Gratitude is one of the most important characteristics we can adopt in the search for happiness and success.
What is gratitude?
Gratitude is simply the quality of being thankful.
In a world where we are constantly on the search for more, gratitude helps us ground ourselves and realize how blessed we already are.
It gives us a chance to reflect on the many blessings we are endowed with and helps us understand that many others across the globe are not as fortunate.
I start every morning by expressing gratitude because this gives me an optimistic start to the day.
I wake up feeling positive because I am alive and well, which is the first blessing of the day.
Instead of mentally being caught in the rat race of accumulating – money, material items, clout – I can instead focus on the things I already have to be grateful for.
Gratitude is also plays a major role in having an abundance mindsetAn abundance mindset refers to the perspective that there is plenty out there for everybody. This mentality allows us to focus on all the positive things that life has to offer. People with this mindset are generally more grateful, more creative, and happier. The phrase was invented by Stephen Covey in his best selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. More.
If we are thankful for the abundance we already have then we will attract more abundance.
On the other end of the spectrum is the scarcity mindsetA scarcity mindset is a mentality that views the world as having limited resources. With this perspective one believes that if other people are successful, then there will be less resources left for everyone else. This paradigm is usually related to stress, fear, and anxiety. More.
With the scarcity mindsetA scarcity mindset is a mentality that views the world as having limited resources. With this perspective one believes that if other people are successful, then there will be less resources left for everyone else. This paradigm is usually related to stress, fear, and anxiety. More we tell ourselves that we are lacking and don’t have enough.
This mindset creates a mentality that there will never be enough for us and is usually related to fear, stress and anxiety.
Gratitude is relative
Sometimes it’s difficult for us to feel grateful when things don’t seem to be going our way.
During these times we should keep in mind that regardless of our circumstance, there are always people out there that are less fortunate than us.
Almost 10% of the world lives in extreme povertyThis is based on information provided Worldvision stating that over 689 million people around the world live in extreme poverty - less than $1.90 a day. More. This means that they live on less than $1.90 a day.
We probably spend more than that daily on a cup of coffee.
When we focus on how much more we have compared with so many others around the world, feeling grateful should start to become pretty easy.
Gratitude is the best attitude
A lot of times we might be dissatisfied about where we are in life but perhaps we are being too hard on ourselves.
We have to be careful not to get caught in the trap of superficiality and comparing ourselves to what we see on social media.
This is a surefire way to feel down about ourselves, comparing our life to the lives portrayed on social media.
Gratitude is a powerful strategy for success and wellness because it is a choice.
When we choose to be grateful for the things we have, we feel happier overall.
This is confirmed by a 10 week studyThis information is based on a Harvard health article that compiled research on gratitude based on several studies. In this particular 10 week study, those who wrote about gratitude daily were "more optimistic and felt better about their lives". More that found gratitude to be ‘strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness”.
How to practice gratitude
There are countless ways to express gratitude daily.
This can be done through prayer, meditation, a daily gratitude journal, etc.
Or maybe even picking up the phone and thanking someone for being a good friend/family member.
I tend to think the simplest methods are the best methods.
Perhaps we can start each day by thinking of three things that we are grateful for.
