Living with Gratitude

Many people practice giving thanks only at a certain time of the year, namely in November around Thanksgiving. At that time, they reflect on the good things that have occurred during the past year and things that they are grateful for. 

However, when you leverage gratefulness as a daily practice, you can create your own way of seeing and living life. 

You can either choose to go through life noticing all the negative things that happen to you and, in the end, feel like the world is against you and that life is not fair. Or you can choose to take time each day to notice all the good things that happen. In the end, you see the world completely different and you find joy. 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” 

—Melody Beattie, Author 

Create a life of gratitude with a simple practice 

Start and maintain a daily gratitude journal and write down at least five things each day that you are grateful for. Take time to reflect and ask yourself: 

What have I been focusing on, what am I grateful for? 

What have I done that I am grateful for? 

What has happened to me that makes me feel thankful? 

Do this every day for a month, either before the day starts or before you go to bed. Starting this list as soon as you wake up in the morning allows you to start your day on a positive note. If you choose to make this list before bed, it allows you to sleep with a tranquil mind. Turn this into a daily ritual to start seeing more of the positives in life. 

At the end of the month, take a moment and look back at all your journals. Notice all the small and big miracles that have happened. Journal about them and be grateful for each and every miracle you notice, regardless of how small it may seem! Reflect on how you felt every day after writing your daily gratitudes. These gratitudes can help you appreciate life more. 

Turning thoughts of gratitude into intentions 

Change your thoughts, change yourself, change your life. You can take your gratitude journaling one step further by creating an intention of gratitude each day. 

Write down your intentions for the day. Write your intentions in the first person, present tense: 

I am happy and grateful now that… 

Summarize all of the work and personal tasks you accomplished last week into a powerful creation for the upcoming week. This will build confidence and help you tackle difficult tasks for the upcoming week. 

Being grateful can really change the way you see the world. We’re grateful you took the time to read this blog. 

Have a remarkable day!