“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”
~ Zig Ziglar
Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude
The power of gratitude is incredible and the benefits of living life with an attitude of gratitude are measurable. Every aspect of our life can be improved if we are grateful. We become more relaxed and more resilient; less envious and more social. Our marriages are better, and our relationships are deeper. Our careers get a boost because our decision making is improved, our productivity increases, and our goals are more easily achieved. We are less materialistic, less self-centered, more optimistic and our self-esteem increases. Most of us sleep better, we don’t get sick as often, we have increased energy and get more exercise.
Gratitude just makes us happier!
As noted above, gratitude is strongly tied to optimism. Optimism makes up happier and improves our health. When we have an optimistic outlook on our current circumstances, we also have a more optimistic outlook on our future. Be grateful and cheer up!
Write it down!
I would venture to say that just about everyone who is happy is full of gratitude. What separates the women from the girls, and the men from the boys, is the daily practice of writing down what you’re grateful for. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out ordeal. Just five minutes a day, write down at least three things that make you thankful. Keeping a gratitude journal is an even better idea. In as little as six months, your happiness can increase significantly. Try it, you’ll see.
Gratitude feeds gratitude
When we experience gratitude, we feel grateful more often. Our gratitude increases in intensity and for longer periods of time, and we are grateful for more things in our lives.
My Gratitude List:
My daily list always starts with the same items:
I’m Grateful For…
- My sobriety
- I’m cancer free
- My courage
- Jimmy’s love & support
- My tribes of friends
And then I add on the things that I’m grateful for on that day.
What are you grateful for?
Take a moment and write down a few of the things you’re grateful for. This is truly one of the best things you can do for yourself. Even if you don’t feel like it — especially if you don’t feel like it. Nothing beats the blues back like a gratitude list.