A lot is known about gratitude and how beneficial it is for happiness and wellbeing.
I previously wrote a post about its benefits and provided some suggestions for developing a gratitude habit. Link. https://www.familyaffaires.com/a-gift-idea-that-builds-gratitude-happiness-and-wellness/ You can also do an internet search for more background on gratitude.
Persistent news stories and social media conspire to convince us all that the world is falling apart and that most people are evil and we should be filled with fear. Life is complex and there will always be bad news but this drumbeat of negativity can lead us to believe that there is not much to be grateful for and can distract us from all those things in everyday life that are wonderful and even magical.
Starting a gratitude journal to write down and ponder at least three things to be grateful for on a daily basis is a great help but I feel a more powerful way to combat the negativity in life is to develop an “attitude of gratitude”.
To start, choose not to listen to the negativity and develop a more mindful state. Mindfulness is defined as: “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”
You do not have to look any further than your own body. We are all magical beings. This becomes apparent when you stop to consider the complexity and innate intelligence that keeps our bodies functioning, in good or ill health. Without direction from us, our bodies are always changing, adapting to the inputs of diet, our thoughts and feelings and physical activity.
Recently, I relistened to Deepak Chopra’s Audiobook, “Magical Mind, Magical Body” on YouTube. It served as a good reminder of just how amazing the human body is and I was filled with wonder and gratitude. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aPwccMYCFs&feature=youtu.be
Every second a symphony of complex actions automatically occurs. Cuts heal, food is digested and nutrients are extracted. Foreign organisms are recognized and attacked. The heart beats, the lungs breath. The liver detoxifies and stores energy. Kidneys and intestines remove waste products. It is all amazing. How can you not feel gratitude?
Becoming more mindful and aware of just how amazing you are makes it easier to see the wonderful things all around us, especially in nature. Once this happens, no matter where you are or what you are doing, a bit of mindfulness allows the wonder to arise. Then gratitude can become an attitude, pervading every minute of every day.
