Gratitude is more than a fleeting emotion; it’s a transformative force that elevates our lives. Studies show embracing it can unlock a wave of positivity, nourish our health, deepen our connections, and fortify our mental well-being. It’s the secret ingredient to a life of beauty and balance woven into the fabric of our daily existence.
Gratitude is also a very personalized practice, with importance given to reflecting on both the biggest and smallest parts of each day. These Power Women each offer a different approach to defining what gratitude means to them and their mindset.
Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, Founder and CEO of The Village Market
As a community builder, Dr Lakeysha Hallmon uses mornings to center herself and build gratitude within her daily routine to reach an optimal mindset,
“I’m so intentional about my mornings, I don’t compromise them. I have to start my mornings with quiet. I have to start my mornings where I have an opportunity to give reverence for being here and an opportunity and gratitude to live, to be healthy, and to have vision. I give thanks for that every day.”
Tia Mowry, Actress, Author and Entrepreneur
With a multifaceted media career, Tia Mowry may have spent decades in the entertainment industry, but counts ageing as something she counts as being most grateful for.
“When you wear glasses and when your hair turns gray, that is a blessing. Not many people make it to be able to go through the aging process. I am just grateful to be alive, and well. To me, aging should be a celebration, not something that we hide or don’t appreciate. I’m at a point in my life where I don’t allow people to tell me what beauty is. The way I feel about myself is what I will celebrate.”
Victory Jones, Artist and Co-Founder, The Colored Girl
Victory Jones’ approach to gratitude does not focus on one aspect of her life or career, but focuses on embracing the greatest and best moments of her day-to-day life.
“I’m just thankful for everything, even the parts that ‘suck.’ I’m grateful for everything, because it’s all a fabric, it’s all part of the fabric of my journey. Gratitude looks like prayer, gratitude looks like meditation, gratitude looks like laughter, and it looks like play. It looks like when I hit my yoga mat, and just let my body flow. When I create an amazing meal when I walk my dog and just have these moments where I’m touching trees, or just literally talking to God. I use my dog walks as meditation/prayer time. Gratitude is everything. Its energy is some of the highest vibrations that we can embody. It probably supersedes love in certain ways.”
Gia Peppers, On-air Talent, and Entertainment Journalist
Acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes and need to learn how to find rejection and redirection, Gia Peppers uses gratitude as trust and in focusing on where she is now, even when that may not be where she wishes to be, and finding her sense of self.
“Though I am nowhere near where I want to be, I have to be grateful for all of the things that I have and have not done. When I think about the process, I trust it and am not trying to be perfect anymore, I am trying to be authentic. If you get so caught up in what everyone else is saying and doing, you forget who you are, what you are here to do, and every single thing that you said that you wanted when you started.”
Devi Brown, Founder of Karma Bliss
Devi Brown believes in the strength of gratitude to serve as energy and motivation to keep going and move forwards, as well as using it as a source of peace.
“Gratitude is important because you can’t really live a full life without it. It doesn’t just mean to be thankful. It doesn’t just mean ‘thank you God for giving me this’ or ‘thank you whoever.’ Gratitude is literally synonymous with the lifestyle of mindfulness. Gratitude is finding joy and peace even when things aren’t going your way, and definitely when they are. Gratitude is such an interchangeable word that goes right along with everything that mindfulness embodies.”
Aala Marra, Holistic health practitioner and Founder, aalaCare
Wellness-centered entrepreneur Aala Marra takes her approach to gratitude and applies it to the fundamental basics of existence, and life.
“Being able to know how to come back into myself and to pour into myself, and to see myself and to cater to my needs and fulfill what it is that I need has been instrumental to my mental and emotional health. I’m grateful for the earth and my ability to make contact with the earth and nature. I’m thankful for being able to be within the frequency of gratitude, It’s challenging for a lot of people to even understand what to be grateful for. I’m grateful for all the necessities and the basics that I have, and I’m grateful for me, and for all the ways I’m showing up for myself.”
