Being grateful on a daily basis creates an inner reservoir of love and joy that can carry some individuals through any life circumstance. The healing effects of gratitude can be seen in the form of healthier relationships, increased financial abundance, blossoming careers and improved health.
All it takes to create ongoing health and happiness is a shift in attitude and perspective. A detour from complaining to appreciating, a refocus from what's missing to what's plentiful, and change from tracking what's bad to what's good can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Create an Attitude of Appreciation
Cultivating an attitude of appreciation for the positive aspects of people, the opportunities hidden within challenges, and the blessings birthed from tragedies, creates the kind of resiliency that supports people to handle any situation that life offers – the high of a miracle, the low of heartbreak, and the plateau of daily chores. There are three simple steps to create an appreciating attitude.
- Awareness – As a person becomes aware of their attitude, they can easily shift it. The first step is for a person notice when they are doing the opposite of appreciating: criticizing others, complaining about situations, judging themselves, or doing anything that makes them feel angry, frustrated or depressed. From this place of awareness, change can happen.
- Acceptance – When a person becomes aware that they are judging, criticizing or complaining, it's important not to beat themselves up, but instead accept their current mood, perhaps even find amusement in it. Then it becomes easier to accept the person or situation they were focusing negatively on. Acceptance brings relief.
- Appreciation – With awareness and acceptance, a person can now shift their focus to something they appreciate about another or a situation. They can stop magnifying the flaws and start noticing the benefits. Appreciation is uplifting and opens a person's eyes and heart to possibilities and happiness.
Gratitude Improves Health and Happiness
Health and happiness abound when a person learns to be grateful for all of life's experiences. Here are several examples.
- Begrudging a colleagues success limits a person and imprisons them in their smallness. Acknowledging them uplifts a person and frees them in their bigness.
- Criticizing family and friends creates a wall of distrust. Appreciating them builds a bridge of love.
- Complaining of body aches shuts down the flow of healing energy. Loving the body and its innate wisdom increases the flow.
- Griping about poor weather dampens a person's spirit. Taking comfort in the sounds of raindrops, the silence of snow, or the freshness of cold, crisp air enlivens the soul.
- Resentment leads to bitterness and shutting down. Forgiveness leads to acceptance and appreciation.
- Reminiscing over past painful experiences keeps the pain alive. Noticing the growth and opportunities sooths the pain and opens the door to gratitude.
Feeling appreciation and gratitude each day for the people, situations and circumstances that come your way will create a field of love and joy to support you in all areas of life. Getting started is as simple as asking oneself, "What am I grateful for today?"
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