tuG - thank you God

Thank you - an expression used when acknowledging gratefulness
God – Good Orderly Direction.

What is tuG 

tuG is a gratitude movement started by a woman, a mom and a Gigi, who has a story to share of how she lost and re found gratitude. It began as a personal expression of gratitude, today has grown into a reminder of the power of gratitude for everyone.

A few big life changes unfolded after I left years of employment in workforce development, and I found myself in a place of darkness that gripped me and held me captive. Through this time, one by one, I gave up practices that supported gratitude and appreciation; meditation, prayer, reading, exercising and I took on behaviors that camouflaged as support and a temporary fix; eating unhealthily, drinking excessive alcohol, skipping exercise, meditating and praying. The verbiage in my talking part of prayer, the way I sat with God in prayer, was out of distress, sadness, worry, confusion, and depletion. I have
visited this place in my life before but never made it home. From this dark night of the soul, I penned a journal entry and ended it with tuG (my hand doesn’t go as quick as my brain).

I persisted with prayer, revisited meditation, and searched for reading material that would inspire me, and I surfaced… a few times. I reread my journals and the entry ending with tuG pulled me in. Gratitude, life wore me down and I lost sight of that. Gratitude was the pearl within the oyster. Spiritually, the formation of a pearl teaches us how to turn life's deepest pain and hardships into luminous grace and inner wisdom. A pearl does not form from ease. It grows step-by-step through a quiet, hidden, and deliberate process that mirrors the evolution of the human soul. Just like the muscle of gratitude.

Slowly, the practice of gratitude crept in - faithing it until I make it - and the tide changed. At first, I regretted that I had wasted time in this dark place, yet it occurred to me that this was necessary for me to go deeper into being grounded in gratitude throughout my life and give tuG a story.

Gratitude changes us. Research shows that practicing gratitude can improve mental and physical well-being, strengthen relationships, and help people navigate life’s challenges. When we express and receive gratitude our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the crucial neurotransmitters that make us feel good. They enhance our mood immediately.

Gratitude isn’t just something you practice when life is good. It is a mindset you carry before the evidence arrives. Instead of only being grateful for what you currently have, you're expressing genuine gratitude for your dreams and goals like they're already part of your reality. In doing this you are living in the feeling of what you want to create, and living in the feeling of it is a changemaker.