Start thinking in gratitude. Decide now what beliefs you choose to have that will favor you. Make a list of those beliefs and read them every single day until they become your normal, everyday beliefs that you no longer need to read because they are just what you believe.
As we all know, times are tough right now. In addition to the acute medical crisis caused by the Pandemic, in our post COVID world, we are also experiencing what some have called a “mental health pandemic”.
What can each of us do to get out of this “Pandemic Induced Mental and Emotional Funk”?
Aura E. Martinez is a Self-Discovery and Empowerment Coach, helping women gain total clarity in their purpose so they can wake up to a daily life of fulfillment and certainty. As a person who has traveled the world as a Flight Attendant, the opportunity has helped her learn and see so much and she discovered the most fabulous place for us all to see that is truly the key to greater well-being and to a purposeful life and she shares that with others worldwide.
She is also the founder of Live to the max™ Viva al máximo ™, author of the book “Creating a Lifetime of Wellness: Start Having the Life You Deserve” and the book has been seen on Spirituality and Health magazine, Psychology Today and Natural Awakenings NYC edition magazine.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about you and about what brought you to your specific career path?
I actually started out as a Wellness and Life Coach helping those who wanted to get out of the sugar rollercoaster they found themselves in and wanted to lose weight. Through my own weight loss journey as well as my clients, I realized that what they needed wasn’t necessarily a meal plan or be told what to eat or anything along these lines; there was something else going on that was getting in their way of having a healthy relationship with food and their body.
It was then that I started to realize that if you can get to the core of who you really are and discover yourself powerfully, then this can literally transform different areas of your life simultaneously because at the base of everything in your life is you. It is when you discover you in a very deep way and get rid of the layers that cover your true essence that you can live on purpose and with purpose, and I say this from personal experience as well.
All this realization made me transition to being a Self-Discovery & Empowerment Coach, where I help women gain total clarity in their purpose so they can wake up to a daily life of fulfillment and certainty. I guide them by utilizing my own method called Aura Blueprint™. That’s right, my name is in this process because each letter represents the process I guide my clients through.
And the whole point of this process is for people to understand themselves in such a deep manner where, because of this deep knowledge of themselves, they will know which step to take next in life, they will understand their triggers, manage their emotions and with this, they learn to master themselves so they can master their life. It is then that you can actually live a purposeful life. So basically, my own story, as well as my client’s stories, is what led me on the journey that I am in now because the best and most profound journey you will ever be on is the one with yourself- getting to know yourself at your core.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Well, I don’t know if this would be considered interesting, but it is interesting to me, and that is the fact that I have noticed since being on this path of coaching people that as I evolve as a person, so do my clients evolve and so does my business. This is a huge lesson for me on how important it is to be flexible, to be fluid, to keep growing because this is how we can flow in life and keep “guaranteeing”, for lack of a better word, our own success in life.
The reason why I dare to say that last sentence I just said is because when we become so rigid, so stuck in our own ways, we stop the flow of life. We stop our blessings along the way, we stop blossoming in a way that we are designed to blossom. I have noticed that as I remain open, the Universe can give more of its goodness. And for this, I feel so much gratitude and feel supported in life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why do you think that resonates with you? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is a quote of mine that I posted on social media that reads “Everything you want is FIRST an inside job”. The reason why I feel so strongly about this is because I have realized, not just in my clients but with myself as well, that whenever you either keep attracting the same thing over and over again or you just don’t seem to manifest that which you want or when your life isn’t quite the way you want it to be, it’s because there is something within you that needs to be cleared up first before anything can change. And this is a beautiful thing because it only shows how powerful we truly are.
This is so relevant in my life because I’ve seen, repeatedly, how my outer world truly reflects my inner world. Anytime I am wanting something that I don’t seem to manifest, I always go within and question what is going on in my inner world that isn’t allowing that which I desire. Also, it is this quote that has allowed me to harness the power of gratitude because even this art of goodness, as I like to say, is an inside job that we can all learn to master.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story about why that resonated with you?
The book that has made a significant impact on me because it’s what I live by is the book I wrote called “Creating a Lifetime of Wellness: Start Having the Life You Deserve” and the journal that I published after that “Creating a Lifetime of Wellness: Your Personal Coach to the Different Areas of Your Life”. The reason for this is because I believe that when we have a deep sense of who we are, when we know what our needs are, when we have a home oasis, when we choose our friends right, when we understand and value our sleep, and when we understand all those areas of ourselves and life that I mention in that book, we can live a life where sustainable happiness, one where we are in total gratitude and where we are the master of our life IS possible and feasible. So, it’s what I live by.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
There are several projects. One of them being that I am still working on the Spanish version of the book “Creating a Lifetime of Wellness”, yes, I do my work also in Spanish since my parents are from Dominican Republic and I do speak Spanish. I also have some courses in mind that I plan on doing, which I will be revealing what they are soon. And I’m also collaborating with 24 other authors on a book all about how to be unstoppable in life and in business.
All of this will help people because the Spanish market, I think, need more Latina coaches to facilitate the kind of transformations that they seek. There is so much available for the English market by English speaking coaches that it is time for us Latinas to have this same kind of accessibility by us, rather than just mere translations from other coaches who don’t speak our own language.
The courses I have in mind, I want to offer them because I want to ensure that anyone who is seeking a transformation in their life can have access to courses and not have any excuse as to why they can’t live their most purposeful life. And all that I share are things that I wish I knew before because had I known all this, I would have been much more ahead in life.
And this book collaboration, the women that I am collaborating with on this book, they are amazing. So, the readers will be gaining so much gold by reading this book. I’m so excited for all the goodness that people will be receiving by all that is coming up with the courses I have in mind to do, the Spanish book and this group collaboration. So many will be blessed.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are several mentors and coaches that I am so grateful for: Kay Zulu for helping me see that I can be and do anything I want. One mentor that I will forever be grateful for because her, her program and one of her coaches, Selina, raised my wealth consciousness, helped heal a wound I didn’t even think was in my way of my success, helped me see myself in a totally different light and allowed me to transform myself into the coach that I am today, Gina DeVee. I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for Gina.
I also am grateful for Charlotte Balbier, Josie May, Juliana Garcia, Parmees, and Daisy Lopez. I mean, all these beautiful coaches and mentors play a role in who I am today because they all contributed something different in my life and for that, I can’t thank them enough.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now that we are on the topic of gratitude, let’s move to the main focus of our interview. As you know, the collective mental health of our country is facing extreme pressure. We would like to explore together how every one of us can use gratitude to improve our mental wellness. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms. How do you define the concept of Gratitude? Can you explain what you mean?
I would dare to say that gratitude is so much more than just a feeling and reducing it to just a feeling doesn’t do gratitude any justice. Rather, I propose the concept that gratitude is a way of life. And it is when gratitude becomes a way of life that we can, then, experience its power and goodness. I even created a course on how to master this art of goodness.
I think the reason why some don’t experience gratitude on a consistent basis is because in many cases, gratitude has been reduced to a feeling and feelings change throughout the day. Whereas, when something becomes a way of life, it is more sustainable. And by mastering the art of gratitude, by default, you are also mastering yourself. So, I’m going to explain what I mean.
In order to master the art of gratitude so that it can become a lifestyle, it is important to know that this is divided into 5 parts, and this is what I teach in the course “Living With Gratitude: Master the Art of Goodness”. You must: 1. Think in Gratitude; 2. Feel in Gratitude; 3. Be in Gratitude; 4. Do in Gratitude; 5. Live in Gratitude.
Sometimes we fail to realize how what we are feeling is a direct result of how we are thinking. This is why first the thinking needs to be addressed. There is no way you can get to a place where you can feel gratitude when there is any negative thinking going on in your mind. That’s the first thing that needs to be addressed, the thinking.
Once you can get yourself to think in gratitude, then you can move on to feeling gratitude. Believe it or not, you can train yourself to feel good emotions and the “negative” emotions that we all feel, all those are meant to be used in our favor and when you learn to master that, it can become easier to feel gratitude on a consistent basis.
Now, you can think and feel in gratitude and STILL not experience the beauty of gratitude in your life. This is because you also must be in gratitude. The being must be in gratitude. When you are being in gratitude, that’s when others canfeel your gratitude. This is when you start becoming a magnet for good. So, it isn’t enough to just think and feel gratitude and it’s all within you, no, others must feel it too.
When you are thinking, feeling and being in gratitude, as I like to say, and still nothing is working, it’s because the doing in gratitude is missing. This is equally important because this part opens you up for more goodness than you can possibly imagine.
And the last part is live in gratitude, and this is where you create a container for all this beautiful energy that you generate because when you don’t have a container for all this, your own energy can be leaked. The reason why creating a container for all this is so important is because life sometimes can get in the way, and you need to have a buffer, so all your efforts don’t go in vain.
And this is exactly how I’m able to experience the goodness of gratitude because it is not just a feeling for me, it’s a lifestyle.
Why do you think so many people do not feel gratitude? How would you articulate why a simple emotion can be so elusive?
I think the reason why many people don’t feel gratitude is precisely because of what I stated earlier- gratitude has been reduced to just being a feeling and feelings change throughout the day. Another reason is that we fail to realize how our feelings are caused by what is going on in our mind. Yes, our outside experiences can influence how we feel, but the reason why they influence us is because of our own interpretation of what we are experiencing, again, our own interpretation is in our mind.
This is why I say that the way we get to a place on constant gratitude is by making it a lifestyle and this requires you to master your mind so you can master your emotions. It requires you to be mindful of who you are being and doing so that you can unlock its magic in your life. And because things happen in life, you need to create a container to hold all that you are, so you become so grounded and can hold that state of gratitude for longer time.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be constructive to help spell it out. Can you share with us a few ways that increased gratitude can benefit and enhance our life?
Gratitude, when applied as a lifestyle, can help you make better decisions. This is because you make choices that are in alignment with where you are at mentally and emotionally. When your thoughts and emotions are in a higher frequency, you make decisions based on you feeling happy, enthusiastic, etc. When your thoughts and emotions are in a lower frequency, you make decisions based on you feeling frustrated, angry, sad, etc.
Gratitude can help you attract more goodness to you. This is because when you are being and doing in gratitude, beautiful people, things and opportunities can’t help themselves but be drawn to your beautiful energy.
Gratitude helps your overall health. The happier, and healthier you are in your thoughts and emotions, the stronger your immune system will be, the stronger your body will be.
Let’s talk about mental wellness in particular. Can you share with us a few examples of how gratitude can help improve mental wellness?
Because the way you get to feel gratitude is first through thinking in gratitude, by default, this helps improve your mental wellness because you must think different thoughts. You must view you and your life differently- a view that leads to one of wholeness and resilience.
For example, it’s impossible to feel gratitude if you think your life sucks. So, say that you think life is hard. The way you can transition to a thought that helps you think of yourself, and your life differently is “Life may be tough, but I am tougher”. So, you can see how even if you are facing a challenging situation, by you thinking of yourself as tougher, you are making yourself bigger than your challenge. And this thought of you being bigger than your challenge leads you to feel differently about yourself and your challenge.
Another example would be when you believe that everything is working in your favor no matter what, this belief makes you feel differently about a situation that one may consider as not favorable.
So, gratitude as a lifestyle, by default, helps improve your mental wellness because you are forming new connections in your brain, new beliefs in your mind which helps shape you and your life in a positive direction.
Ok wonderful. Now here is the main question of our discussion. From your experience or research, what are “Five Ways That Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness”. Can you please share a story or example for each?
I’m going to sound repetitive, but in all honesty, these five ways is how you can leverage the power of gratitude to improve your overall mental wellness and they are:
1. Start thinking in gratitude. Decide now what beliefs you choose to have that will favor you. Make a list of those beliefs and read them every single day until they become your normal, everyday beliefs that you no longer need to read because they are just what you believe.
2. Generate feelings of gratitude. There are several ways to do this, but the one that I want to share in this interview is what to do when you are feeling the “negative” emotions (and I say negative in quotation marks because I don’t believe there is such a thing as negative emotions because all emotions are just information from our true essence, which is our soul.).
Whenever you are feeling any “negative” emotion, sit with it to understand what its message is. It has a very valuable message for you. Once you get the message that it has for you, then, what will you do with that message? What is it asking you to do? What needs to occur for you to feel differently? This is how you transform that emotion to one where you can get to a place of gratitude.
3. Emanate gratitude. You do this by who you are being. The way you embody gratitude so that you can be in gratitude is to be mindful of the energy that you are giving off. We are all energy. This is how the world, and the Universe, can feel your gratitude. Think of how you would behave when feeling so much gratitude. How would your body language be? Would you be smiling often? Be mindful of all this.
4. Do in gratitude. Show your gratitude to others. You do this through words such as “please” and “thank you”. You do this by expressing to others your gratitude. You do this through the details that show to others your appreciation.
5. Create a container to maintain all that beauty of gratitude. Have rituals in place that always connect you to the truths that sustain this way of living. Me, for instance, I need to meditate every morning while drinking my morning coffee before I do anything else. I also remind myself that I am the one in control of me. Find the ritual that works for you.
Is there a particular practice that can be used during a time when one is feeling really down, really vulnerable, or really sensitive?
When feeling really vulnerable, sensitive or down, that’s the time to connect with yourself. Give yourself some quiet time and allow yourself to feel what you feel. The reason why you want to feel what you are feeling is so you can understand why you feel the way you feel. Ask that feeling questions. Give yourself love in the process and know that it is ok and safe to feel that way. What you don’t want to do is dwell in that emotion. So, sit with it long enough to get the message it has for you and do something with that message. This is the practice I use and that I teach my clients to use.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that you would recommend to our readers to help them to live with gratitude?
“The Magic” by Rhonda Byrne is one book that I love. I highly recommend the course I offer called “Living With Gratitude: Master the Art of Goodness” because it’s literally what I live by and this will help the readers a lot.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
It may sound silly, but it would be the Know Thyself movement. This is because when you are able to truly see yourself with so much clarity, when you remove the gunk that is getting in the way, and when you learn to master yourself, that is when you are able to see how powerful you are and you can harness your own power.
What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online?
They can visit my site www.AuraEMartinez.com where they can read the blog, listen to the podcast, sign up for the free course I offer, learn how they can work with me, get the book and so much more. They can also follow me on Instagram @AuraElenaMartinez, on Facebook as AuraEMartinezCoach, and on Twitter as AuraEMartinez.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
