Simple ways to express 'Gratitude' - and why you really need to do it.

Gratitude is the attitude of being thankful and appreciative towards life , nature, people, animals, plants , beings, nature , circumstances around us. But, is it easy to be grateful at all times ? Does having a habit of gratitude truly change your life for the better?

Often, life can just turn out to be plain boring, seemingly heartless and cruel.

So, what do we do? Crib and cry? Or, face life no matter what, with an amazing sense of curiosity, grace and interest.

What we actively look out in life, gets to become the bigger picture in life. If we look at life with gratitude, perhaps we can find so many things to be grateful and blessed for.

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."- Oprah Winfrey

Learning to look at life with gratitude, teaches us not to take things for granted. Often, many a times people just seem to look at pitiful situations only, forgetting the many gifts they have.

Every circumstance in life has something to offer us, something to teach us.

The attitude of gratitude helps in being mindful and appreciative of the gifts we truly have.

It helps in savouring the moments we have, and in also choosing to be kind to oneself and others.

Many a times we realise the true importance of someone/ something for us or around us, - only after we lost.

Sometimes people aim so high in their life- that they look only above them- that someone has more money, someone has more talent, someone has a bigger house. These comparisons need not always be true, but they will most likely send a person to despair.

Sometimes, we just have to step back and look at the whole picture. Some one will always be ahead of us, and someone behind us , in something or the other. Smile. Look at the whole picture again, and decide to move on with grace and gratitude.

Being grateful helps to have peace of mind.

What are the benefits of being grateful?

   "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."- Thornton Wilder

• Helps to be mindful and truly savor and live the moments of life.

• Better health- when you are more at peace, naturally the body follows.

• Better and stronger relationships with yourself and others. Gratitude helps in trying to understand your own gifts, and also seeing the gifts and lessons others have.

• A genuinely more positive outlook at life and circumstances

• A greater sense of satisfaction in living life.

• Lesser things to stress about, and finding more reasons to celebrate life.

"The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see."- Dr. Rober Holden

Simple ways to open your eyes to the blessings you enjoy

1. " Count your blessings and name them one by one"
   

   
   

Have a notebook/ journal to specifically write about the things / people / events that felt good and supportive It need not take up much of your time. This exercise can be done morning or evening just before you sleep. 5 or 10 minutes to pause , ponder and write about the wonderful things that happened in the day. So much might have happened in the day- good and bad. But, in this exercise, we are trying to specifically look for the good in our days. You can write just about anything that made your life good, that made you feel good - the morning sip of coffee -the birds singing - the beauty of nature - just being able to see , hear, taste, swallow, smell,.. -the wonderful conversation you had with someone... -the small, lovely talks with your friends, family, dear ones,.. You can also record your journal once a week But, the idea is to be dedicated to become aware of the blessings you have.

2."Stop, and smell the roses" Simply practice being aware and open to the good things of life. Stop, if you can to cherish the beauty of the moment. And, be mindful of the joyful emotion in the situation. Savour the moments. Stop, and feel in your heart the beautiful mental picture of what is unfolding before you.

The idea is to be more proactive in seeking , finding and truly realising the blessings you have in all circumstances.

Choose gratitude over grumpiness.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."- William Arthur Ward

3. Paste Sticky notes around

Thank you notes

Write down the simple blessings on sticky notes that remind you frequently of the blessings that you have on your workspace, on your bedroom wall, on the fridge,..

You can also put stickers of the pictures of the things, people, pets, quotes, etc that has made you smile, feel good.

So, when you look around at these stickers, remind yourself of the good things you have known in your life you. And, thereby, frequently get into the gratitude zone.

4. Express Gratitude aloud.

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."- G.B. Stern

Send out 'Thank you 'notes to the people whom you appreciate. Compliment people more freely. When you compliment another person, you also start feeling good. And, be gracious to the compliments you recieve with a 'thank you'.

When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed."- Maya Angelou

What being in Gratitude does not promise?

Being grateful does not guarantee there will be no bad days or complicated situations. Being grateful does not deny the bad and the sad parts of life.

But, by developing the habit of gratitude, we can learn to reframe our perspectives on a situation, learn and let go if needed. Being grateful helps in looking up the bigger canvas of life, and learning not to focus on the seemingly big obstacle hindering our step forward.

Being in gratitude does not mean staying in superficial happiness or toxic positivity.

Being in gratitude does not mean being complacent about our dreams and simply accepting whatever life throws at us. Rather being in the zone of gratitude, propels one to vigorously move towards goals and dreams with purpose. Being in the state of thankfulness, helps in gracefully moving through the good and bad chapters of life. Being in the state of gratitude helps in the calmly looking for the blessings even when in a bad situation in life.

Being in gratitude can seem hard when disaster strikes, but it definitely helps in passing through the dark nights and stormy days with grace and resilience.

Robert Emmons, says that practicing gratitude has its own levels of difficulty, and is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling denying any suffering. However, the practice of gratitude can help in coping with difficult situations of life, by looking at the situation with a more positive perspective. Having a gratitude practice can help in looking forward to live and move on in life, rather than getting stuck in a bad chapter of life.

BOOKS TO HELP YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT GRATITUDE AND HOW IT WORKS.

• Gratitude, Oliver Sacks

A famous psychologist, Oliver Sacks, decided to spend the last few weeks of his life , to meditate and write upon feelings of thankfulness, and insights he had in finding meaning to life. A simply profound book that had deep impact on many people.

• Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier,Robert A. Emmons This book blends in the scientific and practical aspects of being in gratitude. It opens the reader to the long term and short term benefits of being grateful. And, also deep dives into understanding why, people who are habitually grateful turn out to have better interpersonal relationships, find success and are generally more happier.
  

• Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey To Joy, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Discover how the habit of intentionally choosing gratitude can change your life to find that inner joy

“Gratitude is a choice. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.”-Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

• Gratitude Angeles Arrien

  An inspiring narration on how to cultivate daily practices for gratitude, to carry forward in the good and bad days of your life.

• The Science of Positivity Loretta Graziano Breuning Deep dive into the actual scientific reasons on why gratitude and positivity works. And get the tools on how to actually work it out in life.

• Think You'll Be Happy Nicole Avant Based on a true personal story of moving forward with grit, grace and gratitude , while coping with the grief of loss of a loved one.
  

• The Positive Shift Catherine A. Sanderson Dr. Catherine Sanderson, with her profound and vast scientific research background, delves into practical advices on developing a positive mindset for better psychological and physical health.
  

• The Gifts of Imperfection Brené Brown Embrace your flaws, and understand why you should be thankful for what you feel about yourself as shortcomings.
  

Helpful Affirmations for Gratitude

Here are some affirmations that you can say out aloud and align you into a more positive framework while going through life. Tweak them as you like, so that you truly resonate, and really 'feel' these statements.

Iam happy and thankful for the loving people around me- my parents/ my friends/ my spouse/ my kids.

I am happy, alive and just thankful to be listening to the beautiful chirping of birds.

I am content and grateful to simply just be in nature, gazing at the trees, the grass, the wide blue sky, the sunshine.

Iam immensely happy and thankful for the warm meals I enjoy.

Iam truly blessed and thankful for the family I have.

Iam truly blessed to have a wonderful, supportive community around me.

Iam just happy and thankful to my parents for the sacrifices they made to give their best shot in giving me a good life.

Iam grateful for the lessons I have learned along the way.

Iam grateful for the health I enjoy.

Here, are some more ideas for your gratitude affirmation

I Am Grateful for It All | Gratitude Affirmations | 21 Day Challenge- Bob Baker Affirmations

Helpful vlogs to invest your time in learning to get into the practice of gratitude.

7 Gratitude Exercises to Live a Happier Life- Philipp Humm

Philipp Humm shares simple , inexpensive exercises anyone can do to cultivate the habit of being in gratitude. From gratitude flush,and memos to gratitude jar and rock, he explains how to develop practices that one can stick to.

Brene Brown on joy and gratitude

A short video wherein Brené Brown shares her insights into how 'practicing' gratitude has invited joy into her life.

Quotes on gratitude

Some more quotes to help you be inspired,..

1. “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” — Germany Kent

2. “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” — William Blake

3. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

4. “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — G.K. Chesterton

5. “The trick is to be grateful when your mood is high and graceful when it is low.” — Richard Carlson

6. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. “Happy are those who take life day by day, complain very little and are thankful for the little things in life.” — Unknown

8. “None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone’s help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.” — Harvey Mackay

9. “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” — John F. Kennedy

10. “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” — Henry Ward Beecher

11. “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘Thank you,’ that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart

12. “Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” — Robert Louis Stevenson