Gratitude has been a part of my inner dialogue for many years. I always thought that it was good to mentally thank God for all that I have in my life. Even when times were hard I thanked God and I think I partly did that as it actually felt good at an emotional level to be grateful. So when I came across studies and research that showed the benefits of gratitude it all made sense and it gave me even more incentive to find things to be grateful for in my life.
One of the most prevalent lessons I learnt about gratitude was from the teacher Brene Brown. When we have moments of worry or anxiety about something bad happening such as being in a terrible accident or something happening to our children (which are all natural thoughts to have as a human being) Brene suggests being aware of these thoughts and then switching the thought to one of gratitude. I have personally found this so helpful and it also allows me to come out of the anxiety and move into the present moment. Being able to move into the present moment also grounds our energy. If I ever become aware of my mind wondering I try to draw it back into the here and now and to be thankful for whatever I am experiencing in that moment.
Also an important aspect of gratitude is to find a way to be grateful for the struggles in our life. I know this concept can be hard but our struggles provide us with lessons to make us stronger. This also allows our heart to soften and open so that forgiveness, compassion and empathy can rise too. There have been moments in my life where I have been unable to find a space for gratitude. The pain and hurt from a situation can build a wall around our hearts and we need to delve into the hard feelings and shine the light of awareness on them so they can start to dissolve.
There are so many ways to be grateful from saying thank you, smiling, saying grace, a prayer, keeping a gratitude journal or even getting creative and making something for someone to express your gratitude. Gratitude raises our vibration and there is always something to be grateful for in life.
How do you express gratitude and how does it make you feel? Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.
