The profound phrase I heard the other day.

Stopped me in my tracks

I heard such a profound phrase the other day. And it was about the idea of cultivating a reflex of gratitude. I don’t know why those particular words, and in that particular order, stood out to me so much. Gratitude seems to have reached the mainstream (rightfully so), and it seems it’s all everyone talks about these days. But the reflex piece, is so important. And thinking about it that way can be transformational.

I feel society’s natural ‘reflex’ is disappointment, concern, complaint, or something along those lines whenever something unfavorable happens in your life. But what if we could alter that reflex? What if we could not only cultivate a reflex of gratitude, but nurture it, enhance it, cherish it, share it, and let it lead the way?

Of course the question becomes how. I think the answer, however, looks different for everyone. I’ll be super transparent. I returned to one of my well-being habits this week. Something I’m vowing never again to miss. Because it’s such an important part of my essence. But I returned to getting the Word in every morning. And I was listening to a devotional in which the speaker talked about this cultivation of a reflex of gratitude. And even just receiving those spoken words felt incredible. It felt Godly. It felt spiritual. It felt like an important part of our human experience. One we should hold sacred and be excited about implementing.

What I mean by it looks different is that for somebody like myself, it may be faith. For others, it might be leaning into your community. For somebody else, it might look like self-reflecting and self-assessing. For someone else, it might be leaning into curiosity and learning. For others, it might be love.

Whatever the channel is, choose it. Seek it. Cultivate it.

Gratitude is an antidote to so many things. So many stressors and pressures of everyday life.

It’s where you find calmness, presence, joy, peace—through all the challenges, not in spite of them.

Building the mechanism for gratitude to become a reflex, to me, feels like such a sacred act. It feels like art. It feels like health. It feels like one of the most important ‘hacks’ you can implement. For your mind, your body, your soul, your biology, and so much more.

A reflex simply means you train this to become natural. A healthy response. Rather than it being fleeting or temporary. Ironically, it’s how you become a bit more proactive about your life. To me, cultivating a reflex is a proactive response. Rather than a reactive reaction. One of those to me sounds way healthier than the other.

I know this is easier said than done. But that’s what makes it all the more rewarding.

What might cultivating a reflex of gratitude look like for you?

Photo by James Qualtrough 🇮🇲 on Unsplash

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I’ve only ever shared this with people close to me. But if you know me, you know how much I love coffee. My grandpa gave me my first cup of coffee when I was just three years old. It’s a big part of my culture. It’s how people invite, welcome, and hold space for others. It tastes so good. You can have it in a variety of different ways. Visiting new coffee shops is a magical experience in and of itself.

I’m deeply curious and love learning and can nerd out on things I love. I’ve watched full-fledged hour long podcast episodes on coffee alone. Just to give you an idea of how much I love it.

With that being said, if you love spending time with my words, and would like to be part of fulfilling my dream to do this full-time and make a living off of what I love, feel free to buy me a coffee! Saying your support means the world would be an understatement. It truly, in every sense, would mean everything!

Thanks again for spending time with my words.

Until next time,
Kevin