The holiday season always makes me think about gratitude and blessings; about all the things that we take for granted.
We Americans have such an overabundance and such busy lives that we forget about the simple blessings in life. Sadly, we forget to be grateful. 😢
Gratitude is appreciation or thankfulness, a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. Gratitude has been found to be connected to a feeling of well-being.
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What the research says about gratitude…
Researchers have even found that customers spend more if treated with appreciation and gratitude.
Also, people who feel grateful more frequently than others tend to be healthier, happier, more hopeful, helpful and forgiving, and less depressed and anxious than those less grateful.
People who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, and have more positive emotions.
Gratitude and understanding that this moment is all you really ever have are two fundamental keys to obtaining more happiness in your life.
Research has also shown that focusing on the things you’re grateful for will significantly increase your body’s natural antibodies.
Naturally grateful people are more focused mentally and are less vulnerable to clinical depression.
Gratitude is a virtue that feeds the soul!
Why gratitude is so powerful…
It helps to block those negative emotions such as resentment and regret. Negative thinking fuels negative emotions.
Your future depends very largely on the thoughts you think today. So think positive thoughts of hope, confidence, love, and success. Focus on what is good in your life rather than what is bad.
Any behavior that is positively reinforced will get repeated. When you show your appreciation for an act or behavior, it has a higher chance of happening again.
In addition, developing an attitude of gratitude will make you a person of choice… Someone others want to be around, work with, and please.
You might think that a grateful disposition is something that you are born with. However, research shows that it is not only an inborn trait, but also a state which can be changed and even cultivated. How do you do this?
Here are a few ideas to cultivate gratitude…
- Count your blessings, even the simple ones. Feel genuine happiness about those ordinary things and events that make up most of your day and be grateful to be alive.
- Keep a gratitude journal – write down at least three things you can be grateful for each day. It will uplift and energize you.
- Use the gratitude sandwich: one from the past, one for the present, and one for the future.
- Give thanks to your higher power – prayer is very powerful. Scientific research shows that this daily practice reduces stress; boosts positive energy; and promotes health.
- Check your thought process – stop that stinking thinking. The antidote to negative thinking isn’t positive thinking, it is gratitude.
- Express thanks and appreciation at every meal.
- Seek professional help if you’re constantly struggling.
Have you missed opportunities to show gratitude?
You may only hear about what you did wrong or what others are unhappy about. It’s important to have those negatives and positives balanced out.
Try to look for things that you can be grateful for throughout your day…
- Say thanks to the person that held the door open for you on your way into the office building.
- Compliment your coworker’s attire.
- Acknowledge someone’s hard work on a project.
- Express appreciation for your bosses support.
- Look for ways you can help others be successful.
It isn’t always easy to be grateful. I remember a time in my life when I felt I had nothing to be thankful for.
A friend of mine reminded me that I should be thankful for the roof over my head, the clothes on my back, and the bed that I slept on.
So I began to start my days by giving thanks for these small things in my life and in no time, I found lots of other things to be thankful for.
This small gift of gratitude brought me out of the dark funk I had been in. That in itself is something to be grateful for! 🤗