. So I think just our natural tendency is to notice what's missing or to notice the negative instead of just being. present and finding what it is that's going well. And so if we ⁓ a tendency to notice what's missing before we notice those things that are going well, it's not going to give us that posture of gratitude. It's going to give us that posture of we're overwhelmed and we've got too ⁓ going on and we're so busy and that's not the persona that we want to exude to others. Nicole Ghirardi: Hi, welcome to Grounded Growth Podcast. I'm Nicole Girardi. And I'm Stephanie Petry. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Stephanie Petry: And I'm Stephanie Petry. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button. Nicole Ghirardi: Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button right now on whatever app you're listening on. Stephanie Petry: Over time, it becomes our default lens too. So whatever it is that you're practicing, that tends to be where you go. And so if you're wanting to make a change and you're wanting to become more gracious or you're wanting to become more of a person of gratitude and thankfulness, then you need to start putting some habits in place to really kind of catch yourself in those moments. So hopefully we'll be able to share some practical tips with you later in the episode. right now on whatever app you're listening on. And also comparison can be another thing we can talk about here with gratitude. And it's hard to feel grateful for what you have when you're constantly looking at what someone else has. So is the death of all joy. I ⁓ say all the time. And we love it when great things happen for us, but it's a whole nother ball game when it happens for someone else. So just some encouragement with comparison. Nicole Ghirardi: you for joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. We hope today brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, Stephanie Petry: Thank you joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. ⁓ We hope brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, We need to be able to see that we all have different strengths. And even if they are similar strengths to you, that person is having this moment ⁓ ⁓ and of great things. And that is amazing for them. And their strengths can really tie into, you know, helping you and being able to learn from their strengths rather than it being a comparison. Nicole Ghirardi: stay grounded and keep growing. Stephanie Petry: stay grounded keep growing. Nicole Ghirardi: Mm-hmm. I agree. kind of building on some of the things Stephanie said, I think the biggest thing with comparisons that I see, especially in the business side of things, is that we normally say, well, she has the bigger strength, and we start comparing versus saying, this is the opportunity for us to learn and be mentored from that person to build ourselves up. versus just the comparison and the pride of, well, she did it this way, and that's why she got what she did. And we're really hard on ourselves. I was just telling Steph that between our episode recordings. But I mean, it is. It's true. And we have to step back and realize that we can't compare. There's actually a name for what she's really describing and really a biological reason behind it and it's called the negative bias. not sure if you guys really ⁓ what the negative bias is, but we're wired to notice what's wrong before what's right. And wiring once kept, you know, kept us safe, ⁓ but today keeps us scanning for gaps and set of gifts that we have for each other. And that's that ⁓ comparison side it all. So, high women often move quickly from one goal to the next. Hi, I'm Nicole. I'm that person that never celebrates. Steph will say it. But we're always focused on what's next. and we rarely stop long enough to enjoy what's already here. That we're living in the past, the mistakes we've made, we don't ever live in the present, we're always going to tomorrow. win is what we need to celebrate. ⁓ that's that gratitude that makes it feel like it does count. Because when you don't sit and you celebrate and there is no celebration of small wins, ⁓ like it didn't happen and that you're just trying to move on to the next checklist. you know, we normalize good things instead of celebrating them. Psycho blessings quickly become the background noise. we never pause and name them. you know, that's where I really, and I know we'll talk some simple ways, but that's where the reflection at the end of the day is what was my win for the day? Because I am hard on myself and I don't ⁓ celebrate So that's and then of course, stress makes it harder to notice what's going right with us. I feel like that is a big thing for us is that ⁓ under pressure, the brain narrows in on the threats that we are experiencing and almost ⁓ everything else, which is typically those small wins or those big wins. Just like we talked about wisdom last week. you know, those small wise choices is what then comes to be a wise, a large wise decision. That's the same thing when it comes to those small wins, those small wins that we experience that nobody else notices turns into that big win that we see everyone else getting. It's just they're in a different transition than we are. So the gratitude can feel impossible if for stress. So that's exactly when we need it the most. is to acknowledge a win that we have. So that's why I recommend at least acknowledging one a day. Stephanie Petry: And when gratitude isn't something that we're practicing intentionally, it doesn't just stay neutral. It actually begins to shift how we see our lives in a way that we may not even realize. So what happens when we don't practice gratitude? Nicole Ghirardi: I know with me, negativity gets super loud and my progress goes right out the window. That what we focus on grows. and if we're focused on what's wrong, that's all that we're gonna see. The progression gets out by the things that didn't go the way that we had hoped for. So. then you're rewinding. That's why I feel like a lot of times, mean, weight loss, we all struggle with the roller coaster of gaining a pound, losing a pound, gaining 10 pounds, and then gaining another five. And that we have to focus on what helps us grow where we have that one bad day of we didn't work out, we didn't eat, and that's what we immediately grasp onto. And then we give up everything that we had worked for those three weeks before. So that's where we're drowning out our progress versus saying, you know, I had a bad day, but tomorrow is gonna be better for us. And I feel like the stress really feels heavier than it actually really is. And we're the biggest credit of ourselves. that's where without the gratitude, there's nothing to balance the weight of what's hard. And that's where struggle becomes bigger for us when we're not holding our blessings next to them. And that is where I feel like joy becomes inconsistent instead of the steady that we're supposed to have in our lives. And that joy really starts depending on the circumstances instead of our own perspectives of it all. And I think that life is constantly shifting. mean, you see it, you're, mean, even throughout the day, it's a roller coaster of everything that you can have it perfectly planned out, ⁓ it's constantly changing. And so, ⁓ those joy shifts with it, unless it's anchored, is really what we have to fine tune and really dive deeper and dig into having that as one of our anchors. we also can lose perspective on how far we come. And I said it already before, but without looking back, it's easy to feel like we haven't moved at all. ⁓ And I bring weight loss since I'm going through this journey of weight loss and I can look in the mirror and I still see the person that I was in January one. And my mom will be like, ⁓ my gosh, you're looking anorexic. Your face is so skinny and you look like a skeleton. And I'm like, I don't see myself like that. And that is where people say, you take a before and after, but it's really, we lose our perspective of how far we've come. And that is where gratitude is part of how we remember the prayers that we're already living inside the answers to. Stephanie Petry: So you made a lot of great points. And I think that practicing gratitude, way to say that, we easily slip into a mindset of lack. So you mentioned how we always focus on that one negative or that one thing that didn't go the way we planned. And ⁓ it a mindset. It kind of takes over. And we start to feel like that what we have isn't enough or like we're always behind in some way. And that's never the posture that we want to be in and that's a hard place to be. even good things can start to feel ordinary or even overlooked just because we're so focused on what's next or what's not working. And it is different to be able to be reflective And then also gratitude for what you do have and what you have accomplished. Sometimes because we're so reflective, it can cause us to kind of lose our wisdom as we talked about last week. And so have to be able to be reflective while also practicing gratitude the progress that you are making. And this is honestly where discontentment grows. And it's subtle and it's not always so loud and it just grows over time and I had to really face this this week too of being discontent with something and I talked with some people kind of help realign my my thoughts. It was my mind like my heart knows what's ⁓ heart knows what's true and I knew my mind was being misled ⁓ it was being misled by negative talk. I just needed some help to realign myself. So I did, I reached out to a couple people that gave me some wise counsel. They prayed me throughout the week, which was really helpful. And I finally to a place where I explained it to my husband that my mind was able to come to a place of contentment. Now I need to allow my heart to kind of catch up to be present in the right now. ⁓ and to be content with it too. So just finding that peace and that clarity and allowing to let go of things that really don't matter. ⁓ But we allow them to take weight in our decisions and in our lives. So yeah, so just something that I personally had to experience about gratitude. And so it allowed me to really kind of flip the script. And of focusing on that negative Nellie, I was able to focus on all the wonderful things that were actually happening right in front of me, before my eyes. And it really did allow me to kind of step into a place of contentment again, with joy. affects more than our thoughts. ⁓ impacts our emotions, relationships, and even how we show up in daily lives. And then this is true too, in the situation I was talking about. I had a friend that was also going through a really hard week. And so me venting is not gonna be helping her or I. And so we kind of needed to just kind of put a pin in it and say, hey, we're just really discontent right now with our circumstances. And we're gonna choose to talk about something completely different. And that was okay too. And we acknowledged the fact that we were in a hard spot, but we acknowledged the fact that we are able to be sisters in Christ in a way that our circumstances did not dictate who we are. So I thought that was sweet too this week. And what's hard is that nothing externally has to change for that to happen. All of this is in our heads. It's all happening internally. And there is a connection that needs to happen between our head and our heart. sometimes we just get so going in our brains that we don't allow to pause. And here we are with that pausing again. ⁓ for our hearts to be able to tell our brains what is true. Nicole Ghirardi: And I think a lot of times that, and that's where we misunderstand gratitude. And because the gratitude isn't ignoring the hard things, it's choosing to also see the good in it. So why don't we dive a little deep into what gratitude actually does. Stephanie Petry: So gratitude has a way of grounding us in the present moment. pulls us out of constantly looking ahead or comparing behind. And brings us back to what is right in front of us. And so a lot of times, joy and gratitude hand in hand. I went to a one time and it talked about remembering your joy. I have a friend who Nicole Ghirardi: Mm. Stephanie Petry: talks about walking backwards in faith, meaning you keep your eyes set on everything the Lord has brought you through to get you going forward. Because I think that that's something we miss the mark on a lot is that even though what we might be sitting in right now doesn't seem like something that we should be grateful for, ⁓ pretty much everything in your life has some sort of lesson in it or it has something that you can learn from be grateful for and you can you can practice gratitude. And it shifts our perspective from scarcity to provision. What is it that the Lord is actually providing you in this moment, even if it's not where you want to be? What is he providing you, even if you're in the waiting place? What is he providing you, if it's something really good and you just keep focusing on the one thing that didn't go well. of asking, what am missing? What has already been given to me? And that's gonna take those ordinary things that we talked about and make them the extraordinary things that are making you who you are and the choices that you have made. Gratitude creates a space of peace. There are times in my car where ⁓ might have had a rough day and I am just starting to pray every tiny little thing that I am grateful for. And it could be the most random thing. It could be the fact that I even have a car that I am driving right now. It could be the fact that I have water in my water bottle. I mean, ⁓ if really trying to scrape the barrel, right? And so being able to have those moments where I am really trying to retrain my mind to remember what's true and that I have been provided for because I've got a God that loves me completely. This isn't because everything's perfect. It's not me just trying to be, you know, mispositivity and negate feelings. And, you know, I'm not trying to do that, but it's recognizing still that there is good even in the middle of what feels hard. I also think that it softens our hearts. Gratitude softens our hearts. It makes us more aware. It makes us more present of the here and now and more connected to what truly matters. And over time, gratitude begins to shape how we see our entire lives, not just for the moments here and there, but ⁓ ⁓ areas of our lives and in the present. Nicole Ghirardi: Exactly what Stephanie just said. think that, you know, what I'd add is that once that shift happens, it doesn't stay in one lane. And I feel like everyone's like stay in your own lane kind of aspect. Like gratitude changes your baseline. not just how you see one moment, but what your everyday default feels like. And once that baseline shifts for you, like everything else does, our mood, our patients, our decisions, it really helps start to shift. So then that way, then we start automatically thinking of the gratitude part versus all that negativity for it. And gratitude builds that emotional resilience that we need. we ⁓ notice the good, hard moments don't knock us over as easy. And that gratitude becomes that anchor that keeps us steady when life feels ⁓ crazy and chaotic. And think that it also increases our contentment. Contentment isn't about having more. It's about recognizing the fullness of what we already have. And that gratitude helps quiet the voice that says not yet and makes room for ⁓ the already that we have in life. One of the books that I've been reading ⁓ for my business development is the John Maxwell, it's called the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. And one of the things that he says in this is that you cannot be grateful and unhappy at the same time. possible way of you being grateful and unhappy. So gratitude actually crowds out the things that steal our joy. So just think of that, you know, that if you are having that crappy day, even if it's the water in your tumbler that you're thankful for, I have those moments like stuff does. Like I'm thankful that I have a house and that I have a roof above my head and that I have money in the bank to buy food and do the things. You find the small thing, I'm for comfy clothes and not having to be at the office and I get to work from home. Those small things is what helps take unhappy because they're fighting for each other and the more gratitude you have, the less all of that's gonna get out of your mind. And I think that the gratitude helps you lead from peace instead of pressure. I feel like we talk pressure all the time our episodes, but. everyone feels it. And I think that leading from pressure is exhausting and that leading from peace is so sustainable. And that's where we need to be. And that when we're grounded in what's good, we show up steadier for the people that depend on us too. Stephanie Petry: So when you have this baseline of practicing gratitude and you do slip back that negative mindset, The hope is that that window is shorter so that you go right back to gratitude much quicker and you have some steps in place to get you there and to help get you back there when you notice that you're becoming more negative. ⁓ It also allows you that space when you were talking about how I loved how you said from that book that you cannot be unhappy and practice gratitude at the same time. Like I love that. ⁓ And so it allows you Nicole Ghirardi: Mm-hmm. ⁓ Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Stephanie Petry: to make that space of making decisions in the hard places with wisdom like we talked about last week. Because if you are spiraling in negativity, then you're gonna be in reactive mode. Whereas if you already are practicing this habit of gratitude, then your mind is already gonna be in this place of peace that's going to help you make decisions with wisdom already. It's just setting you up for more intentional success. Nicole Ghirardi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Stephanie Petry: Enjoy. Nicole Ghirardi: Well said, friend. Well said. Stephanie Petry: So if gratitude has the power to shift our perspective like that, then the next question becomes, how do we actually build it into our everyday lives in a way that feels sustainable? so simple gratitude habits, blame on us, Nicole. Nicole Ghirardi: I've got my four and I'm gonna pull some of my favorite books into this too because these weren't just random things I came up with. The first one is writing down things you are grateful for daily. I think I've said this, Steph says it, you know, I think there's something to say versus you just saying it out loud but writing it down. It takes only two minutes but helps retain your brain to scan for good things. instead of gaps. So you're, you're having to start thinking of the good things. And when, and I think a lot of it, when I first started doing this was really heavy. I was like, there was nothing good that happened today. And that's when I really had to start thinking about it. And I had to just keep it simple and you know, being able to grab my cup of coffee and go sit out on the porch. It's been beautiful outside, like go sit outside. You know, I'm so thankful that Steph checked on me today because I've been having a really heavy day and she doesn't even know it, but that brought a smile to me. You know, just keep it simple on there. And I think that one of the big things I've learned out of this is the book Atomic Habits. So this is where I talk habit stacking a lot with you guys, but the author is James Clear and his habit stacking formulas after whatever current habit that you do. you create a new one. if, for example, after I pour my morning coffee, I'm going to name three things that I'm grateful for or I'm thankful for. And that's how the gratitude becomes more automatic instead of feeling like you're having to check it off of a box or, you know, rely on something else. Build that habit. Brush. We all brush our teeth. Brushing your teeth. Think of three things that you're thankful for and grateful for. It's it's just building that routine for it. ⁓ Another one that I constantly work on is celebrating the small wins instead of skipping and passing them up. by the way, ⁓ have done many things for grounded growth and we have yet to celebrate all of our amazing wins friends. So this is holding us accountable and ⁓ for everyone that ask us what we've done to celebrate all of the things we've now been in business format. So happy four month anniversary. A win unnoticed is a win unlearned from. And that is such a good thing to think about and just pause long enough to say, this was good. And those small celebrations stack up ⁓ faster than you think and really giving you that steady sense of progress over time. And that's what we want to be able to do is just the progress. You know, the saying is progress over perfection. And that is true. We have to continue to think forward and stop rewinding and living every mistake that we do. We need to learn from our mistakes 100%. But that's the progress in our mistakes, not dwelling on the negativity of it all. next thing, of course, ⁓ practicing gratitude before starting your day. ⁓ this is really tying two things together. First off, starting gratitude sets the tone before stress ever gets the chance to. We have this part of our root journal because, I mean, that is our third step is, you know, what are we thankful for? I mean, there are days when I get creative with what I'm thankful for, but most of the time, especially in the morning, I'm just flowing with the things that happened the day before because of, you know, just the constant routine of it all. even just one minute before you pick up your phone, because I know we all pick up our phone and start checking our emails and working and all of the things that we do can just shift your whole morning. of, ⁓ off of me creating The Roots was the original book that was called The Miracle Morning. ⁓ he talks about the affirmations and scribing pieces of sabers, which both create that space for gratitude. So his whole core premise of this was how you wake up each day dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life. And that's where we want to be is that we want to acknowledge everything that's going on in our life and just being able to sit and pause and be able to do that. So use journal practices that we talked about, use our Roots Journal, I promise it. It really does help to reflect on the truth and the blessings that we have. and really gives you that rhythm of being able to have it stack. Grab your cup of coffee and grab your Roots journal and just sit and reflect for the 30 minutes. Stephanie Petry: I'll second the Roots Journal. I was gonna say that too about writing it down. I just think that it helps reinforce is right there that otherwise would be overlooked. So when you write it down, there is something that's super helpful with that and hold you accountable. Another thing that our family does is at the dinner table or usually at the end of the night when we're doing our prayers together, we know that we're gonna ask, what is one thing you are grateful for? What was the best part of your day? And that's become a habit. And so now we all have to have something that we answer to. ⁓ And so I think that that's a really great habit to start to as a family and I recommend that that's that's been a good one for us even when it's hard, you know, we're able to find something to be grateful for. ⁓ Remembering that it starts small, you know, if you are someone that does not practice gratitude on a frequent basis or even on a regular basis, just start small, even if it's just with the writing it down once a day. ⁓ whether it be you're just gonna add it to your prayer for that day, maybe you wanna take it a step further. ⁓ that I've started to do is, I put on my weekly habits that I need to go and encourage three people that I am grateful for and why, why you're grateful for them. And it's just a text, it doesn't take me long. I can even schedule them during my morning time. I'll tell you what, it has helped grow relationships and it has helped with being able to reach out for prayer or for help when I need it. You are ⁓ into the relationships that are to you in your lives. And so I think that's a really good one too, is that, ⁓ know, for things that we have, yes. but it's also for people in our lives. And it's important that we tell people why we love them. And I think that that's a good one to practice as well. And then the last simple step I have is forcing yourself to pause in the middle of your day. We've talked about the morning, we've talked about the evening, ⁓ the middle of your day. And this is one that I do not practice regularly. So here you go. Here's a goal for me. pausing in the middle of my day to just name something I'm grateful for. ⁓ And you can set a timer on your phone. I have a little app that reminds me to pray during my lunch. So that's one that we could have, whether it be a quote that's like on the back of your screen or whatever that you can read, something like a scripture or whatever. So I think pausing in the middle of your day too. to help you realize you're not a machine that's just working and getting the things done. You are a human being with a heart and you need to remember that sometimes. Nicole Ghirardi: Mm-hmm. 100%. I love that idea. That's such a good idea. In our verse for the episode, we ⁓ picked first ⁓ Thessalonians five, verse 18. ⁓ Give thanks in all circumstances for this the will God in Christ Jesus for you. Stephanie Petry: Notice it said all circumstances, all as in all of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, the stuff you don't want, the stuff that annoys you, the stuff that inconveniences you, all circumstances. dependent on everything going well in life. That's not what gratitude is for. is a posture of your heart that you carry even when life feels uncertain or even when life feels difficult. Gratitude protects our heart because it keeps us anchored in what is true about God, that God is good, God has provided for you, and God is always present with you. I mean, those are three things that we should always be grateful for, ⁓ with water in our tumblers. ⁓ But I think those are a little more heart wrenching, right? little more grounded. It shifts our focus from what we don't understand to what we know to be true. And I think we get so wrapped up in thinking we need to understand everything that's happening to us. ⁓ But you're not going to have those answers. Sometimes you're not in control of things that happen to you and you just have to roll with it. And so being able to realize that you're not alone in it and that God's gonna be with you through it. And he's gonna show you things that you can learn gratitude along the way too. I think that this is where real peace actually begins as well. Because notice we've been intertwining patience and peace and joy and ⁓ all in one. ⁓ It's not having that perfect circumstance, but in having a steady perspective that is rooted in God. And that is the fruit of the spirit. I mean, we've been talking about the fruit of the spirit pretty much ⁓ this whole episode, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Galatians five, but gratitude comes as an act of trust too. So, you know, we have the Holy Spirit within us that is helping shape and mold us in the present in our lives now to, ⁓ gain and to grow in these things and these fruit of the spirit. But gratitude comes from an act of trust and that we don't have to have it all together. We don't have to know why everything's happening. we can say, God, even here I see you and even here I trust you because I know you got me. ⁓ that is freedom. That is peace. That is a surety that you are going to be okay. And so find gratitude in that moment. Nicole Ghirardi: Gratitude reminds us what is already working for us. So even in the hard season, there's always evidence of God's faithfulness when we look for it. And that's the key is that we have to look for it and that remembering what he's already done builds our trust, like Steph said, for what he's still doing inside for us. And to really expand on what Stephanie said is ⁓ gratitude isn't just comfort in the uncertain seasons, it's how we build trust for the next season that we have. So remembering God's faithfulness in the past is how we stay steady. when the future feels so unclear. And gratitude becomes that spiritual memory keeper that per se. And it reminds us that even when circumstances shift, God's character doesn't. Stephanie Petry: That's so good. And when gratitude becomes that kind of practice for us, not just occasional, but it's consistent, it begins to change not just how we feel, but how we also live our lives. Nicole Ghirardi: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, I'm gonna wrap this up at a little pretty bow with some suggestions that I want you guys to take away from this week. first, ⁓ with noticing one good thing each day. One achievable. One is sustainable. ⁓ One easy. And ⁓ one slowly grow into more each and every time you practice it. You don't have to feel grateful to start. ⁓ And that's, think, is a key, is that you just have to notice. So if you can't find anything that you're grateful for, first off, dive into God's word. There's always something we're grateful for in God's word. But I think it's going simple with the water in the tumbler, if that's what you're thankful for. Just know that you don't have to feel grateful to start. Second thing, gratitude grows when you practice it consistently. Like anything worthwhile, It's the repetition that builds the strength. So a few minutes a day done consistently will outpace one big gesture done just once. And that's where also in Atomic Habits, James Clear says that success is the product of daily habits, not once in a lifetime transformations. So a grateful life is built the same way, small pause at a time. another thing just to kind of take with this is that perspective shifts when appreciation grows. So the more you notice the good, the more good you start to notice. And it's the cycle that becomes the best way for us. And that shift is what really changes you to show up for everyone around you. So this is growing that habit, not only for you, but for like Stephanie says, she does, she works with it with her family, with her friends. It's every area of our life that we start seeing those shifts. and that where the shifts really will start growing for you. And then peace often follows awareness. So peace isn't about adding more. I feel like we say that a lot to you guys. It's about paying attention to what's already there. So that awareness is the door that peace walks through. ⁓ And just wanna leave with this little quote. is from John Maxwell, the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. It's called the Law of Awareness. You must know yourself to grow yourself. And awareness is the doorway. ⁓ Gratitude one of the clearest ways to walk through it. Stephanie Petry: And as we wrap up this Faith Foundation series, I love that we landed on gratitude. I think it's just a powerful place to land because it brings us back to what matters. It reminds us what is steady and good and it has been what has already been given to us. You don't have to do an overhaul. They say that a lot too. ⁓ talk about the awareness, you know, starting small, ⁓ that's because in order to have ⁓ growth, in order to have intentionality and sustainability, you have to start small. You have to start right where you're at. And I hope that that's coming through with sincerity. And it's just being aware, like you said, we talk about being life-giving. So really taking account into your life, what'd you call it, auditing? Auditing your life of what is life giving is also important in all of these episodes that we've been doing, to be honest. And if it's not life giving, then cut it out. Like, that's what I have to say. Or try to realign it so that it is. So. I just hope that these have been an encouragement for you because they've been encouraging to us as we've been recording them and in real life too. Like, I mean, I was sharing some things that happened this week in particular, and you guys, you know, it's just been, it's been good. And we would love to hear back from you too. And if these episodes are speaking to you or if there's certain things that you would like for us to cover, just out to us on our Facebook page or leave a comment on ⁓ whatever you're listening to. We'd love to hear back from you guys. just remember, gratitude does not change your circumstance overnight, but it does change how you see them. And this sometimes can change everything. until week, we hope you ⁓ are to find some gratitude. Bye. Nicole Ghirardi: Bye.