Gratitude is the BEST Attitude

In life we spend most of our time simply being ungrateful! Yes, WML said it…thankless and unappreciative. Why is that, when we have been blessed with so much. Well, it’s birthed by most of us never being taught or modeled the true definition of gratefulness. We are just told we should be grateful or appreciate what we got, but it is more than just that. It’s a mentality and a constant action word that our parents may have never seen as children which hindered their ability to accurately teach us this characteristic that we so desperately need in life.

Then, we grow up and start comparing our world to the world of others. It is natural habit, however, with social media at our disposal it gets taken too far. We start to diminish what we have and start to desire the lives of others but fail to recognize how they got it or at what expense does it take to maintain what we see. This results in us being negative, bitter and critical of everything making it close impossible to be grateful or find contentment in our own realities.

Research has shown that when we tap into gratitude it can work in our favor. According to an article in psychology today entitled “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude”, it lays out the following positive outcomes of being grateful. 1) Gratitude opens the door for more relationships. 2) Gratitude improves physical health. 3) Gratitude improves psychological health. 4) Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. 5) Grateful people sleep better. 6) Gratitude improves self esteem. 7) Gratitude increases mental strength. It is obvious that exhibiting gratitude can be more powerful than we give it credit

So, how can you apply gratitude more in your life? It can begin with acknowledging the gift of breath in your body because being alive is a privilege that gives each of us the opportunity to live out our hearts desires. Look around and take inventory of what you actually have (large or small) as you probably have more than you are without. Lastly, take a moment to think about where you came from and appreciate how far you have come and where you are going…your progress and unique journey is worth the appreciation.

Reference: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude