Gratitude Isn’t About Being “Positive”

A lot of people think gratitude means forcing positivity, or pretending everything is fine when it isn’t.

And while these messages might come from good intentions, they can sometimes feel… heavy. Especially when you’re going through something real… loss, uncertainty, exhaustion, heartbreak, or change.

Here’s the truth. Gratitude isn’t about bypassing reality. It’s about finding possibility right in the middle of it.

Gratitude Isn’t Bypassing Reality

True gratitude doesn’t ask you to pretend everything is fine when it isn’t. It doesn’t erase your pain or ask you to ignore what’s hard.

Gratitude invites you to hold space for both.

You can hold grief and gratitude.
Disappointment and delight.
Uncertainty and hope.

That’s the real magic of gratitude, it widens your perspective. It helps you see that even in moments of struggle, there are threads of beauty, meaning, and strength woven through.

When you let gratitude coexist with what’s hard, you stop collapsing into the pain. You begin to see the full picture — both the challenge and the opportunity that lies within it.

The Reframe That Changes Everything

Here’s a simple practice you can try today. It’s one I return to often, especially when things feel heavy or unclear.

1. Write down one challenge you’re facing right now.
2. Ask yourself, “What might this challenge be giving me an opportunity to see, learn, or become?”
3. Then, capture one small piece of gratitude inside that experience.

Maybe it’s the resilience you’re building.
Maybe it’s the clarity emerging through the discomfort.
Maybe it’s the reminder of what truly matters.

Whatever it is, let yourself acknowledge that both things can exist — the hard and the hopeful, the messy and the miraculous.

Gratitude doesn’t erase what’s hard. It makes room for more than the hard.

Real, Grounded, and Magnetic

When you practice gratitude in this way, everything begins to shift.

You stop using gratitude to fix or force. Instead, you let it guide and ground.

This kind of gratitude becomes magnetic. It calls in Joy and abundance in ways that feel almost creepy LOL (for real my students and clients get spooked at how amazing things get!!)

Gratitude opens you to receive. It helps you align with what’s working, what’s unfolding, and what’s meant for you.

Take This Work Deeper Inside The Joy Nest

If this message resonates, I’d love for you to take it deeper inside The Joy Nest.

This month, we explored this exact reframe inside our Joy Session, “The Foundation of Joy.” It’s a beautiful, grounding practice that will help you release the pressure to “stay positive” and instead discover how to let gratitude be real, gentle, and transformative.

When you join The Joy Nest, you’ll get instant access to the replay of The Foundation of Joy Joy Session, plus full access to a library of resources, rituals, and guided practices designed to help you stay anchored in your Joy.

You’ll also become part of a heart-led community of Joy seekers and facilitators who are all practising gratitude and Joy in real life — not perfectly, but intentionally.

The Joy Nest is your soft place to land.
A space to get inspired, prioritise Joy, and stay accountable.

Rooted in The Joy Method™, this membership helps you:

• Reconnect with your inner clarity
• Release what’s not serving you
• Take aligned steps toward the life you truly want

All with more ease, intention, and support.

Whether this is your starting point, your steady rhythm, or a nourishing pause between leaps, you are welcome in The Joy Nest.

Join The Joy Nest today and start practising gratitude in a way that feels real, grounded, and magnetic.