Being grateful doesn’t have to be hard, or weird or woo woo. It’s a simple act of appreciating what you do have. A roof over your head? A good friend or two? The new Star Wars movie? Maybe just that great cup of coffee in your hands.
Research has shown that being grateful, or simply finding thanks, does more than just bring about positivity in our daily lives, it can also help to cultivate our entire health. There is a catch though – in order for this to happen you have to give up a few things. If you are already thinking “of course I do, there is always a catch,” you’re on the right path! It is exactly this type of thinking, the negativity, the victim mentality, the poor-me approach to life that needs to be let go.
And since we are approaching Thanksgiving- the one day that actually has the word THANKS in it, now is the perfect time to embark on a mission of sayings thanks. Start with one day and then say thanks the next day too. And then the next day, and the next and so on. In time it becomes automatic and something you actually look forward to.
Not sure if you are one of those who people who could benefit from a little gratitude?
- First I would argue that EVERYONE can and will benefit from appreciating what we do have over what we don’t.
- Second I would tell you to try 30 days of gratitude and experience the shift first hand. Doing this can be as simple as acknowledging 3 things you are thankful for at the end of each day for 30 days.
- And third, I would tell you to look around for signs of your own negativity and find ways to shift your thinking. For example, if you are on Facebook, look back at your posts from the past month. Do you see a pattern of negative comments? Is something always happening TO you? Is there something always wrong? How could you change those post to reflect the situation but find a more positive spin?
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be honest about what is happening or hiding our true thoughts and feelings; we don’t want to become a fake cheerleader that never acknowledges tough times. But there is a shift that happens within us when we let go of that victim mentality, it doesn’t happen overnight but with time you will find new power and strength within. You may begin to see your relationships change, from how you see others AND how they see and treat you as well as how you view and treat yourself. With time our ability to control our thoughts and actions can change for the better. And then think about where that can lead you? All because we started to find a little gratitude in our day.
So if you can control your own destiny with simple gratitude today, will you?
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