The Quiet Power of Living Each Moment Gratefully

Val Blair
3 minutes ago
5 min read

Woman in a brown sweater relaxes in a hammock, holding a cup of tea with a lemon slice. Cozy and calm atmosphere. — A quiet moment can become a gratitude grounding practice, especially on days that feel heavy.

There’s a tenderness that rises around this time of year.

For some, it feels warm and familiar.

For others, it brings a quiet ache, a reminder of who’s missing or what changed without warning.

But underneath the noise of the holidays, there’s something softer waiting for us, something ancient and grounding.

Gratitude.

Not the shiny, “write three good things every morning” kind, unless that helps you.

Not the kind we force when life feels heavy.

But the kind that lets you sit inside a moment and whisper, I’m still here.

Something is holding me.

Brother David Steindl-Rast said, “We can’t be grateful for everything, but we can be grateful in every moment.”

And that line has lived in my bones for years.

Because the truth is, gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is beautiful.

It’s how we find something steady to hold onto while the storm passes.

When Gratitude Becomes a Grounding Practice

Man wearing headphones meditates in a dimly lit room, sitting near a shelf with books. He wears a black shirt and appears calm. — Sometimes grounding starts with one breath, one small acknowledgment of what is still holding you.

There have been seasons in my life when it felt impossible to reach for gratitude.

When Derek passed away, my entire world cracked.

I could barely remember simple things.

I walked around in a fog so thick I didn’t know how I had gotten from one room to the next.

But even inside that devastation, small forms of support kept finding me.

A friend who texted “breathe” every single morning.

Another who stayed on chat with me all day long when I couldn’t hold myself steady.

Neighbors who knocked on my door with soup and a quiet presence.

A workplace that gave me space to fall apart without asking me to perform strength I didn’t have.

None of that erased the pain.

But it gave me tiny threads to hold, reminders that I was not completely alone.

And that is gratitude.

Not the denial of the tornado, but the noticing of the hands reaching in to pull you through it.

Soul-Level Gratitude, the Kind That Changes You

There’s a deeper layer of gratitude that happens when you start seeing life not as something you have to survive, but something you get to witness.

Every morning now, I wake up and whisper, “Thank you for another chance to be here. To learn. To teach, and to witness the tiny miracles waiting for me today.” And they are always there.

Not always big.

Not always loud.

But they’re there.

The warmth of your first sip of something hot.

The way the light hits the wall.

A quiet message from a friend checking in.

Your own breath steadying inside your chest.

These tiny acknowledgments don’t just add up, they multiply.

And that multiplication creates abundance.

It's not just financial abundance but the deeper kind.

The abundance of connection, safety, clarity, and inner steadiness.

The abundance of knowing you can keep going even when life breaks open.

To live gratefully is to say, “Even here, something is holding me. Even here, I can take the next step.”

Why Gratitude Doesn’t Ignore Pain

Gratitude isn’t spiritual bypassing.

Its presence.

It's permission to see the fullness of your experience.

You can be grieving and grateful.

Lonely and grateful.

Healing and grateful.

Struggling and grateful.

Hopeful and grateful.

Gratitude isn’t about denying the hard things.

It’s about remembering that even in the hard things, there are tiny mercies, flickers of light, and moments that remind you that life is still moving you forward.

A Simple Gratitude Practice for This Week

Try this sometime in the next few days:

Sit somewhere quiet for 60 seconds.
Put a hand on your chest or your belly.
Ask yourself gently, What is holding me right now?
Let whatever arises be enough.

It might be your breath.

It might be a friend.

It might be your own resilience.

It might even be the fact that you made it to this moment.

This practice can bring you back into your body when your mind is racing.

It can help you soften the edges of stress, anxiety, or grief.

It can anchor you as the holiday season swells around you.

Living Gratefully Is a Daily Homecoming

You don’t have to be grateful for everything.

You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.

You don’t have to smile through pain.

You just have to be open to noticing what is still here.

What still supports you.

What still whispers, keep going.

Gratitude becomes a home you can return to over and over again.

A place inside yourself that softens the world, even when the world is hard.

And when you practice it, even in tiny ways, life expands.

Your heart expands.

Your capacity expands.

And abundance, in all its forms, begins to flow back toward you.

Two hands touch in a gentle gesture. One wears a bracelet and the other a long-sleeve shirt. Soft lighting creates a warm mood. — Gratitude often begins with the people who reach for us when life feels heavy.

FAQ: Gratitude as a Grounding Practice

1. How can I practice gratitude when I feel overwhelmed or anxious?

Start small. Notice one thing that is supporting you in the moment. Your breath, a soft blanket, a kind message, the way light moves in the room. Gratitude is not about denying your feelings but about creating a little space around them.

2. Is gratitude the same as toxic positivity?

No. Toxic positivity ignores pain. Gratitude acknowledges pain and still looks for what remains steady, supportive, or nourishing.

3. Can gratitude help with grief?

Yes, gently and slowly. Gratitude doesn’t remove grief, but it can offer grounding and connection. It helps you see the people, moments, and mercies that carry you.

4. What if I don’t have a strong support system?

Gratitude can still be a grounding tool. You can be grateful for your own breath, your resilience, your clarity, a small comfort, or simply making it through another day. The more you notice, the more support begins to grow.

5. Why does gratitude increase abundance?

Because attention shapes experience. The more you notice what nourishes you, the more your nervous system shifts into safety and openness. From that grounded place, you see opportunities, connections, and support more clearly.