For as long as I can remember being thankful for anything and everything that I have in my life is a no-brainer for me. I have always believed that there is extreme power in gratitude. Being grateful makes you instantly happier and makes you more optimistic as you face life and all there is to it not mention it makes other people around you happy too. I give thanks and yes I do it profusely.
Giving thanks is something that gets easier every time you say it. You need not practice but why not make a habit out of it. Give thanks to God, your family, your friends, your coworkers, the waiter at the restaurant, the security guard that opened the door for you, the teller who processed your deposits, the cashier at the grocery store and the barista in the coffee shop that until now still can't remember your name after several visits (at least you always have a perfect cup of joe every morning).
I tell you being grateful will make living your life a lot easier, more meaningful.
1. Gratitude clears the air of negativity. -If you are feeling sad and low, all you have to do is to list down all of the things or people that you have been blessed with and instantly your mood will change and will lift your spirits. Bite your tongue before you complain and count your blessings one by one and say thank you as you read each line. Try doing it and tell me if I am right.
2. Gratitude bonds people. -Our office security guards know me. Yes, they know my first name, my last name and my nickname. I always get a smile, a good morning greeting, a happy weekend or enjoy your vacation wishes from them and of course I say thanks. I thank my boss for the guidance and coaching that he unselfishly imparts to me. I thank my direct reports for coming in to work early or for coming in to work even the rain is pouring. Thanking people around me has arguably built relationships and tightened bonds. After all, it's just good manners to say thank you and people (including you and me) like being appreciated for who they are and what they do. Say thank you no matter how small the act of kindness or favor was. And really mean it.
3. Grateful people makes the most out of their lives. -They do, that I am sure of. I know of a person who battled with cancer for several years. I never saw that person curse God for her misfortune. Instead, she gave thanks to God for making her breathe still every morning she wakes up. She completely understands that there is a higher being and that being can take away her life in an instant so every waking moment is something to be thankful for. Fast forward to today, she is still alive, cancer-free and still grateful for not giving up when life seemed to be so unfair to her. I also know of a person who was born with a disability. Still that person grew up with an attitude of gratitude and has learned to live her life as normal as possible and graduated Magna Cum Laude in her university.
4. Be grateful for happy moments and sad circumstances too. -How many time have you thought that life is unfair? How many times have you thought that you are forsaken? Instead of moping and wallowing in sadness, try to give thanks even when you are troubled, even when you are sad or faced with a circumstance that is bigger than you. Being grateful will allow you to have a clear mind therefore will result to better judgments and decisions. And yes, be grateful that you are given such a challenge for that only means you are still alive and that your life isn't boring. Problems come and will eventually go and these problems will help you gain more strength and build your character.
5. Be grateful for your shortcomings. -C'mon you are not perfect but certainly you have the power to look at your life in a different perspective, a more positive one and that is by being grateful that you still have the chance to work on these shortcomings. You still have an opportunity to improve. Every shortcoming, every mistake, every wrong turn will teach you life's greatest lessons - be thankful and learn from it.
I am thankful for the many things in my life. I am all the more thankful for a few real friends, a family that will always be there for me no matter what, a very loving husband, a job that provides for my daily sustenance (and some shopping money too) and a thankful self that I am and will always be proud of.
What are you thankful for?
