Gratitude and How It Raises Our Vibration
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
For me, gratitude isn't just a nice habit. It's an energy practice.
Why do we default to being Negative?
It's so easy for us to focus on what isn't going right. The outcome that didnt happen. Life can feel hard and when it does, it is easier to believe that means we have to keep our attention on everything that's difficult, as if noticing the bad is what keeps us safe. Somewhere along the line we have been told that life must be a struggle. So when something bad happens it is only proving you right.
But when our focus is on what's wrong, that tends to be all we see. The bad gets our full attention, and the good slips past unnoticed.
You must train your brain to see the good
If your brain learnt that life must be a struggle and we must focus on bad. You can then flip it and choose a different route. If you allow ourself to sample the positive things, starting small, you will notice that something will begin to shift.
The more you do it, the more your brain will start to look out for the good. You will move away from focusing only on the bad. This isn't about pretending the hard things aren't there. It's about giving the good a fair chance to be seen too.
And once you start looking for the good, you will begin to see it naturally. It stops being something you have to search for and becomes something you simply notice, more and more.
This Is Neuroplasticity in Action
There is real neuroscience behind this. Not just a nice idea.
Our brains are neuroplastic. What does this mean? It means that they physically change shape based on what we repeatedly think and do. Neurons that fire together, wire together.
This is exactly why noticing the bad can feel so natural for you. Without realising it, you have spent years strengthening that particular pathway simply by using it so often. The good news is the same process works in reverse.
Every time you consciously notice something you are grateful for, you are not just having a nice moment. You are reinforcing a neural pathway, and the more you use it, the stronger and more automatic it becomes. Over time, this is how noticing what you do stops being an effort and starts being how your brain naturally scans the world.
Gratitude as an Energy Practice
[My real passion, my why!]
From an energy point of view, this shift is more than a change of mindset. It literally raises YOUR vibration. How cool is that!!
Your energy becomes magnetic, and you begin to attract things that match that vibration. What you consistently focus on, you invite more of, so the more you practise noticing the good, the more good you tend to find.
The neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart, author of The Source, writes about this connection in depth. Her research has found that gratitude brings a more positive, abundant style of thinking to the front of the mind, and that with regular practice, what we're grateful for shifts, from external things like people and possessions, toward internal qualities such as our own resilience and creativity. Recognising those inner strengths is, in itself, part of what raises our vibration.
Where to Start
You don't need to overhaul your outlook overnight. Start small. One good thing, noticed and written down, is enough to begin training your brain toward the positive.
This is exactly why I've put together a free Gratitude Workbook this month, a simple seven day journaling practice to help you build this habit. We also have the Autumn Equinox in September (Northern Hemisphere), we are being asked to reflect on what you have grown this year and what you are now ready to release.
Events in September
If you'd like to take the practice further, this month's Sound Bath (18 September) and Online Live ReWire (20 September) are both themed around Golden & Grateful, gratitude, abundance and taking a breath before the year begins its slow turn toward winter.
For the LIVE REWIRE I have added in 4 'Pay What you can' tickets. To see if this is something that would be helpful.
Further Reading
If you'd like to go deeper into the science behind this, these three are a good place to start.
The Source by Dr Tara Swart. The neuroscience of manifestation, gratitude and rewiring the brain. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-source/tara-swart/9781785042003
Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson. How to overcome the brain's negativity bias and take in the good. https://www.waterstones.com/book/hardwiring-happiness/rick-hanson/9781846043574
The Little Book of Gratitude by Dr Robert A. Emmons. A short, practical introduction from gratitude's leading researcher. https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781856753654
Hope you enjoyed reading this piece around my intention and theme for September 2026. Feel free to comment below or share withyour friends.
Caroline x
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