There is a grace that silently and unexpectedly saddles up next to you as begin to practice gratitude. It’s a beautiful gift that expresses itself in the form of increased levels of empathy, optimism, joy and vitality. It’s a presence and a feeling that unmistakably emerges from the innermost depths of your soul – and it is delightful to experience.
As you begin to practice gratitude you may notice you feel slightly less agitated, or calm and more and in control of your thoughts and feelings. As your practice evolves, a newfound appreciation, clarity and understanding of unfolding events may start to emerge. The more you continue to live in gratitude, the more you will be able to find beauty in every day moments – and the best part is, living this way isn’t part of an exclusive club. ANYONE can have it {the experience}. It is within your grasp! These feelings aren’t kept on a giant pedestal only for the elite – they are available to everyone!
Training your brain for gratitude isn’t all that difficult and the benefits can be life changing. Even if initially you are unable to “feel” or experience gratitude, with time and practice they can be cultivated. Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the UC/Davis says, “If you go through grateful motions, the emotion of gratitude will eventually be triggered. It is like improving your posture and as a result, becoming more energetic and self-confident.”
The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless and can help you:
- Lessen feelings of panic, overwhelm and separation by providing a different perspective.
- Open your mind to alternative solutions and possibilities because you’ve become more reflective and aware.
- Create space and opportunity to appreciate and be satisfied with what you have.
- Feel happier, more loving and more optimistic.
- Build a stronger immune system by consistently feeding your body positive thoughts and feelings.
- Feel more whole, alive, compassionate and connected.
In the following section you will find a few simple ways to begin a practice of gratitude right now. Also to support your practice, I invite you to download a mini-version of my Gratitude and Love Journal. It has been designed to help you cultivate a daily practice, and contains quotes, prompts and coloring pages to get you grounded, focused and excited to begin.
Here are 7 simple tips and ideas you can use to help you practice gratitude like a pro:
- Look for and notice what’s right. What is working in the situation you are in right now? What is good about it? There is always something. With gratitude, it doesn’t matter how small the thing is you are focusing on. The more we search for what is good and what is right, the more good and right we will find.
- Take a gratitude walk. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, go for a walk outside. Make a point of noticing everything around you that you love or appreciate as you are walking. If you can’t get outside then at least take a moment to get up and move. Changing your physiology will change your psychology, it’s a pure and natural force that simply can’t be helped.
- Create a gratitude journal. Your journal doesn’t have to be fancy, it just needs to be a place where you can collect your thoughts daily and can be as simple as a blank pad of paper. What is important is that you pick a time of the day that consistently works well with your schedule. Find a time where you can carve out 10-30 minutes of quiet time for yourself to reflect on your day. To begin, list one to ten things you appreciated about the day, or you are grateful for. You can go into detail, or be brief – there is no right or wrong way to do it.
- Turn your thoughts around. Look for the lessons and the gifts in the moments that are triggering you. Rather than focusing on what you are frustrated about, consider looking at what was there that you could learn from. Why has this situation shown up for you? What is good about it? Remember, it doesn’t have to be a big thing, look for the small points.
- Give yourself a challenge. It can be any challenge that cultivates appreciation or good feelings. For example: give out one heart-felt compliment, don’t engage in negative talk, gossip or criticism, or simply do one nice thing for someone else. You’ll start to notice how much more energy you have because you are not exhaustively circling the drain of negativity. As you get better at the daily challenges, see how far you can stretch them out. Can you go more than one day? Can you go a week?
- Share with a friend. If you are going on a gratitude walk, consider inviting a friend or family member to join you. Or share a quiet moment and special thought with them. Let them know how they have touched, changed or made a difference in your life. You’ll both feel better because of it!
- Get involved. Donating your money, time or talent to a cause you believe in can amplify your experience of gratitude quickly. Remember what you don’t have in money, you can always give in time, so don’t let the story of “no money” stop you from making a difference in the world. Practice random acts of kindness whenever and however you can.
As you begin a gratitude practice, be gentle with yourself. Life is a journey. Every day brings with it it’s own lessons of expansion or contraction – but no matter what your day brings, find something in it to be grateful for. The more you practice the easier it will become and the more you will notice your life shifting and changing around you.
Don’t wait to begin your gratitude practice – start now. Any blank piece of paper will do. There is never a right or wrong way to begin, the important part is that you do!
Live fully, really lean into the feelings of gratitude to amplify their vibration, and enjoy as your life begins to unfold in a beautiful new direction!
