How to feel gratitude when your world is falling apart

I spent most of my early life being challenged with the idea of gratitude. As a daughter of a sociopath and a narcissist, I struggled with self-preservation in the midst of cruelty and craziness. I couldn’t trust the very people who were supposed to keep me safe, and my struggles with depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and loneliness made gratitude feel completely beyond my reach. And a big part of the problem was how I perceived my peers. Every one of them seemed to “normal healthy parents” who treated them well. At least, so I thought.

I had what I now call, “gratitude deficit syndrome”.

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5 New Year’s Resolutions to Consider for Personal Growth

People often use New Year’s Resolutions as an opportunity to try to break a bad habit.   Some of the most common ones are to lose weight, exercise more, or stop smoking. But have you considered setting goals that will help you personally and interpersonally?   Here are a few to consider:

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When Challenged by Gratitude…

There’s been a lot of discussion of the importance of gratitude and why should all write gratitude lists.   Being grateful increases our capacity for joy, optimism and happiness, it increases our motivation, strengthens our immune system and decreases our susceptibility to pain, and strengthens our social connections.

But gratitude is not always easy.

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