Gratitude Is the Secret Ingredient

One thing I’ve learned along my journey is that the more I find things to be grateful for, the more the universe gives me to be grateful about. Or maybe, I’m just programming my brain to notice what’s already been there for me.

I’ve known on a personal level how going through dark times can cause someone to have pessimistic thoughts about life and focus on the negatives. During my recovery journey, a facilitator in my Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) group required all of us to spend ten minutes writing down things we were grateful for. At first, I wrote about the obvious things—being free, having the ability to talk to my son, not having any warrants, having food. Then I’d run out of ideas and start noticing things I might have overlooked before.

I started appreciating the fact that I could see, talk, and walk. Then I began thinking about things I didn’t have to worry about—like a good job coming to me, a bank account, and the ability to invest in my creativity. That shift in focus was like magic. It showed me how powerful gratitude is and how much energy it holds.

Being grateful even for things I hadn’t received yet was like telling the universe, “I know it’s coming.” Just like when you show appreciation for someone’s good work, they feel encouraged to keep going, I believe the universe responds the same way.

This mindset helped me, especially when I got down on myself, faced setbacks, or felt let down by others. I’d go back to that place of gratitude, remembering what I had learned at my lowest moments.

Sometimes, I’ve allowed others to project their insecurities onto me, triggering feelings of doubt when I didn’t even have a reason to feel that way. But I remind myself—I have so much to be grateful for. I’m here. I’m committed to my growth.

Even when I’ve failed at things, I see that as proof that I tried. And we don’t give ourselves enough gratitude for just trying. If we did, we’d become more willing to try again and again.

So many times, I’ve wanted something, gone after it, and didn’t get my desired result, so I gave up. But did I really give it my best effort? Or was I looking at it the wrong way—focused on the obstacle instead of the opportunity?

The opportunity is in the try.

Who are we becoming in the process? The more we try, the more we grow. And that alone is something to be incredibly grateful for.

Gratitude is the secret ingredient—where all the magic happens.