Gratitude: The Wake Doesn’t Drive the Boat

There was a fascinating study where participants were divided into three groups:

One group wrote letters of gratitude, appreciating everyone and everything.
Another group wrote about their feelings — an emotional dump without direction.
The last group did nothing.

The results were clear: those who wrote gratitude letters thrived the most.

Yes, it’s important to acknowledge our feelings and not bypass what we feel. But gratitude has a higher vibration — it is one of the most powerful expressions of love. When we stay grateful, grateful, grateful for everyone and everything, life begins to reflect that gratitude back to us.

As the mystic Meister Eckhart once said:

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”

My Journey with Journaling

For years, I faithfully practiced The Artist’s Way. Every morning, I filled three pages with a cathartic brain dump. It was healing to release, but there was no prompt to focus on the positive — no clear intention.

I later discovered the Law of Attraction, and everything shifted. While I valued the release, I noticed nothing truly changed in my life until I began writing gratitude lists — focusing on what was going well, visualizing blessings for myself and others, and praying them into wellness.

That’s when I saw the truth:

What we focus on grows.
What we focus on magnifies.
Hocus Pocus… Focus! ✨

Letting Go of the Rearview Mirror

Eventually, I threw away twenty-five years of journals. I realized the wake doesn’t drive the boat. If we live looking backward, staring into the rearview mirror, we will inevitably crash.

I wanted my future to be bigger than my past. I wanted to live in the miracle of now.

As Eckhart Tolle reminds us:

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.”

The Love Diet: Living in the Gift of Now

On The Love Diet, we practice releasing the weight of the past. We let go of replaying old stories, and we focus on gratitude, appreciation, and vision.

Gratitude turns what we have into more than enough.
Gratitude multiplies love and connection.
Gratitude shifts our vibration to attract more of the same.

Now is the gift. Gratitude is the doorway. And love is the diet that nourishes body, mind, and soul.

💖 Reflection Prompt:

Grab a notebook and write a gratitude list today. List five people, experiences, or simple blessings you appreciate. Feel it in your heart. Visualize them surrounded by light and wellness.

You’ll notice your vibration lift — and with it, the whole trajectory of your life.

Join Susan Foxley on Saturday, October 5th for the Real Love Lounge YouTube Live and learn a plethora of tips and tools on how to navigate through the holidays. We will focus on boundaries & self-care. Click link above and see you there!❤️