The Power of GRATITUDE on your Mind, Body & Spirit

“Everywhere in the world, joy is the true expression of gratefulness.“
Brother David Steindl-Rast

In this book, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer, Brother David states, “We cannot be mindful without being grateful.  As I express my gratitude, I become more deeply aware of it.  And the greater my awareness, the greater my need to express it.”   

Science says that when you bring your attention to the things you are grateful for in your life, your brain works better.  Research has found that people who practice gratitude on a regular basis are healthier, have a greater sense of well-being, an increased ability to navigate difficult circumstances, and experience stronger relationships.  Jen Sincero titled her chapter on gratitude in her book, You Are a Badass, “Gratitude:  The Gateway Drug to Awesomeness”.  I love that title!  It is a gateway drug to life awesomeness!  

So what does gratitude  look like and how can we get better at it?  Gratitude is a state of being – a way of looking at your life and finding things to be grateful for.  It looks like making a conscious decision to feel satisfied with what you have instead of focusing or longing on what you do not have.  Practicing gratitude is just that – a practice.  It is something you get better at the more you practice.   A gratitude practice has you looking at your world through a lens of thanksgiving and seeing that each moment of our day presents you with an opportunity to be appreciative for something.    Finding even the smallest of things to be grateful for in challenging times keeps glimmers of hope and spirit connection open.  And if you are practiced at finding and expressing gratitude, you may even find the challenge itself something to be grateful for – as an opportunity to grow, feel, mourn, gather, and heal. 

There are many ways to practice gratitude:

• Be mindful of what you are thinking or saying.  Are you complaining or whining about things in your life, or are you finding and expressing gratitude for people, places, things and circumstances?
• Pray gratitude prayers.  Many spiritual traditions include prayers of gratitude.  Say prayers of thanksgiving for all you have and all that you can give away – from your home and belongings, to your work, friendships and especially, love.  
• Be generous.  Giving connects us to our own sense of gratitude and thanksgiving.  Give of our time, talents, and resources, and do it on a regular basis. 
• Write down things that you are grateful for.  Start a journal and consistently write down the things that you are grateful for during your days.  It is good to do this throughout your day or before you go to bed.  Make a list.  We find what we are looking for so if we set out in the morning looking for things to be grateful for throughout our day, we will find them.  Knowing we will make our list at the end of the day makes our day expectant with eyes and open hearts to find goodness.  
  
  

However you practice gratitude, bring it into your everyday.  Soon, it will be a more automatic thought and you will find gratitude filling you up and leading to a more joyful life! 

With a heart gratitude ~