What if I told you that you could live a happier, more successful, more fulfilled, abundant life by practicing this one thing every single day? What is this one thing, you ask? Gratitude.
Gratitude is a non negotiable daily ritual for me. Since I have made this apart of my daily routine, I have been amazed by the huge shifts that have taken place in my life. I am happier, less stressed, and living a life full of abundance that I didn’t even realize was there all along. By acknowledging what we already have allows us to be more aware of how abundant we really are and attracts even more abundance. Being grateful allows our hearts to be full and our minds to be at peace.
There is always something we can find to be grateful for even during the tough times or a bad day. In fact, that’s when we should practice gratitude the most. During these times, or in general, you may find it challenging to find things to be grateful for but start small and eventually your list will become limitless. Some examples of the “little” things that we often over look to be grateful for are things such as the bed we sleep in, or having running water, being able to take a hot shower, our senses to touch, hear, taste, smell, and see, the beauty around us. You see, when we take the time to be grateful, we realize how blessed we really are.
I encourage everyone to add gratitude to their daily routine. Anyone anywhere, can practice gratitude. My five-year old daughter even practices. The other day, she was upset because she had a stuffy nose. She was highly frustrated to say the least. Her dad sat down with her and encouraged her to think of all the things in her life she is grateful for and she said them out loud. Instantly, she felt better. She was no longer irritated about her nose because she shifted her focus to gratitude. You see, when we shift our perspective to gratitude our day/life changes for the greater good. My own personal daily ritual is keeping a gratitude journal. Every morning after I get up I write down five things that I am grateful for. In fact, before I even get out of bed in the morning I take about 15-20 seconds to think to myself all that I am grateful for. Doing this allows me to prime myself for a less stressful, more successful day. Imagine how your life could change by doing this every day, and especially when you are in a frustrating situation.
Gratitude is just one of the many tools in my tool belt for creating a happier, healthier, wealthier life. It is also my favorite one. The more we can be gracious we shine even brighter creating a ripple of happiness throughout the world. Be apart of that ripple. Live in gratitude.
I too practice gratitude each day. I laugh at myself when I feel frustrated in traffic or at work. I say to myself, I am so fortunate to have a car to drive and a job to go to. I am graced with so much that being grateful and giving thanks is automatic . It also propels me to give more of what I have to others…be it money, time, attention, support, or an encouraging word. You described the benefits of gratitude perfectly.