Gratitude is one of my favorite tools. It’s so powerful and effective. And with Thanksgiving happening in the US this week, I’m always reminded of gratitude.
Gratitude is a unique instrument to shift your focus from negative to positive, from worry and concern to appreciation.
With all the turmoil going on in the world I figured we could all use a reminder of the power of gratitude. It can be tempting to think “I’ll feel better when…” whether that was being in a relationship, improving your health or finances, having less stress at work, or feeling less conflicted about the state of the world.
Now, what if you did not need to change any of your circumstances to feel better? You can! I have witnessed these changes firsthand with my individual clients and with the participants of the four Gratitude Projects I have hosted.
For a period of thirty-three days, participants received daily tips and inspiration, allowing them to consciously focus on gratitude and share five things they are grateful for that day on our private forum. It was extremely powerful to see the shift participants made over the course of a few weeks, no matter where they lived in the world.
Even when their outer circumstances stayed the same, participants felt much better about their lives. Their attitude had shifted to be more positive and they were able to identify a lot of things they were thankful for. Even in difficult circumstances, like moving homes, divorce, or the terminal illness of a loved one.
This is what one participant shared:
“I did my first Gratitude Project several years ago during a time when I thought my world was falling apart. I quickly came to appreciate how a gratitude practice helped to reframe the experience and to increase my resilience when facing new challenges. I hesitated to join this time due to other things on my plate, but a friend—who I “met” through my first Gratitude Project and who has kept in touch— wisely reminded me that I should join precisely because of the other things on my plate! The changes I have seen in myself since doing my first Gratitude Project really speak to our ability to change and rewire our brains in positive ways!”
Gratitude is heavily researched and its power is well documented. Gratitude leads to less stress and feeling calmer. It greatly increases happiness and even impacts your physical health in ways such as longer and better-quality sleep. I believe it boosts your immune system and reduces all kinds of health risks.
Pretty powerful stuff. But even if you would never notice the physical benefits, it’s extremely valuable to have a tool to help you focus on what you want more of, rather than worry about all the things you do not want.
Being grateful is a matter of looking at the things in your life that you appreciate. If you can turn your attention to being grateful for what you do have—because we all have something to be grateful for—you open the doors wide to more good things coming into your life.
The power comes in when you are able to feel the gratitude; when you are able to connect with that emotion. The more explicit you are, the better it works. Rather than thinking, I’m grateful for today’s sun, try being more specific. I’m grateful for the warmth of the sun on my face when I walked in the park and paused to take it in. The latter makes it easier to bring yourself back to that moment and connect with how it felt to stand in the sunshine.
Invitation
I invite you to take a moment right now and take a deep breath. Now take another breath and on the exhale consciously try to relax your body. Then take a moment to think about something you can be thankful for. It doesn’t have to be grand. It could be the food in your fridge, the fact you did not get rained upon, or that you spoke to a friend.
Can you feel it?
If not, no worries. Strengthening your gratitude muscle takes practice. And when you have thoughts running around your head it can be harder to connect with those feelings.
On a happy day, it will be easy to find things to be grateful for. But I promise you that even on difficult days, there is something to be thankful for. You will have to search a little harder for it, I grant you that, but it’s always there. In times of crisis you simply have to dig a little deeper to find things you can appreciate. Making the effort on tough days is what strengthens your gratitude muscle the most. Do not give up too easily.
I recommend you start or end each day with a moment of gratitude. Ask yourself what you are thankful for and keep a gratitude journal.
If you have any questions about this, I’d love to hear from you!
