Over the course of the last few years, there has been a lot of conversation around gratitude and the importance of looking closely at our lives and finding that which we are grateful for. Many books about gratitude have found their way to Best Seller lists including author, Ann Voskamp’s book ‘One Thousand Gifts‘ which landed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 60 weeks. Her book obviously struck a chord and resonated with many people across the globe. The book is a celebration of grace and a recognition of the power of gratitude.
Being grateful holds power, that is beyond what we can even imagine. And, although gratitude has been around for as long as humanity has roamed the planet, it is only the last five years or so that we have realised that Gratitude can change our lives. The feeling of gratitude or being grateful has quickly become the emotion that we measure, and we use to pull us out of doom and gloom and catapult us to a knew way of being.
It’s easy to get lost in a world of being ungrateful. Life has a way of pulling us down. Bills to be paid, family relationships to manage, work demands to juggle, and the list goes on. There is so much that can swallow us up and even make us feel like we are drowning. This is when gratitude steps in and helps.
Here are ten ways gratitude can affect us:
1. Happiness – Gratitude makes us happy. When we practice gratitude, we become happier.
2. Satisfaction – Gratitude makes us more satisfied with life. It’s not just a fleeting thought; it helps us focus on what we have rather than being distraught by what we don’t have. Hence the satisfaction with life.
3. Motivation – Gratitude helps us extend ourselves to others simply by being thankful for what they do or who they are in our lives. A simple thank you goes a long way and can, in fact, motivate those we are thankful to extend themselves and be more in the world.
4. Consumerism – Gratitude can help combat consumerism. By being grateful for what we have and placing value on it, we no longer really ‘need or desire’ more. Again, satisfaction takes its place.
5. Self-control – Gratitude helps us with self-control simply because we have calmed down and relaxed we find it easier to apply self-control in our lives.
6. Enrich our children – Displaying gratitude in our homes helps our children because they see gratitude in action. It helps them become more cooperative, have a purpose in life and experience happiness themselves.
7. Improve your relationship – Relationships that invest gratitude towards one another have a greater level of intimacy, friendship and mutual respect.
8. Build social ties – Gratitude helps relationships beyond personal and intimate. Exhibiting gratitude to other relationships only enhances your life.
9. Better health – Although not fully documented, gratitude has been linked to better sleep habits, stress levels and overall health and well-being.
10. Resilience – When faced with challenges, people who live from a place of gratitude experience more resilience.
So, whatever you are facing today, whatever life may look like, can I encourage you to embrace gratitude? Gratitude can change us, to propel us forward. In fact, as I look over the 10 points above I think by living out of and through a place of gratitude we will all be happier, healthier and thus we become a more powerful person on the planet, impacting the lives of those around us.
Gratitude is powerful.
Much love,
Susanna #littlemiraclescommunity
