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Create Harmony
This is a podcast about setting an intentional rhythm, savoring life’s blessings and learning how to use our imagination as a way of listening to God. If you want to learn more about how to bring stillness and gratitude into your life you’ll probably find a lot here that you love. To find out more about what's going on in the Create Harmony world, check out www.mycreateharmony.com.
Create Harmony
Shifting Perspectives Towards Gratitude
What if your mood changed the moment your words did? We’re taking on the quiet thief of joy—the “if only” loop—and trading it for a grounded, daily practice of gratitude you can actually keep. Sally continues our Great Fall series by moving beyond simple “noticing” and into perspective: the lens that shapes what we see, how we feel, and what we choose next.
We unpack how “if only I were thinner, richer, promoted, partnered, or less busy” keeps contentment on layaway, then demonstrate a practical switch to phrases like “I’m glad that,” “thankfully,” and “how great that.” You’ll hear real examples across work, body, family life, friendships, and home—each one a micro-reframe that lowers stress and raises presence. This isn’t about denying hard things. It’s about guiding your attention toward assets you can use today so peace stops being a future condition and starts being a present practice.
To help you make it stick, we share low-friction habit cues: a mirror sticky note you finish each morning, a daily phone reminder labeled “Thankfully…,” a weekly “I’m glad that” journal list, and even a postcard to your future self. We close with ten powerful gratitude sentences designed to calm your nervous system and reset your inner narrator.
If you’re ready to stop postponing joy and start practicing a kinder perspective, press play and try one reframe today. Then share your favorite “how great that” with us and leave a quick review to help more listeners find a steadier kind of peace.
To learn more, go to mycreateharmony.com
Welcome to the Create Harmony Podcast. This is a place where we explore stories that inspire peace, creativity, and connection. So whether you're here to unwind or learn something new or just enjoy a few moments of calm, you are in the right place. So take a deep breath, settle in, and let's create some harmony together. And this is episode 145. I'm your host, Sally Burlington. Today we're going to continue our Great Fall series. So Great Fall is something we do in the fall, and it's all about gratitude, you get it. Great fall. It's about gratitude and happens in the fall. So we're going to consider all sorts of different aspects of how to deepen our gratitude during these coming weeks. So last week we discussed the idea that the essential part of gratitude is noticing. Taking time to slow down, to take a pause, and notice something is a huge part of what it takes to ground your life in gratitude. And this week we're going to take that one step further. So we're going to talk about how much of gratitude is perspective. So in order to really understand what that means, I think we need to think about it like this. Many times, I think my perspective and maybe others around me runs along the lines of if only. So I think I could be happy or calm or content if only. If only I was younger. If only I was older. If only I had a better job. If only I made more money. One of my personal favorites. If only I was twenty pounds lighter. And the list goes on and on and on and on and on from here. If only I was married, or if only I had children, if only I didn't have these children needing something all the time. If only I had a better boss. If only I lived in a nicer neighborhood. And it can get more broad than that. If only this was a safer place to live. Or you can take this much smaller, you can get it more granular, right down to if only this week were not so busy, or if only my house was cleaner. And this type of perspective for me, this type of perspective sneaks in without me even realizing it. And it can really steal your joy. So for every second you sit spend thinking about if only, you're not dwelling on all the good things that are already happening all around you. And this takes practice for me. It's a huge practice to shift my if only phrases to things that some support a more grateful posture. So here's some examples. We want to dwell on phrases that start like this. I'm glad that. Or thankfully, or something like how great that. So here's some examples. I've I've come up with a few examples. I'm glad that I have plenty of work to do that is challenging and I won't get bored. Or thankfully my body is healthy and strong. You see how that's different from if only I weighed 20 pounds less? How great that my family loves me. I'm glad that I have a cozy bed to sleep in each night. And thankfully we have healthy food in the fridge. How great that my friends make me laugh. And I'm glad that there are so many good books out there I could read. Thankfully, I'm able to travel during the holidays to visit loved ones. And how great that I can enjoy the love of my sweet dog. I'm glad that my daughters want to come back home for a visit. It's different from saying, if only my daughters were here. Thankfully, we have time for just the two of us now that we're empty nesters. And the more I train myself to move beyond if only and into how great that, the more I'm gonna feel at peace. And you can do the same. How can you remind yourself to make this shift? Maybe you want to put a post-it note on your mirror that you see every morning that reminds you how great that, and you are challenged to finish that sentence. Or maybe you make a list of thankfully things in your journal each week. Maybe a reminder alert on your phone reminds you to make this shift. Send yourself a postcard that says how great that. All those are ideas of how to make this part of your natural rhythm. So you get the picture. You'll be able to think of ways to keep yourself accountable in this regard. So for our closing today, I'm gonna share a list of 10 sentences that are a shift from if only to a more grateful posture. So here they go. I'm grateful it happened this way. This turned out better than I could even imagine. I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything just fell into place. I'm so thankful for how it all worked out. This is exactly what I needed. I'm at peace with how things are. I wouldn't change a thing about this moment. I'm really glad this is my reality. And God really knew what God was doing. May it be so. And I'm really trying to challenge myself to shift to a more grateful stance. And so on that note, we are so glad that you joined us. We are grateful that you joined us today and consider some new ways to put gratitude into your rhythm and hope you'll be back next week to continue that discussion. But before we let you go, let me remind you of something we've been talking about a lot. It's something coming up this fall. On November 1st, we launched our seasonal series of peaceful pathways. And this is a partnership we've done with a local mental wellness boutique called Pedal and Pink. Pedal and Pink is awesome about finding all sorts of support things for mental wellness. And if you don't know much about them, then I suggest you check them out at pedalandpink.com. And we have partnered with them. I have designed and recorded five guided meditations for each seasonal box. And those are things around a theme. Our theme for this winter is cozy time. Very experiential. You actually feel like you're stepping into these peaceful experiences when you listen along. And then all the other gift items in the box are things that support that peaceful, cozy self-care that you will be receiving. This is a great holiday gift. November 1st is before the holiday shopping begins, or for most of us. And you can get this for everyone on your list. You don't want to miss it, so mark your calendar, and that's what's coming up. So thanks again for joining us today, and until next time, peace.
