How To: Be Grateful

For most people, appreciating the great things in our lives is challenging. Most of the time, when practicing gratitude, we count our blessings in a very robotic and superficial way. We ramble on, making a list and count them down as if checking something off a list. This, of course, defeats the purpose of practicing gratitude. The lack of intent here is what makes this type of gratitude as mundane and ineffective as any of the other activities we participate in on a daily basis.
To reap the benefits of practicing gratitude, it is suggested that we spend some time each day focusing more in depth on just one thing we’re grateful for. Whether that thing is career related, regarding your familial or personal life, focusing our attention and gratitude on just one thing allows us to further develop and express our gratitude. We can best do this by writing; by going into detail, being expressive and specific. Write a few sentences or write a paragraph, just make it count! This practice that combines writing with gratitude is typically called “Gratitude Journaling.” At the bottom of this blog, you will find a helpful video by Marie Forleo, a YouTuber focused on growing your passions and your business, as she does her Gratitude Journaling.
If you’re having trouble finding a subject to focus on, think about situations, items or people that frustrate or upset you first. Then, try to think about those things in a more positive way. For instance, if it is the afternoon traffic that bothers you, think instead, about how fortunate you are to have a vehicle for easy and leisurely travel. Or, when the internet is being terribly slow and you worry about finishing work on time, think instead, about how fortunate you are to have access to modern technology and unlimited information. These are just a few examples but are plenty good places to start when thinking about the things we often take for granted. Not only is Gratitude Journaling a very quick practice, it also develops more awareness towards the wonderful things in our lives that we may have missed. In many ways, this practice helps us to “stop and smell the roses.” The idea is that as we increase our awareness and gratitude our disposition and mood will improve too! Try out Gratitude Journaling for yourself and let us know what increasing your gratitude does for you!
“An attitude of Gratitude brings Opportunities” – Yogi Bahajan