How The Attitude of Gratitude Can Transform Your Life
What are the benefits of gratitude and how do I build the attitude of being grateful?
The ‘attitude of gratitude’ is a super cool term. It’s got a nice ring to it and it encapsulates how deeply gratitude can become a part of our lives.
I’ve been practicing gratitude for years now and it has completely transformed how I respond to situations in day-to-day life.
Before I used to let days pass me by without pausing to look at the blessings around me. I used to worry and complain and take so much for granted.
I lived many great days but I didn’t give the time to really appreciate their goodness. I did have joyful days but I lacked the awareness of the root of their joy and how I could experience that more and more truly.
When I was 14, I read The Magic by Rhonda Byrne and it was then that I discovered how deep and broad gratitude can be, how we are blessed with a multitude of moments we can be grateful only if we open up our eyes and hearts for them.
It was at 20 that I started maintaining my gratitude journal and doing that consistently for the past few years has brought a big difference in how I live.
And, the marvelous thing is that with the attitude of gratitude you change your experience without changing what is happening around you.
It’s a shift in perspective that puts the spotlight on what is good, appreciable, supportive, and wonderful, instead of negative, draining aspects.
Gratefully, we have immense scientific evidence to prove how beneficial gratitude is to our health.
Benefits of Gratitude
- Gratitude lowers stress
- Gratitude eases symptoms of depression and anxiety
- It leads to healthier and happier relationships
- Gratitude grows optimism
- Enhances positive emotions
- Makes us more patient
- Improves sleep
- Helps in recovery from substance abuse
- Makes us more giving and reduces materialism
Sources: Healthline, positivepsychology.com
Isn’t that amazing? How deeply one simple switch of appreciating what we have can benefit our life. Now, let’s understand how we can do that.
During May, the Mental Health Awareness Month, I worked on creating a course that would help you build an attitude of gratitude. In fact, it’s called The Attitude of Gratitude Course.
The Attitude of Gratitude Course
Here are the points that I tackle and talk about in the course:
How to Build An Attitude of Gratitude
- Understanding true gratitude
- Finding more and more things to be grateful for
- Keep being consistent
- Feeling grateful during hard times
- BONUS Course Resources
1. Understanding true gratitude
In the course, we start by understanding gratitude. Most of us are only aware of superficial gratitude. One that is only about being polite and civil. But, gratitude is much deeper, gratitude is present in infinite situations, and gratitude is the source of true, independent happiness.
I’d like to share Emmanuel Dagher’s words here: “When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”
Let’s open up our eyes to real gratitude. Enroll in The Attitude of Gratitude Course.
2. Finding more and more things to be grateful for
It’s a very common question - “What do I feel grateful for?” I’ve dedicated a full lesson in the course called The Infinite World of Gratitude where we talk about how we find things to be grateful for.
Essentially, we need to realize how there are an infinite number of things that support every moment of our lives. We will always be supported as long as we are alive.
Things, people, and the environment around us let us live the life we want. For example, the simple act of comfortably eating food is possible because of various blessings.
The plants that we eat, the farmers who grow it, the weather that supports agriculture, the people who transport it, the amenities that allow us to cook, the utensils that we use to eat it with, our healthy body that digests this food and becomes stronger.
There are a lot of opportunities for gratitude in our lives and all of them deserve our appreciation.
3. Keep being consistent
Forming the attitude of gratitude takes practice. We will notice the benefits of gratitude in our lives if we keep practicing consistently.
A practice that has helped me greatly in being consistent with my gratitude practice is gratitude journaling. Writing down what I feel grateful for helps me honor a blessing and also makes the feeling tangible.
But, how much do I write? When do I write? Are there any tips on how to write a good journal entry? I will answer these questions and talk more about building the habit of gratitude journaling in the course.
4. Feeling grateful during hard times
Perhaps the one lesson that has unanimously struck a chord with my course students is ‘Gratitude in Difficulties’. And I expected that.
It’s easy to feel grateful on jolly days, but many of us skip or think it is not useful to feel grateful during tough times. But, it is, and I think it is needle-moving. Feeling grateful during difficulties supports and strengthens us to move forward, to persevere.
In the course, I will talk about how gratitude helped me as I grieved the passing of my uncle and his mother, and also give you the prompts that you can write for specifically during these days.
5. BONUS Course Resources
Apart from the concepts and techniques, resources are a big part of The Attitude of Gratitude Course. I know how loved affirmations are so they are an influential part of the curriculum.
Here are 5 affirmations from the very first affirmations audio session:
- I am grateful for many things in my life that bring me joy and comfort.
- With a sense of gratitude, I see the world in a new light.
- I am worthy of beautiful endings and exciting beginnings.
- Today, I will concentrate on taking one step forward, however small.
- With every breath I take, I am bringing more and more gratitude into my life.
Goes without saying, there are plenty of prompts that will help you practice gratitude and discover how many things you can be grateful for.
I love to make creative things, so you'll also receive gifts of wallpapers, stickers, cards, and worksheets to deepen our gratitude practice.
I hope you’ll really enjoy the course. Tap here to become a part of it today 🧡
I wish you have beautiful moments of gratitude every day.
