Gratitude - the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
From Latin “gratus” which means pleasing, thankful.
In a world where you are always encouraged to do more, to have more, to be more, to achieve more, it is easy to forget what you already have - take it for granted.
I do believe that, at some point or another in our lives, we are all guilty of that - taking our friends and loved ones for granted, taking clean water and food for granted, taking a roof over our head and jobs for granted...
We never have enough and, while reaching for more and growing is something so perfectly natural to human nature, it often clouds the fact that there is always a lot to be grateful for, even in the darkest of days.
A lot of us focus on the glass being half empty, complaining - oftentimes with legitimate cause - but this kind of mindset always results in negativity, dissatisfaction, disappointment and unhappiness.
I am a firm believer that only a positive mindset can bring us the happiness we need to feel loved, fulfilled and somewhat secure.
Showing, feeling gratitude is like knowing that, no matter what you are thrown at, the Universe has your back. Gratitude not only brings you to a positive mindset, it also helps you trust your path and intuition, make better decisions as, when you are grateful, you fully and honestly recognise all sides of your life situation and current status, and therefore you will make more informed decisions to carry on.
In the definitions at the beginning of this article, “kindness “ is mentioned as a manifestation of gratitude, focusing on actions and results of such actions in a positive way. These acts of kindness resulting in gratitude, while occasional events, are no less important than the general state of feeling or being grateful. It is a first step - at the end of the day, they all work together.
Daily gratitude is a big thing nowadays, almost fashionable, you can hear about it everywhere, and there are so many ways to practice daily gratitude.
My personal gratitude practice is a full part of my afternoon/evening meditation. I always finish my second meditation of the day with a minute or so of gratitude - it can be the delicious chocolate and coconut macaroon I had as a snack for my break, or my loved ones, or even just to be alive.
Whatever it is you are grateful for, for the practice to have an impact on your daily life, it should never be forced. It is whatever you feel, at this particular moment in time, you actually are grateful for, not what you think you should be grateful for. It needs to come from your heart. When it does, the more you feel it, the more the gratitude will feel real to you.
For people who are religious and pray at the end of the day, it is an ideal opportunity to include and acknowledge what you are grateful for, thank the god(s) you worship for the things in your life that make you feel truly blessed.
You can also keep a gratitude journal, if you want to expand to more than just one word, or, if you are not a natural writer, a great idea - very popular nowadays and quite decorative - is to keep a gratitude jar (can be easily substituted for a box or even an envelope). Each day, you write down something you feel grateful for (you can even include the date) on a small piece of paper - a creative way to re-use your scraps. On days when you feel the Universe is against you and you just can’t find anything to feel grateful for, your jar will be a reminder for you.
If you make your own bullet journal, you can also include your gratitude practice by adding a column to your monthly/ weekly overview page or add a small space to your daily sections.
Some examples of what I am grateful for (in no particular order!)
- For my life and relatively good health
- For my meditation practice
- For my son and my cats
- For having a roof over my head and a job to pay the bills
- For my art supplies
- For living in a country that is not at war
- For Bjork’s songs
- For opportunities to explore and pursue my interests
- For learning new things and growing everyday
- For colours
- For my bed
- For when things are working the way they should
- For my books
- For yummy healthy food
- For YouTube to get short varied workout and yoga routines for beginners
- For poetry and meaningful quotes
- For my iPhone and it’s camera
- For the internet
- For my rose quartz facial roller (heaven!)
- For being gluten sensitive - it has helped me be more mindful and careful about what I eat
- For home time
- For opportunities to travel
- For days off and holidays
- For the air we breathe
- For dark chocolate (70% cocoa, yes it IS healthy and good for your brain!)
- For a cool breeze on hot days
- For my Sketchers trainers
- For being able to read and write
- For vanilla, orange and lavender scents
- For a sunny day
- Fo clean public toilets with toilet paper (rarer than you might think!)
- For a day without drama
- For my sister and brother in law
- For silence
- For the ocean
- For my colleagues
- For my friends
- For music
- For stories
- For ORS olive oil leave-in conditioning cream (saves my frizzy hair ever time)
- For clean fresh water
- For my green tea and moon milk
- For my neighbours
- For getting older and wiser (or at least more aware)
- For my creativity and willingness to always learn and grow
- For my free time (the very little amount I sometimes have available)
- For being strong, resilient and independent
- For my five senses
- For my intuition
I hope these give you some jumpstarts to start your own daily gratitude practice so you can reap the benefits in your life. Enjoy and THANK YOU
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