The attitude of gratitude
We’re all guilty of having days where we wake up in a funk, focus on the negative, worry about the things we don't have control over and simply feel sorry for ourselves! After all, we’re only human and our feelings of gratitude can ebb and flow.
While life is not always easy and can throw obstacles our way that challenge us and make it difficult for us to be thankful, there are times when we need to focus on the positive and what we have to be thankful for. Mastering the attitude of gratitude is an art however.
If you want to start attracting positive things into your life you need to start showing your gratitude, appreciation and love for the people and things around you everyday. There are a number of ways to do this including spending five minutes a day jotting down the things you are grateful for in a gratitude journal. By acknowledging what you are grateful for, you'll become an attractor of positive feelings. As more of your thoughts and words become positive, you'll start attracting more positive people and circumstances, too.
Getting in the habit of approaching life with gratitude is becoming a trend that is working for many, including the likes of Oprah and Martha Stewart. Both ladies have been quite open about their attitude toward gratitude, with Oprah talking about keeping a gratitude journal of her own. “I started out giving thanks for small things,” she explains, adding “and the more grateful I became, the more my bounty increased. That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships and even money flowed my way when I learnt to be thankful no matter what happened in my life.”
Oprah says to list at least five things per day that you’re grateful for and include the little things, too. “My list includes small pleasures: the feel of the grass under my feet; a walk in the woods with my dogs; cooking fried green tomatoes and eating them hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits,” she reveals.
Getting into this habit, Oprah asserts, take a little time. “It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way.”
Also a fan of a positive mindset, Martha Stewart says practicing gratitude is a chance to turn everything in life into a celebration. “Offering gratitude is a way to open yourself up to giving and receiving more blessings,” she articulates. “For our ancestors, gratitude was ingrained, and as a result, every aspect of life presented an occasion for celebration. Sometimes all it takes is a simple ceremony to put us in touch with all we do have in our lives.”
3 tips for mastering the attitude of gratitude:
Tell five people you are grateful for them
Tell five people that you are grateful for them and be very detailed in what you are grateful for. Speak from your heart and tell them how much they mean to you and why. DO NOT DO THIS OVER EMAIL. Part of the joy in this exercise is witnessing the joy on someone’s face. You can choose anyone from your husband to your gardener who helps keep your home looking wonderful. When you see how grateful these people are to be acknowledged, you will feel super grateful to have them in your life!
Lend a helping hand
Stepping outside of your own headspace is the quickest way to shake yourself out of funk and not feel sorry for yourself. There are always people facing challenges that are far worse than ours. While this is all relative, if we can walk away from our worries for a day, we often discover that we have more to be grateful for than we thought. There is nothing more gratifying than giving in some way to people who are in need of help. Consider spending a day at a homeless shelter or a nursing home. You will feel grateful that you did!
Start a daily gratitude journal
At the very least, attempt to keep a journal for 30 days. Take a few minutes each day and write everything you are grateful for! Write things from your family to the activities you partake in, the fresh food you eat, even your computer that enables you to keep in touch.Everything, even down to the small things we forget to be thankful for! You will start to notice a shift in energy. Remember, we get more of what we focus on, so let that be gratitude.