What is Gratitude
?
Gratitude is showing or expressing thanks. It is an appreciation for the good
or positive events in your life.
Robert Emmons is considered to be the world’s leading scientific
expert on gratitude. He claims that there are two key reasons for
why gratitude is ethical:
First, it confirms goodness; because people affirm that there are good things
in the world, gifts, and benefits they have received.
Secondly, people recognize that the sources of this goodness
are outside of themselves. People recognize that other people or superior
powers (i.e. if you are a spiritual person) gave them many large and small
gifts to help them achieve the goodness in their lives.
He describes these two concepts in more detail in his Greater
Good Essay called “Why Gratitude is Good”.
What is gratitude to you? And how do you practice it?
Positive Mental Attitude
Towards Gratitude
How It Benefits You?
The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream
for years. Long-term studies support the effectiveness of expressing
gratitude with an appreciative and positive mental attitude contributes to
greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and
business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from
surgery.
Although you may realize the many benefits of gratitude, it still can be
difficult to maintain. Many of us are trained to notice what is broken,
undone, or lacking in our lives. In order for gratitude to meet its full healing
potential in your life, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving
word.
Let gratitude work for you by learning new ways of looking at things in your
life and developing new habits. Yes, this can take some time. But with
practice it can be accomplished.
That is why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When you practice
giving thanks for all you have, instead of complaining about what you lack,
you give yourself the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a
blessing.
Remember that gratitude is not an illogically optimistic approach in which the
bad things in your life are defeated or ignored. It is more a matter of where
you put your focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but
when you focus on the gifts of your life, you gain a feeling of well-being.
Gratitude balances you and gives you hope.
There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves; capability
to walk; friends who listen, care, and really hear; chocolate; food on the
table; warm jackets; a comfortable place to live; the ability to read; being
able to see the beauty of nature; your health; family; butterflies.
What is on your list?
Discover
Ways to be Happier
Boost your happiness. Here are 7 ways to be happier and improve your
emotional wellness by practicing gratitude:
Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are
thankful. You can make daily, weekly, or monthly lists. To establish
writing in your journal as a new habit it may be better to do it more
frequently. However, just keeping the journal where you can see it will
remind you to think in a grateful way.
Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures. Put it
somewhere so you can view it daily.
Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your
nightly routine.
Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.
When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You
may be amazed by how much better you feel.
Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about
it, and express thanks for gratitude.
Pray to God (if you are spiritual-minded) daily expressing thanks for
another day to enjoy life and all the blessings and good he has placed in
it.
As you continuously practice, an inner shift begins to occur and you may be
delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of
fulfillment is gratitude at work. You applying the expression of gratitude in
your daily life helps to enhance your emotional wellness and happiness.
It helps by equipping you to deal better with stress and to maintain control
over your feelings, behavior, and thoughts when faced with both good and
bad events in your life.
Tap into your joy and health now.
Sign up and immediately receive a complimentary Gratitude Journal
Template. Get started today in expressing your gratefulness by making daily
entries.
This gift is a gesture to help you start reducing stress in your life and
instilling happiness and enhancing your health by expressing your
appreciation in writing. Begin to graciously recognize just how noteworthy
your life is right now.
