The power of gratitude can significantly improve your life. Gratitude goes way beyond the festival of Thanksgiving. Although it has recently gained prominence, its essence has been present in our lives in varied forms and dimensions since our very existence.
Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s a mindset, a way of looking at the world with appreciation and acknowledgment for the good things in our lives, big and small. We tend to show our gratitude to God, friends, family, and every individual who has helped us or supported us in any way.
Be it any religion all around the world, every type of prayer includes gratitude in one form or the other.
Mindset of Gratitude
Recall the last time you were grateful for anything worth appreciation in your life outside any religious place. And have you ever been grateful when situations were not favorable? The practice of gratitude is directly linked to the famous law of attraction of the universe. What we feel, we create. Grateful are those who feel abundance. It not only shifts our focus on what’s good but also builds a cushion for handling unfavorable situations. The famous book by Rhonda Bryne, “The Secret” deep dives into the magic of Gratitude.
Gratitude and Its Benefits
Once, a saint was on his way to God. On the way, he found a very rich and prosperous man. The saint asked the man about his message to God. He asked the Saint to request God to stop blessing him with things as he already has a lot. Further on the way, the saint met a beggar. On the same question put forward for the former, the beggar asked him to request God to give him atleast something.
God, on listening to both requests, had one answer- I cannot stop giving to the rich man as he is always grateful for every small thing he owns, whereas the beggar is always complaining. Understand this as if you gift something to your loved one, but they start complaining about it instead of being grateful for it. Would you like to gift them the next time? Grateful people are always liked and supported.
Gratitude can be endless depending on your creativity and needs; however, what matters is Belief and Consistency. The feeling is the fuel. If you continue being thankful but are doubtful about the results, it will do no good. It does not matter whether you are an atheist or a religious person; gratitude work equally for all.
Here are multiple things you can be grateful for as a beginner-
I am grateful for waking up alive this morning
I am grateful for my good health
I am grateful for all the money I have
I am grateful for all the healthy relationships in my life
I am grateful for my teachers
I am grateful for my family
I am grateful for good memories
I am grateful for supportive parents
I am grateful for my knowledge and education
I am grateful for food and water
Different Ways to Show Gratitude
There are numerous ways to show your gratitude towards others. Here are some of the most interesting ways for you-
Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal includes listing a few things for which you are grateful on a daily or weekly basis, depending on your preferences. A helpful starting point for cultivating gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal, which will assist you in recognizing and thinking back on the things, people, or occasions for which you are grateful.
Gratitude Letter
Letters, in the era of instant text messages and emoticons, act as a personalized and heart-touching way to show appreciation to others. Writing down our feelings involves locomotory actions of our body and mind and thus empowers mood and physical health.
Gratitude Visit
To take the gratitude letter a step further, visit the person you are giving the letter to and read it aloud to them. Your time is the symbol of true efforts for your loved ones. Regular meetings and creating memories together go a long way to boost your relationships.
Meditation
Meditation involves deep observation of the role things and people play in our lives. Connecting oneself to the divine supreme it helps you answer questions like “What have I received from ?”, “What have I given to ?”, and “What troubles and difficulty have I caused?”
However, sometimes being too grateful is often taken as a quality of not being critical. Sometimes, you can overlook things that truly need criticism because you are focusing all your energy on being thankful. For instance, you might overlook or tolerate certain behaviors that are detrimental to your well-being if your attention is solely on being grateful for your partner. This may worsen toxic positivity issues that are detrimental to your well-being.
An abundance of social science research has demonstrated that gratitude has major advantages for improving relationships, protecting one’s physical health, elevating one’s mood and mental well-being, and more. The lesson is that cultivating thankfulness can lead to a new way of thinking that emphasizes the positive aspects of our existence. We can become more resilient in the face of adversity and develop our ability to see the big picture with practice.
