THE POWER OF GRATITUDE:

Ways to develop an Attitude of Gratitude:

‘Gratitude’ simply means the quality of being Thankful. As I write this I feel nothing but Calm, Happy and Peaceful. You are probably thinking why? Well it’s because I am grateful for all the beautiful things in life.

Since many years researchers in the field of positive psychology have been studying the effect of gratitude on health and well being. They describe Gratitude as personality strength – the ability to be keenly aware of the good things that happen to you and never take them for granted. Grateful people express their thanks & appreciation to others in a heartfelt way, not just to be polite. If you possess a high level of Gratitude, you often feel an emotional sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life itself. Individuals who exhibit & express Gratitude are happier, healthier and more energetic. The more a person is inclined towards Gratitude the less lonely, anxious and depressed he or she will be.

It appears that counting our blessings on a regular basis can improve our moods & overall level of Happiness & health but at the same time expressing that appreciation to others will do even more. Noticing, appreciating and expressing our feelings for life’s little blessings can produce unimaginable benefits.

So, it certainly seems that developing a higher level of Gratitude is emotionally, physically & mentally rewarding. Question is, how do you increase your feelings of Gratitude when nothing seems to be going right or life presents great challenges?  It easier said than done. But wait, it is actually possible to express Gratitude when you are not feeling you have anything to be grateful for.  Although we acknowledge Gratitude’s benefits, it can still feel difficult to feel Gratitude. That’s why it makes sense to practice Gratitude in good and the bad times. It is Human nature to notice all  the wrong things, but if we give ourselves the chance on a regular basis to notice all of lives gifts & blessings we can increase our sense of well-being & create hope and Optimism for the future – no matter what is going on.

Here are some ways to start Practicing Gratitude to improve your well-being:

1)      KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL: 

Keeping a gratitude journal and noting down five things you are grateful for everyday will help you focus on the little good things that happen to you daily. Gradually, it will eliminate the negativity and generate a feeling of Gratitude.

 

2)      EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE:

Appreciating people around you helps build relationships. It helps spreading Happiness and attracting great things. Express gratitude and sense the change emotionally, physically & mentally.

 

3)      LOOK FOR WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT A SITUATION, NOT WHAT’S WORNG:

Every situation or action will have something right and something wrong. Analyzing the right and the wrong we judge the situation. In this process focus more on the good and eliminate the wrong. Notice and appreciate all the good things in a wrong situation.

 

4)      PRACTICE GRATITUDE WITH YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS:

Practicing this concept on daily basis will help you master it. Your friends and family are the people you spend most of the time with. You experience number of feelings around them. Practicing gratitude with them will help you in the best way.

 

HappyMinds Leadership Academy Session:

We instill these skills in children of HappyMinds Leadership Academy as we understand the development process they go through. This week we conducted a session on Gratitude where in Smart Scholars made a Gratitude Garland mentioning five things they are Grateful for in their life. We also discussed with them 21 acts of Kindness and their benefits. These acts were discussed keeping in mind the situations they are generally in. It is fascinating how they understand Gratitude, Kindness and Respect but forget it in the process of growing up.