I wanted to take this holiday to remind you how powerful gratitude is. When you are being grateful on purpose, you are training your brain to be more positive and to actually look for the positive things all around you. There is tons of research and evidence that being grateful is beneficial. For example, making us happier and improving our health. But I want to point out three of my favorites:
- Grateful individuals report less overall stress in life.
- Writing about what you’re grateful for just before bed has been linked with better sleep.
- Gratitude has been linked to goal-achievement, meaning being grateful can help you achieve your goals more effectively.
If you want a bigger list of benefits you can read more at The National Library of Medicine.
The definition of gratitude is this: the positive state of being grateful; an overwhelming feeling of appreciation and thankfulness, and the desire to return kindness to others.
“Positive” being the key word. So if you’re being positive, you are automatically cancelling out some of the negative and naturally there will be no room for too many negative thoughts. I say “too many” because it’s natural to have negative thoughts, just don’t allow them to consume you.
You have the power to change your thoughts to something positive and every single thought you need to be positive and thankful, is available to you right this second. Start with the smallest things. Those small things we sometimes take for granted, like being able to walk, see, breathe. Having running water, having paved roads, having clothes to wear and always, always be thankful for having a roof over your head. Take a moment to see all the beauty around you and all the simplest things in life. Be grateful for those things on a daily basis and once you start being grateful for all you have, you will attract more. Just wait and see!
Another way to be grateful is by looking back at your day and consciously remind yourself of all the good things that happened to you. Even if all it was, was having a nice hot cup of coffee, or getting to class or to your job on time. I’m telling you, this is what will change things for you.
So whether you are enjoying your turkey dinner with family and friends this Thanksgiving, or spending it alone on a quiet island in Greece…like me, remember to make gratitude a habit every single day. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite gratitude quotes from one of my favorite women:
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
~Oprah Winfrey
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I would love to know what you are thankful for? Leave me a comment and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to receive my newest post right in your inbox.
