I’ve been thinking (and writing) about gratitude a lot lately.
The many benefits of gratitude are well documented. But I don’t think it is enough to simply say that you are grateful for something. If the words or actions are not coming from the heart, the meaning and the benefits (both to you and the situation or person you are expressing gratitude to) are lost. I believe you have to truly feel gratitude in your heart for it to be real.
So how do you create a grateful heart? Here’s what I found has helped me:
- Recognize and believe that there is a greater power in the Universe that is working to help you become the best person you can be
- Focus on the present moment, rather than the past or the future.
Acknowledge the little things in your life that you are grateful for as you experience them, regardless of the circumstances that you are facing in your life at that moment. As you do so, you’ll discover more and more of them!- Find ways to make the things you are grateful for tangible. Some people write what they’re grateful for in a gratitude journal. Others put them on a slip of paper and keep them in a jar. I use pretty rocks to remind me of what I’m grateful for.
As I’ve created a grateful heart, I’ve noticed a halo effect in my life. I’m able to better weather the “bad times” and keep a positive attitude. I seem to attract more positivity in my life in general. And I’m genuinely a much more joyful person.
Give it a try and see how it changes your life!
