How to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
It is easy to get sucked in by daily negativity and lose sight of the good in our lives. Here are some quick tips for cultivating an attitude of gratitude.
There is a lot that we can be grateful for. We have friends and family to love, our health, the ability to do so many things in life, and much more. However, it doesn't always come easy to be grateful for everything that's good in our lives. Gratitude requires an active effort on our part and some work on cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Here are our top tips for doing just that:
Keep a gratitude journal
Write down what you are grateful for, no matter how small. A gratitude journal can help you identify the things that are most important to you, and it can also help open your eyes to all the good in your life.
Write down at least three things that you are grateful for every day. You might even want to write more than three items down—the more, the better!
If possible, write a few paragraphs about each item on your list. You could start with something like "Today I am grateful for..." and then write about those things that bring joy and meaning into your life. Start with the basics: your family members, friends, pets (if you have them), clothing, clean water—anything that makes your life more comfortable than a homeless person sleeping in a cardboard box in the park. You may even want to keep track of these things in a journal so that you can see how grateful for them over time as well as what new items were added to the list after certain events occurred or certain experiences were had (for example new job).
Consider sharing these entries with someone else; this will allow them to be inspired by some of the positive qualities they see in you! And gratitude only grows when shared with loved ones.
Practice mindfulness
You can cultivate an attitude of gratitude by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. It's a kind of "wakeful presence", and it's the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they arise.
Alertness does not mean thinking about something or analyzing it; rather, it means being aware of what is happening within yourself and around you at all times without getting lost in any particular thought or emotion. This sounds easier than it actually is: sometimes your mind will wander (which could be good), but often we get stuck in our own thoughts and miss what's happening right now.
When you practice mindfulness meditation—or even just take some time each day to focus on your breathing—you're learning how to become more aware of your thoughts and emotions without becoming caught up in them or letting them dictate how you feel about yourself or others around you. This tends to inspire a deep sense of connection and gratitude within us.
When you're in a difficult situation, and it seems as if nothing could possibly be good about it, ask yourself that question. When you’re in a good situation too and feel like things are going exactly as they should—ask yourself that question. And when things are neutral or even kind of negative (like when someone cuts in front of you at Starbucks), also ask yourself this question.
No matter where you are, what you’re doing, and how tough it gets, we’re all blessed to be living the life we are. This Thanksgiving, let’s find new and meaningful ways to express gratitude.
lifeism.coWhen you ask yourself what's good about a situation, it helps you to focus on the positive aspects of it. It's hard to feel grateful for something when you're focusing on all the bad things. But when you start looking for the good, suddenly there are more things to be grateful for.
Whatever it is that gives us joy in our lives can be considered an aspect of gratitude—and we should celebrate these things every day if possible!
Appreciating the simple pleasures in life can enrich us and make our lives wholesome. Here is a list of over 100 of them that we think you will love.
lifeism.coAs with all good things, gratitude requires practice and patience. But if you keep at it, the benefits of cultivating an attitude of gratitude will reverberate throughout your life—and you’ll be able to enjoy them for years to come! At the end of the day, it is important to remember that being grateful and living in gratitude is a choice. A choice that we make every single day. Choose gratitude today.