I would like to share five ways to adopt an attitude of gratitude.
Gratitude is the key to living a happy and fulfilled life. It is one of the greatest gifts that we can give to ourselves and to others.
The Christmas holidays are synonymous with spending time with family and friends, but unfortunately it can be a very stressful time of year.
Many of us have been socialized to equate love with materialistic gifts, instead of showing gratitude by telling our loved ones how much we appreciate them.
William Ward once said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it”.
Unlike presents, gratitude is free, and it won’t drain your brank account.
Christmas only comes around once per year, but gratitude is something that you can experience every day of the year.
Gratitude is one of the most important rituals that I practice in my daily life.
As 2016 comes to a close, it is important that we all take some time to pause, reflect, and be grateful for what this year has taught us.
Here are five ways that you can adopt an attitude of gratitude:
1. Look For The Good
Complaining feels good because it provides us with an outlet to express our anger, but when it becomes a habit, it creates negative mindset.
Pastor Will Bowen wrote the book, A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted.
His book developed from an experiment where he asked his congregation to form a habit of gratitude by not complaining for 21 consecutive days.
When challenges arise and fear sets in, it can be hard to see the glass half full. However, these are the moments that offer the best opportunities to be grateful.
UC Davis researcher, Robert Emmons, PhD, in his book, Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier says emphatically that being thankful actually amplifies the good.
Simply by reframing a negative situation as an opportunity to learn something new, it can change the way that you experience the world.
In the words of Dr. Wayne Dyer, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”.
2. Write It Down
Research by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky and others suggests that journaling is more effective if you first make the conscious decision to become happier and more grateful.
Every day, Tony Robbins wakes up and spends 10 minutes in a gratitude ritual.
Every day, as part of my morning routine, I do an exercise called, The Five Minute Journal, designed to inspire the reader to start and end each day with gratitude.
Take five minutes every day to go inward, reflect and write down what you are grateful for.
3. Communicate Your Gratitude
Research indicates that people who express gratitude on a daily basis are generally happier and have an overall more positive sense of wellbeing.
Expressing gratitude is one of the most powerful communication tools at your disposal.
Because we are so consumed with our daily routines, it is easy to take people for granted.
Take a moment and think about the people who have shaped and changed your life for the better. Let them know how much you appreciate them.
This holiday season, start a new tradition.
Instead of giving thanks for someone in the form of a material possession, try communicating to your loved ones, in words, how grateful you are for them.
4. Celebrate the Small Things
Frank Clark once said, “Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things”.
So many people are too busy focusing on achieving and becoming successful, instead of putting things into perspective and realizing just how lucky they are.
Those who only celebrate the big things and the “highs” of life, tend to lose sight of the small things that bring the most joy.
Taking the time each day to reflect on all of the small moments that stood out for you is a ritual that will bring immense joy and fulfillment to your life.
The first thing that I do when I wake up is celebrate. My entire morning ritual is an act of celebration.
I take the time to nurture my mind, body and soul, before I do anything else.
I show myself appreciation and gratitude by acknowledging the actions that I take that bring me closer to achieving my goals.
5. Surround Yourself with Positive People
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, including yourself.”
Energy is contagious. If you’re consistently surrounding yourself with people that are negative or have a bad outlook on life, you will begin to feel the same way.
Surround yourself with positive people, who not only help to propel you forward, but that also give you valuable information and feedback in order to help you reach your goals.
Don’t be afraid to invest money, in the form of a mentor or a coach, in order to learn from successful people who emulate qualities that you value.
The more grateful that you are, the happier you will be, and the more positive things that you will attract into your life.
Do you want to learn how to make gratitude a part of your daily ritual? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course.