Gratitude
or
How this simple morning ritual can set your mood for a day
without even moving a finger or opening your eyes
by Karolina Chic
Fair warning: a brief 2 min read on what has become my morning essential and how it can help you, too.
Photo credit: Marc Louviere
It started during the 2020. People all around me – friends, clients, neighbours, followers – were losing their loved ones and their friends. Some of the people I knew personally or had been in contact with for years, died. I was sad to learn that a few of my healthy and more or less fit acquaintances of my age passed all of a sudden, as the first wave of genetic experiment unrolled in the Western world. I needed mental fortitude to sustain frequent bad news and the maddening media massage most people willingly parroted back to others without questioning its veracity.
The world had gone mad. The amount of negativity (whether the truth or lies) thrown at the general populace on a daily basis reached staggeringly high levels. Human life in general had lost its value for profit, yet it had become more precious for each individual. Observing all that made me ponder on various scenarios, including my own demise.
The more I looked around myself – figuratively and literally, the more appreciative I was for everyone and everything I have. To face each new day afresh with a positive attitude, I decided to start working inwardly. I formed a new habit.
Ever since then, every single morning, before I even open my eyes right after I wake up, in my mind, I say the following:
1. I am grateful I woke up because it means there is another day ahead of me.
2. I am grateful I can breathe effortlessly and painlessly because that hasn’t always been the case.
3. I am grateful all my family members are healthy and alive.
4. I am grateful that we have a nice place to stay and enough to eat.
5. I am grateful that my mom helped me when I needed her the most.
6. I am grateful that my body has been serving me so well all these years.
7. I am grateful that my husband is so kind and supportive of my endeavors.
8. I am grateful that our girls have turned out to be good people.
9. I am grateful that I receive love daily and I have someone to give my love to.
Right after that I stretch in bed as much as I can (a trick I have learned from my dog), I make my bed to feel accomplished and go to the bathroom.
Now the hard part
I look in the bathroom mirror and no matter what I see in it I say: Good morning! I love you.
And I (try to) smile.
Then I go downstairs to drink a glass of warm water with lemon or ginger or both that Marc has made for me.
Marc says “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
…then he starts spewing the news he has been reading in 5 languages since 5.30 am in bullet points. It’s like a headline cannonade. We do not have a TV installed in our house but I am bombarded with news from all around the world in less than 5 minutes. Daily.
But you know what? I am grateful for it. It saves me time.
And I am grateful that I have him.
What are you grateful for?
Image mentor Karolina Chic doesn’t see the world in black & white. She’s the secret weapon of ambitious public figures, touring authors and public speakers ready to move from coffin chic to custom chic in the blink of her highly-trained colour-focused eye – so they can gain trust and persuade the right audience with their awe-inspiring image.
