Choosing Gratitude
 | Author:
Ellie West, Certified NLP Coach/Practitioner of Hypnosis and Timeline Therapy
Inside Inspiration: Certified NLP Coach/Practitioner Of Hypnosis and Timeline Therapy |
Choosing Gratitude
Ellie West
Certified NLP Coach/Practitioner of Hypnosis and Timeline Therapy
As we gathered around the Thanksgiving table, I was reminded once again that gratitude isn’t a feeling we wait for; it’s a choice we make. Even when our hearts feel guarded or weighed down, there is still so much to be grateful for if we’re willing to look beneath the surface.
After the meal, as the conversation lingered and laughter filled the room, I found myself quietly observing how people speak to one another. Are their words encouraging, meaningful, and uplifting, or do they stay at the surface? Are they comfortable being transparent, or do they shrink back and stay hidden?
To help us go a little deeper, I brought out some icebreaker cards and invited everyone to choose one. What unfolded was truly beautiful. Some eagerly shared their thoughts, offering pieces of their heart without hesitation. Others answered only parts of the question, still dipping their toes into vulnerability. And a few simply listened, taking in the moment.
What struck me is this: deep down, we all long to feel valued, seen, and heard. Yet letting our guard down and allowing someone to see the real us is often the hardest thing to do.
Maya Angelou captured such truth in the quote I love: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Her wisdom is priceless, and it reminds me that people usually operate from their most genuine intentions. Many desperately want to live with gratitude, but somewhere along the way, something gets lost.
Later, I talked with one of my guests about gifts and purpose. He shared an interesting perspective, that understanding our gifts and purpose is a relatively new concept. Many of us grew up believing fulfillment came through financial security: find a good job, work hard, save, invest, even if it costs you joy. But does that truly bring peace, contentment, and gratitude?
Today, more and more people are inspired to a new understanding: embracing what they were created to do. Living with intention, using their gifts, and discovering their purpose can bring deep fulfillment. This isn’t selfish; it’s a way of honoring oneself, and that honor leads to a life that feels both meaningful and peaceful.
One of the questions was, “What is at the top of your bucket list, and how will you make it happen?” Even though this person clearly knew what was at the top of the list, it wasn’t easy to identify a path forward because money quickly became the barrier. But I saw it differently.
Sometimes we know exactly what we want, we’ve dreamed it for years, but the one thing holding us back is fear. Fear of the “what-ifs” and all the imagined scenarios that can keep us paralyzed.
So, can I gently challenge you today? There is always a positive among the negatives. Always. We often must step out of our comfort zone and allow room for failure, because failure builds character, and character becomes the foundation of who we are.
As we move from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season, perhaps you’re feeling a little empty, exhausted, or resentful, unsure of where this next year will take you. If so, you’re not alone. And you’re not failing. You’re simply being honest about where you are, and that honesty is the first step toward gratitude.
God has tremendous compassion for you. You can still choose gratitude. You can still remember that God is good, even when life doesn’t feel good.
And when we slow down enough to notice even one small good thing, even a flicker, we might discover that we have far more to be grateful for than we realized.
Gratitude is the quiet courage that turns endings into beginnings and uncertainty into possibility. A grateful heart doesn’t deny the hard; it simply refuses to let the hard have the final say.
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