It’s so easy to get swept up in what you think are your problems. All of the crazy emotions that you can feel in a single day can sometimes make you feel like the whole world is against you. Truth is, the world is never against you, only you are against yourself. When you start to get in this negative frame of mind, one of the fastest ways to snap out of it is to actively practice gratitude.
Practice gratitude? Sounds so forced when you put it like that I hear you say. Well it may feel like that initially, but what new habit doesn’t? Ultimately, gratitude can be cultivated just like any other good or bad habit. You just have to make the conscious choice to partake in it.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t require any fancy tools or rituals, nor does it have to be time consuming or public. Gratitude is something that can be felt anywhere at anytime.
Here are nine simple ways to practice gratitude.
1 – Think of the abundance of food that you have available to you at relatively low costs – some people have nothing, let alone a choice.
2 – List 5 things either on paper or in your mind that you are thankful for.
3 – Pat an animal, cat or dog, yours or someone else’s. Connecting with an animal brings a strange calmness and feeling of connection. Feel grateful for the moment of peace that you are experiencing.
4 – Feel grateful for the good that others are receiving. Hey, go one further, wish for those that aren’t on your list of favorite people all the best that life can bring.
5 – Look in the mirror. Be grateful that you have the vision to see your reflection. Do a silly dance while you are standing there. Probably best to lock the door before hand though. Move your body like a crazy lady, feels good doesn’t it. Bet you are even laughing at yourself. Be grateful that you are physically intact and can move, and enjoy all of your senses. This is not the case for everyone.
6 – Look out the window, is the sun shining, is it raining, is it blowing a gale? Find the blessings in any of these conditions. The sun is helping the crops grow, the rain is providing drinking water for people and animals everywhere, the wind is providing energy for wind farms and transporting seeds through the air so they can find somewhere to pollinate. Even something as terrible as a bushfire has a positive side, it brings with it new life and rejuvenation.
7 – People are everywhere in your life. Some you love, some you hate, some you tolerate and some you barely notice that they exist. Take the time to see at least one good thing in every person you encounter in your day. Maybe they speak nicely or are kind to others, maybe they dress well, maybe they make people laugh. Doesn’t matter what it is, just find one thing about them that you can be grateful for having come into contact with them today.
8 – Say thank you and feel it. So many people just say the words thank you with no real emotion or sincerity behind it. How empty for them. Today when the event arises where you can thank someone for something they have said or done, don’t just say it, really feel it. Thanking someone is expressing gratitude and the feeling that you can get by giving a sincere and heartfelt thanks will leave you wondering why you ever just used to verbalize it without meaning.
9 – Practice gratitude for that which has not yet come into existence. If you have a dream or desire, when you visualize, give thanks that it has come to fruition. Again, don’t just say or think the words, the key is to really feel it.
Gratitude is a powerful force that can bring about massive change in your life if used correctly. That being said, gratitude is not just a tool to use for manipulation in order to gain a certain result or outcome. Gratitude is something that must be felt sincerely and without any attempt to use it for exchange,. Without this, the words are empty and have no power.
Practice making gratitude a habit in your day and see what changes it brings about.
If you are already practising gratitude, feel free to share below how you use it and what it has done for you.
