“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
Living life from a place of gratitude and thankfulness is living a life that is healthier and happier. ‘Why and how?’ I hear you ask.
Saying thank you to others and being openly grateful for their service and help, no matter how small or significant leaves us feeling happy and positive and in a good mood! Our negative feelings are diminished. Notice the next time you are at the check-out and how a smile and ‘thank-you’ can change the attitude of a maybe exhausted or grumpy assistant, and then be aware of how you are feeling by lifting their day!
Try writing a thank-you note next time someone does something special for you. I am sure you will find you are feeling better about yourself as you write it.
Gratitude can deepen your relationship with your partner and children. By focusing on the things about your partner you are thankful for instead of zooming in on the traits that may be “getting” at you will strengthen and tighten your relationship. Try telling him every day something that you appreciate about him.
Being a grateful person will help you to feel more content and happy with who you are and what you have. Being thankful for what you have will decrease that need to ‘have the big TV,’ ‘new car,’ etc. hence encouraging a space of peace and acceptance, and weakening the feelings of envy and the belief that money and material goods will make you happy – this can be a negative and destructive place to fall into.
Therefore an overall feeling of wellness and vitality will be yours to live by.
Try keeping a ‘Gratitude Journal’ – at the end of each day write a few lines about what you are grateful and thankful for, try to not get into the rut of writing the same things every night, look for different things each day. If writing is not your thing, just sit in silence for a few minutes at the end of the day and breathe in the things you are thankful and grateful for that day, this is a calming thing to do just before you go to sleep and can induce sweet sleep for you.
Pingback: The Happiness Curve | Mum Daily