Ep. 36 Nurturing Your Mind Garden: Cultivating Gratitude in a World of Entitlement
“Key Takeaways” from this episode: entitlement, gratitude, mental health, spiritual growth, mindset, personal development, relationships, emotional resilience, neuroplasticity, Christian faith
Welcome to the space for Christian women to feel “at home” in the Kingdom and in our own thoughts by connecting our hearts and minds to the heart and mind of Christ! I’m your personal trainer for thought patterns, Ashriel. Today we’re diving into a topic that we often point out in others but rarely stop to check-in with ourselves to see when it creeps into our own lives: Entitlement.
Eek! We all get a little uncomfortable with that word. But feelings of entitlement can sneak up on us like an uninvited guest at a party. You know the guest—standing by the punch bowl, always complaining about what they didn’t get!
But when we’re aware and notice seeds of entitlement sprouting, we can shift our focus by whacking those poisonous weeds out with gratitude.
Tend your Mind Garden: Let’s think of our minds as a lovely little garden. It’s an area that needs daily attention and tending to make sure the harvest of your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that define your behaviors are rooted in what God says and His love. Are you planting seeds of growth, hope, trust, generosity, and positivity? Or is the view of your mind garden rooted in a fear state where those pesky weeds of entitlement are free to grow and take over your thoughts and feelings? Tending to your mind garden is a daily practice, and keeping an eye out for poisonous weeds like entitlement to eradicate help you grow a life that is whole and fulfulling!
Entitlement Weedkiller:
1. Uproot Entitlement: First things first—let’s be aware of when entitlement creeps in. Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I deserve better”? That’s your cue to pull those weeds out, my friend!
2. Plant Seeds of Gratitude: Start small! Each day, start the morning by focusing on, telling God, and writing down: One thing you’re grateful for and one thing you’re looking forward to that day.
When we shift our focus from what we believe we deserve to what we’re thankful for, everything changes.
Imagine waking up each day and instead of thinking about what you lack, you reflect on all the blessings in your life.
*Beautiful Brain Alert*: Over time, those little gratitude seeds will start rewiring your brain to blossom into a beautiful harvest of service, joy, and connection!
HOW: Practicing gratitude can actually change the structure of your brain. Yup, you heard that right! Science shows that cultivating a grateful mindset can boost your emotional resilience and improve your overall mental health. Isn’t that just amazing? When we focus on gratitude, it lights up the areas of our brain associated with reward and happiness. How cool is it to know that our minds are so powerful?
What would your life look like if you felt confident and secure in your thoughts? You have the power to make that happen! Looking for toxic entitlement seeds to pull out of our thought patterns is one measure we can take today to have more beautiful thoughts tomorrow.
I’m cheering for you every step of the way as we embark on this journey of using faith, love, and neuroscience to work out our thoughts to let God work in our hearts and minds.
Ready to go from insecure and overwhelmed to confident and at peace in your mind? Dive deeper into transforming your thought-patterns and your life with the tools below:
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Until next time, remember: Together, let’s capture our thoughts and embrace our callings, living fully as a daughters of the King in a world that needs us to rise and shine His light!
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