An Attitude Of Gratitude - Life's Awesome...Or Not - Depends How You See It! Living Life with Gratitude ... as i were telling friends always .... Gratitude is one of the most potent energies in the world—how can we learn to cultivate it and encourage it? Share it @@
The point of Thanksgiving is to remember the things we have to be grateful for. It's our special time to give thanks... not just for the obvious, like food, but for the thousands of fortunate moments, the multitude of blessings that we receive each year.
That's not always as easy as it sounds. We tend to remember the bad things much more easily than the good. That's where this article comes in. using the tips below, you can make thankfulness an everyday habit. It's a skill that will benefit you throughout the year.
Begin by keeping a gratitude journal. Don't write down negative things; only positive ones. For example, "I'm grateful that I made it through that heavy rush hour traffic safely." "I'm grateful that I got to see a beautiful sunset." "I'm grateful that I have a class at school that I really like."
Think of all the good things that happened because something bad happened first. For example, "If that slow driver hadn't pulled in front of me, I would have gotten a speeding ticket." "If I hadn't tripped on the playground, I would never have met such a nice person." "If I hadn't experienced unemployment, I would never have acquired the skills that got me a more fulfilling job."
Don't focus on what you don't have. Focus on what you do have. For example: "I'm so fortunate to have a warm place to sleep in the winter." "I'm so fortunate to live in a safe neighborhood where I can take walks." "I'm so fortunate to be able to see the beauty around me."
Think about people you've known that have made you thankful for their existence. They can be family, friends or simply people that you've read about or seen on television. Imagine how many other people there are who might be equally as wonderful. You just haven't met them yet.
Think about people who have made life hard for you. Now think about the things you accomplished because of them. Did you finish something because they said that you couldn't? Did you get better at something because they made fun of you when you did it badly? Did their cruel actions make you vow never to treat others that way? Even the negative forces in your life can be hidden blessings, worthy of your gratitude.
Think about the animals that have given you joy: Dogs that love you with every inch of their hearts, cats that think your lap is the best place to nap in the whole world, birds whose songs uplift your spirit, squirrels whose antics put a grin on your face and so on.
Think about the places that make you smile: A favorite hangout, a wooded trail, an exciting city, a great spot from which to view the sky, a hill that you once rolled down. Give thanks for all these things.
Now pass it on. True gratitude involves action. Lend a hand. Pitch in. Make a gift. Give your time. Listen. Give back as often as you can. Even a friendly greeting can make all the difference in the world.
Create your own opportunities for gratitude. Do you know someone who never seems happy? Be ready with a smile and a kind word each time you see them. It may require patience, but eventually, they'll smile first when they see you. Your interactions with them will be much more pleasant. Guess what? You'll have a new reason to be thankful!
Let others know when they've done something that you're thankful for. For example, "I'll never forget how you stuck up for me. It meant a lot." "That email you sent really made my day." "You make shopping here a pleasure." An attitude of gratitude spreads like ripples from a tossed pebble, benefitting all it touches.
Remember that hard times make good times sweeter. Also keep in mind that obstacles and challenges not only make you stronger, but they force you to explore outside of the comfortable routine that you've settled into. Without challenges, there can be no progress. Without obstacles, there can be no achievement. Be thankful for the opportunities that they provide.
In conclusion, giving thanks is a powerful tool that can dramatically improve your life and the lives of those around you. Start by embracing gratitude's special day, then make it a habit!
Transform Your Life Through Gratitude and Acceptance
As humans our thoughts continually gravitate to resolutions for change--indeed, it can be said, 'the unconscious mind's job is to continually seek ways to evolve emotionally and spiritually.'
This continual seeking to evolve emotionally and spiritually comes to us through our daily musings, yearnings, speculations, daydreams and nighttime dreams. In fact, our nighttime dreams is the unconscious mind's way of giving us information--factually and symbolically.
If you tap into and understand the gifts of this genuine, heart-felt information with gratitude and acceptance, you can bring into your life the changes your unconscious mind intended. With gratitude and acceptance you can see how those gifts could easily translate into abundance in all areas--health, happiness, love and success.
Examine your life as it is now.
o How much energy do you put into worry, fear, guilt, shame, humiliation, lament or regret?
o How much energy do you put into listening to your higher self (unconscious)?
As you focus on problems, you expand them and, therefore, you remain where you are, or even worsen your circumstance. Metaphysically, it is a Universal Law that what you focus on is what you create.
Whatever you focus on grows, regardless of whether that focus is positive or negative. The Universe remains neutral; it can only bring to you that into which you put your energy and attention on. This is referred to as the Law of Attraction--an immutable Universal Law.
Accepting your life wherever you find yourself, you can feel gratitude for everything you have. If you have such an acceptance attitude; how would your life change?
Acceptance is the beginning, the starting point for creating a different outcome. Acceptance of what is, allows you to take responsibility for your circumstances. Once you have accepted responsibility you are empowered to make the necessary changes to change your circumstance.
If you are unwilling to accept what is, that leads you to blame something or someone else, thus you are powerless to change it. You can not change something you do not take responsibility for. I realize that is a tall order and flies in the face of everything you believe to be true.
My question to you is: Has everything you believed to be true created what you desire? If not, then maybe it is time to evaluate what you believe and make some changes.
Some people believe that acceptance puts them in the position of resignation to a life they will be stuck with. Paradoxically, what you resist is what you get. Note the definition of the Law of Attraction above.
If you are not struggling against something--judging, criticizing and complaining--you are no longer focused upon it. This allows you the freedom to examine your life without emotional attachment, and recognize that what you have been creating no longer works. Only then can you set new goals, make new choices and think new thoughts.
Every night, before going to sleep, call to mind all the things in your life which bring a feeling of gratitude. Start with the basics, such as: shelter, food and clothing. The basics are what we take for granted; however, you have worked to give these to yourself. Give yourself acknowledgement and gratitude for being willing to do the work to give it to yourself. Allow the feelings of gratitude swell within you.
Then move to other blessings in your life, and allow yourself to fall asleep in that peaceful feeling of safety and comfort. You might even decide to write these items in a 'gratitude' notebook for future reference and as a wonderful reminder when you need one.
During the day, any time a negative thought comes into your mind, or a feeling of helplessness or hopelessness enters, replace it with thoughts of gratitude. Take a deep, conscious breath and do an about-face, turning away from the negative thinking as you point yourself in the direction of gratitude. Avoid allowing yourself to dwell on negatives or problems. Shift your energy into feeling comfort and peace. Think about what you want to think, feel, have and be.
Do this without fail for 30 days with the intention of changing your life. Be committed, consistent and persistent with the process. You will be amazed at the positive results!
It is foolhardy to take the importance of acceptance and gratitude lightly. If you realize that the life you have created is your responsibility, then you owe it to yourself to examine what you have been doing, or not doing, that serves you. People tend to take many things for granted, forgetting that you can, at any moment, change what you experience.
It is time to start acknowledging your role in writing the script of your life. There is no time like the present to practice awareness at each and every moment. The now moment is all we truly have, so make the most of it. Cultivate the practice of acceptance and gratitude, and transform your life with acceptance and gratitude one moment at a time.
This continual seeking to evolve emotionally and spiritually comes to us through our daily musings, yearnings, speculations, daydreams and nighttime dreams. In fact, our nighttime dreams is the unconscious mind's way of giving us information--factually and symbolically.
If you tap into and understand the gifts of this genuine, heart-felt information with gratitude and acceptance, you can bring into your life the changes your unconscious mind intended. With gratitude and acceptance you can see how those gifts could easily translate into abundance in all areas--health, happiness, love and success.
Examine your life as it is now.
o How much energy do you put into worry, fear, guilt, shame, humiliation, lament or regret?
o How much energy do you put into listening to your higher self (unconscious)?
As you focus on problems, you expand them and, therefore, you remain where you are, or even worsen your circumstance. Metaphysically, it is a Universal Law that what you focus on is what you create.
Whatever you focus on grows, regardless of whether that focus is positive or negative. The Universe remains neutral; it can only bring to you that into which you put your energy and attention on. This is referred to as the Law of Attraction--an immutable Universal Law.
Accepting your life wherever you find yourself, you can feel gratitude for everything you have. If you have such an acceptance attitude; how would your life change?
Acceptance is the beginning, the starting point for creating a different outcome. Acceptance of what is, allows you to take responsibility for your circumstances. Once you have accepted responsibility you are empowered to make the necessary changes to change your circumstance.
If you are unwilling to accept what is, that leads you to blame something or someone else, thus you are powerless to change it. You can not change something you do not take responsibility for. I realize that is a tall order and flies in the face of everything you believe to be true.
My question to you is: Has everything you believed to be true created what you desire? If not, then maybe it is time to evaluate what you believe and make some changes.
Some people believe that acceptance puts them in the position of resignation to a life they will be stuck with. Paradoxically, what you resist is what you get. Note the definition of the Law of Attraction above.
If you are not struggling against something--judging, criticizing and complaining--you are no longer focused upon it. This allows you the freedom to examine your life without emotional attachment, and recognize that what you have been creating no longer works. Only then can you set new goals, make new choices and think new thoughts.
Every night, before going to sleep, call to mind all the things in your life which bring a feeling of gratitude. Start with the basics, such as: shelter, food and clothing. The basics are what we take for granted; however, you have worked to give these to yourself. Give yourself acknowledgement and gratitude for being willing to do the work to give it to yourself. Allow the feelings of gratitude swell within you.
Then move to other blessings in your life, and allow yourself to fall asleep in that peaceful feeling of safety and comfort. You might even decide to write these items in a 'gratitude' notebook for future reference and as a wonderful reminder when you need one.
During the day, any time a negative thought comes into your mind, or a feeling of helplessness or hopelessness enters, replace it with thoughts of gratitude. Take a deep, conscious breath and do an about-face, turning away from the negative thinking as you point yourself in the direction of gratitude. Avoid allowing yourself to dwell on negatives or problems. Shift your energy into feeling comfort and peace. Think about what you want to think, feel, have and be.
Do this without fail for 30 days with the intention of changing your life. Be committed, consistent and persistent with the process. You will be amazed at the positive results!
It is foolhardy to take the importance of acceptance and gratitude lightly. If you realize that the life you have created is your responsibility, then you owe it to yourself to examine what you have been doing, or not doing, that serves you. People tend to take many things for granted, forgetting that you can, at any moment, change what you experience.
It is time to start acknowledging your role in writing the script of your life. There is no time like the present to practice awareness at each and every moment. The now moment is all we truly have, so make the most of it. Cultivate the practice of acceptance and gratitude, and transform your life with acceptance and gratitude one moment at a time.
Original Version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeLbrGspi
Be Grateful... Live In The Attitude Of Gratitude...
The magical power of gratitude is simply this: It causes you to focus on what’s good and right in your life.
One who practices the art of gratitude in their everyday life, appreciating the stuff most people take for granted, find the best where most see the worst and simply lift others up to a higher state of happiness just by being themselves.
Every person has a super human power deep within them that gives them the abilities to turn their fears into freedom, lack into abundance and create peace with their past.This ability is accessible only when One is GRATEFUL...
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
— Melody Beattie
Received from my friends...
and i like this blog http://angelahwuiyean.spaces.live.com/?_c11_BlogPart_pagedir=Next&_c11_BlogPart_handle=cns!B88CD31372563864!804&_c11_BlogPart_BlogPart=blogview&_c=BlogPart - some of the statement quite true and same thinking as mine....so i noted it down...性格决定一切！这是句老话了。我不太在意，我觉得性格是由环境所造就的，
除了它，还有运气，还有周围事物的影响。
他又告诉我：学着平静，才会魅力无限！
我开始有了一种领悟。如今的社会、真实的生活，不就是这样吗？
平静是一种内涵，因为平和冷静而更加正确把握生活。
平静也是人的性格，这样的性格会让眼光开阔，让思想理智，让生活更加明白，
让体会更加真实，让美丽可以持续！
能够平静的人，一般都是生活经验比较丰富的人。平静的人，让人放心。
平静让生活简单，也因为简单所以平静。平静的人，
一般都是真诚的人。他们早已看淡世俗的烟云，有精神上厚实的依靠。
平静应该是一种习惯！平静也是一种认真的态度。世俗的人一般是难以平静的，
因为有太多未知的追求，有太多牵挂。
男人的成熟、稳重是一种平静；女人的气质、美丽也是一种平静。平静是一种成功，
可以让生活变得多姿多彩；平静，
是无数思想与经验的积累，于是更接近了心中的理想。
我开始学着更加平静，用平静的心理来生活，用平静的生活来享受。
让外在越来越纯真，让感觉越来越有味道.
Living Life with Gratitude
Ranked #1,583 in Culture & Society, #27,555 overall
Overcome Depression Live A Free Life With Hypnosis. Call Nancy At 62727118 Now! HypnosisOneOnOne.com/Depression
Create a Travel Slideshow Create free stunning slideshows from your travel photos in minutes tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow
Free Book: Make Life Work Book contains best advice for your success in life. Order now free. library.ucg.org/life
A Daily Resolution - Being Grateful for What Life May Bring
Many of the simple things in life can be reasons for being grateful. These are often things that we tend to take for granted--our health, family, friends, our livelihood--until they are brought to our attention or taken away.
Remembering to be grateful daily for one's health, family, friends, a job during a recession, having a roof over one's head and food on the table is a good way to start living with gratitude.
As each year ends and a new one begins we have the opportunity to stop and reflect on the current state of our lives and remember to be grateful. Each New Day can give us the chance to start anew and is an excellent time to start keeping a Gratitude Journal, as a written reminder of for all that you have to be grateful.
Take a few moments as you read through this lens, think about what are grateful for everyday.
Photo Source: Modified image. Jin Neoh. Pink Lotus. Royalty Free Use.
Remembering to be grateful daily for one's health, family, friends, a job during a recession, having a roof over one's head and food on the table is a good way to start living with gratitude.
As each year ends and a new one begins we have the opportunity to stop and reflect on the current state of our lives and remember to be grateful. Each New Day can give us the chance to start anew and is an excellent time to start keeping a Gratitude Journal, as a written reminder of for all that you have to be grateful.
Take a few moments as you read through this lens, think about what are grateful for everyday.
Photo Source: Modified image. Jin Neoh. Pink Lotus. Royalty Free Use.
Begin Your Day with Gratitude
If you begin looking at each breath as a blessing, then suddenly everything in an ordinary life becomes a miracle-delighting in the colors of the setting sun, feeling the rain on your face or smelling the amazing fragrance of a single perfect rose.Kirsti A. Dyer
Image Source: Creative Commons. Kirsti A. Dyer
Expressing Affirmations of Gratitude
Living Life with Gratitude
An Affirmation is "a positive short statement that you repeat to yourself to help you work toward a goal in a positive frame of mind" or on that "has been specifically worded for the purpose of reprogramming the subconscious mind with positive and spiritual thoughts."
You can get yourself to feel more grateful about life and to live with gratitude, by practicing some simple affirmations.
You can get yourself to feel more grateful about life and to live with gratitude, by practicing some simple affirmations.
Simple Affirmations of Gratitude
Affirmations to Live Life with Gratitude
This is a series of affirmations that you can use to live life with more gratitude.
You could also pick any of the scattered quotes within this lens to use as a longer grateful affirmation.
You could also pick any of the scattered quotes within this lens to use as a longer grateful affirmation.
- Upon rising think:
- Today I am grateful for...
- Repeat the Lyrics of the song "Grateful" by John Bucchino:
- Grateful, grateful, Truly grateful I am. Grateful, grateful. Truly blessed And duly grateful.
- Perhaps the simplest of grateful affirmations:
- Life is good.
The Secret Gratitude Journal on Amazon
The Secret Gratitude Book
Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 04/07/2011)
The New Gratitude Journal available from the makers of the film, "The Secret."
The Secret Gratitude Journal has helpful journal prompts, gratitude in many different languages and in the beautiful old style script used in "The Secret."
This journal was one I gifted to myself this Christmas to use as my Gratitude Journal for 2008.
The Secret Gratitude Journal has helpful journal prompts, gratitude in many different languages and in the beautiful old style script used in "The Secret."
This journal was one I gifted to myself this Christmas to use as my Gratitude Journal for 2008.
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
Living Life with Gratitude
Starting a Gratitude Journal can be pretty easy. All you need to do is to pick a blank journal that you will enjoy writing in and then write down a daily list of things for which you are grateful or things that bring joy, happiness or abundance into your life.The number varies from three, to five to ten. Five is usually the number suggested. First thing in the morning or before you go to bed you can write about five things for which you are grateful.
Sarah Ban Breathnach explains the purpose behind the gratitude journal:
- As the months pass and you fill your journal with blessings, an inner shift in your reality will occur. Soon you will be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. As you focus on the abundance rather than on the lack in your life, you will be designing a wonderful new blueprint for the future. This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work, transforming your dreams into reality.
Source: Ban Breathnach S. Gratitude Journal.
Photo Source: Kirsti A. Dyer. Journaling.
Gratitude Journal Prompts
Ways to Get Started Writing a Gratutide Journal
Here are three different quotes with questions as suggestions for starting you writing about gratitude:
- Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way,
but the recurring acknowledgment
of what is working in our lives
can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Take a moment to think and reflect before you start writing then consider the question "What is working in your life?"
- Appreciation of life itself,
becoming suddenly aware of the miracle of being alive,
on this planet,
can turn what we call ordinary life into a miracle.
Dan Wakefield
After reading this quote, think about this question, "What are some of the simple things in your life for which you are grateful?"
- We can only be said to be alive
in those moments
when our hearts
are conscious of our treasures.
Thornton Wilder
Pause for a moment and reflect upon the question "What you have or who is in your life that you hold dear?"
The Gratitude Journal on Amazon
The Gratitude Journal
Amazon Price: $19.33 (as of 04/07/2011)
A gratitude journal that will help you create a positive outlook on who you are and who you want to be.
It will guide you on a journey to find happiness and being grateful for what life may bring.
This journal makes you think about simple things and focuses on being positive.
It will guide you on a journey to find happiness and being grateful for what life may bring.
This journal makes you think about simple things and focuses on being positive.
Websites on Gratitude Journals
Writing to Express Gratefulness
- Sarah Ban Breathnach on Oprah.com
- In March of 1996, Oprah invited Sarah Ban Breathnach to The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her book Simple Abundance inspired Oprah to start a gratitude journal.
- Sharing the Gratitude - Remembering Shannon with Bookmark therapy
- After the death of their daughter, Shannon, Jules and Jan Brooms sent gratitude bookmarks to let people know how much they meant to her.
- Your Gratitude Journal :: On www.simpleabundance.com
- The Official Website of Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance and Home of Sarah's online magazine and Movement.
- Gratitude Journals Heal
- An article from Kay Marie Porterfield an expert on journal writing, writing as a tool for healing, and the creative processes.
Gratitude Journals
Available on Amazon
Giving Thanks for an Amazing Day
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- i thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. e.e. cummings
Photo Source: Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS.
A Squidoo Lens on Oprah Winfrey
One of the Big Advocates of Keeping a Gratitude Journal
- Be thankful for what you have and you will end up having more. But if you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough. Oprah Winfrey
-
Oprah Winfrey - Oprah Gail Winfrey is thought to be the most influential woman in the world now. She is also considered to be the most philanthropic African-American of all time and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United States. Oprah, as she is kno...
Empty Journals to Fill with Your Reasons for Gratitude
Available on Amazon
Appreciating Life
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Appreciation of life itself, becoming suddenly aware of the miracle of being alive, on this planet, can turn what we call ordinary life into a miracle. Dan Wakefield
Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks in the Amazon Spotlight
Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks (The Julie Andrews Collection)
Amazon Price: $14.03 (as of 04/08/2011)
This book with the accompanying CD is one of the books that I got for my daughters to teach them about gratitude and being grateful.
When they were younger we would read it to them before bed at night and then ask what everyone was "grateful for" from the day. The girls still say their "gratefuls" as a daily practice.
When they were younger we would read it to them before bed at night and then ask what everyone was "grateful for" from the day. The girls still say their "gratefuls" as a daily practice.
A Powerful Message on Living Gratefully on YouTube vids
Living Life with Gratitude
curated content from YouTube
Research and Articles on Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude: Pay It Forward
- From the Greater Good Magazine's Summer 2007 an article by Robert A. Emmons PhD on Gratitude. Dr. Emmons teaches in the the department of psychology at the University of California, Davis.
- Highlights from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving
- A research project investigating the Gratitude Interventions and Psychological and Physical Well-Being by Dr. Robert A. Emmons at the University of California, Davis.
- Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy
- Blog article from Zen Habits.
Be Thankful Today
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. Buddha
Being Grateful in the Midst of a Challenge
Living Life with Gratitude
As strange at it might seem even in the midst of a major life challenge most people can still find something to be thankful for or something for which they can express gratitude, if only that the situation isn't worse.
Comedian-actor Jim Carrey, who has faced his own series of personal difficulties, challenges anyone in their darkest moment to
Comedian-actor Jim Carrey, who has faced his own series of personal difficulties, challenges anyone in their darkest moment to
- Write what they're grateful for, even stupid little things like green grass or a friendly conversation with somebody on the elevator. You start to realize how rich you are.
- When the heart is full of gratitude, there is little room left for despair.
Some Expressions of Gratitude and Gratefulness
On Flickr
A collection of what different people had tagged with Gratitude or Gratefulness on Flickr.
curated content from Flickr
Gratitude is an Easy, Painless Practice
Quotes for Living Life with Gratitude
- Gratitude is said to be a virtue, but I find it helpful to think of it as a practice. Unlike playing the piano, meditating, or playing sports, the practice of gratitude is easy and painless. You practice it each time you thank someone. Marcia Z. Nelson
Source: Nelson MZ. An Excerpt from The Gospel According to Oprah. SpiritualityandPractice.com
A Grateful Heart on YouTube
Living Life with Gratitude
Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy
“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” – Meister EckhartMany days, I try to humble myself and hold a 2-minute gratitude session. I simply sit or kneel, with no distractions, close my eyes, and think about what I’m grateful for and who I’m grateful for.
I don’t do it every day, but let me tell you, on the days I do it, it makes me very happy.
Why should that be? Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in my life?
Just a few reasons:
- Because it reminds you of the positive things in your life. It makes you happy about the people in your life, whether they’re loved ones or just a stranger you met who was kind to you in some ways.
- Because it turns bad things into good things. Having problems at work? Be grateful you have work. Be grateful you have challenges, and that life isn’t boring. Be grateful that you can learn from these challenges. Be thankful they make you a stronger person.
- Because it reminds you of what’s important. It’s hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that your children are alive and healthy. It’s hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.
- Because it reminds you to thank others. I’ll talk about this more below, but the simple act of saying “thank you” to someone can make a big difference in that person’s life. Calling them, emailing them, stopping by to say thank you … just taking that minute out of your life to tell them why you are grateful toward them is important to them. People like being appreciated for who they are and what they do. It costs you little, but makes someone else happy. And making someone else happy will make you happy.
I thank my loved ones, for all they do to me. I thank strangers who’ve shown me little acts of kindness. I thank God, for the life he’s given me. I thank people around the world for the things they’ve done to make the world better. I thank myself, for things that I’ve done (it’s important to recognize your own accomplishments).
How to Live a Life of Gratitude
The thing is, simple acts of gratitude don’t cost you much (especially once you get over the initial discomfort some people feel with thanking others). But they can make a huge difference.
If you’re interested in living a life of gratitude, here are my suggestions:
- Morning gratitude session. Take 2-3 minutes each morning to give thanks, to whoever or whatever you’re grateful for. You don’t have to do anything, other than close your eyes and silently give thanks. This one act can make a huge difference.
- Say thank you. When someone does something nice for you, however small, try to remember to say thank you. And really mean it.
- Call to say thanks. Sometimes you might think about something nice that someone did for you. Perhaps you remember during your gratitude session. When you do, pick up the phone and call the person, just to say thanks. Let them know what they did that you’re grateful for, and why you appreciate it. Takes a minute or two. If it’s too early to call, make a note to call later. Even better is telling them in person, if you happen to see them or if they’re on your route. Almost as good is a thank-you email — keep it short and sweet.
- Give thanks for “negative” things in your life. There’s always two ways to look at something. Many times we think of something as negative — it’s stressful, harmful, sad, unfortunate, difficult. But that same thing can be looked at in a more positive way. Giving thanks for those things is a great way to remind yourself that there is good in just about everything. Problems can be seen as opportunities to grow, to be creative. See the prayer below for more on this.
- Learn a gratitude prayer. There are many prayers, religious or not, that can remind you to be grateful. Find one you like, and print it out or make it your desktop wallpaper. Here’s a religious one, and here’s a collection from a multitude of religions. You can find many others on the Internet, or write your own. If you’re not religious, make one that doesn’t include the concept of God. A good one is below.
Be ThankfulSee also:
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~
- How to Get Motivated When You’re In a Slump
- 6 Practical and Powerful Ways to Overcome Depression
- Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment
- Five Great Ways to Achieve Happiness Through Serving Others
- 18 Practical Tips for Living the Golden Rule
- 75 Simple Pleasures to Brighten Your Day
- 5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment
- A Guide to Escaping Materialism and Finding Happiness
- A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices
- Handbook for Life: 52 Tips for Happiness and Productivity
- 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It
Comments
Post a Comment