We hear often about the practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business and a higher sense of well-being.
Even though we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a thankful word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. This can take some time.
That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice gratitude for what we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves a chance to see life as an opportunity. When we feel knocked down, if we think up 3 things we are grateful for it helps put us in a state of appreciation which also helps us move into action and problem solving if there is a negative situation to be dealt with. We can be grateful, for example, because we have the ability to problem solve and persevere through a challenge or roadblock.
Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s simply a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope.
There are many things to be grateful for: nature, legs that work, great coworkers, friends who listen and really hear, a roof over our heads, chocolate, the ability to read, roses, our health, music. What’s on your list?
Some Ways to Practice Gratitude
- Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. Keep it daily or at least 3x/week to get into a good habit!
- Make a gratitude collage – draw or paste pictures so you can visualize what you appreciate.
- Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine.
- Notice how gratitude begins to impact your life. Write about it, sing about it, and enjoy the process of how this changes your focus and improves your overall mindset.
- When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.
- Notice how gratitude begins to impact your life. Write about it, sing about it, and enjoy the process of how this changes your focus and improves your overall mindset.
The more you practice, an inner shift begins inside you, and you may discover how content and hopeful you are feeling at different moments. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work. Go ahead and give it a try…and let me know how I can support you!
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