The Power of Gratitude
Sometimes a change in mindset is simpler than you think. Gratitude has the power to change your world if you put it in to practice.
Does your day look like this?
All day you have been pressed with due dates, errands. You’ve spent the day juggling a dozen task. But unlike that of a jester, there doesn’t seem to be any entertainment in your day.
Life turns mundane. Somehow what there is does not seem enough. Everyday is the same task, the same activity. You see the same people on the way to work: coworkers doing repetitive task, the coffee server and sandwich maker doing their job. You may even think that the joy in life is out of side from your horizon. You may even have had some unfortunate circumstance in life like the grief of loss or loneliness. All you see is the pavement and the dirt on your way to work. You barely notice the changing colours of the leaves, or the elegance of their fall. If only you could find yourself in another place, geographically, in your relationships, financially or professionally in your career.
You develop a “the grass is always greener on the other side” mentality. You live your day working for a better day, in another place – perhaps your mind is off on vacation. You are still here dealing with what comes your way. Perhaps even experiencing FOMO (feeling of missing out), a common side effect of the unenchanted life.
As a result, you are neither here or there. In fact you wish you were there. The problem is, “that” which is there does not exist. It is simply no way to live.
So what is the was a solution to this mundane way of being?
The Gift of Appreciation and Thanks
What if you could take a moment and pay attention to the beauty and goodness that surround you. The leaves sure put on a splendid show as they turn colour and dance for you.
Gratitude is a practice, not just a word. It is a giving of thanks to life through words, actions or through simple intention of appreciation. When we bring gratitude into our lives, we can transform the way in which we respond to the world and the way in which the world responds to us.
What is Gratitude
The word gratitude derives from the Latin word for ‘gratia’. Gratia means grace, graciousness and gratefulness. The feeling that one gets from the unexpected reward of a kind deed or appreciation of something inherently good. Some side effects include a fuzzy feeling in your body, a warmth in your heart and a smile on your face.
How to practice gratitude
When you say thank you even for the smallest of favours, gifts, or gestures the universe has a special way of winking at you. You tell the universe what you want more of. The universe recognizes this and gives you more of that very thing which you recognize through your appreciation.
Now if you are not of the inclination to see this in it’s from a spiritual framework, you may also approach this from truly a pragmatic point of view: you become more aware of the little things in life, the small riches in life such as friendships, beauty, and relationships. You also attune your mind away from the delusional thinking, away from thoughts of running away from where you are and back into the present moment.
It’s time to get enchanted with your life. Here is a pair of enchantment glasses for you. Put them on…
Today is your day to see the magic in life. Small things like a stranger letting you in line at the grocery store, especially when we are purchasing just one item and their cart is full. Or perhaps you are gifted an “end of day special” at the bakery, unexpectedly, as the baker has not sold the bread. What an awesome blessing!
Focussing on such little joys is just one way to celebrate the awesome in life.
When we find joy in little awesome happenings that come to us unexpectedly and we see the good instead of focussing on the negative, we reframe life. We choose to live differently.
Gratitude twice blesses. It blesses the giver and the receiver.
Give Thanks
‘Thank you’ is simple to say. Yet, it is a powerful word. Not many words can top its impact. When we use this word, we send a message out to others that we acknowledge their gift- whether it is an action, item or a sentiment. Read about different ways to say ‘Thank You’ in Do Calm’s article The Reward for Inherent Goodness is Thanks- Different Ways to Say Thank You.
Daily Gratitude Practice
Training your mind to see the good in the world and develop a more positive outlook takes practice. It starts with a conscious awareness of every day blessings. Finding something to be grateful for through out the day. You can take time before bed every night to recount the events of the day and review all the good blessings. What are you grateful for and who has blessed you with a unique gift.
Shifting Mindset to Gratitude
When we recognize the good in the world, the awesome things that happen to us or that people give us, we train our mind to respond to life in a more life affirming way. One of the best ways to make this practice a part of your life is through a daily gratitude journal. Why not make this part of your daily evening yoga routine.
Listen to the Gratitude Prayer by Louise Hay.
When you change the way you look at the world, the world you look at changes.
