Have You Experienced the Benefits of Being Grateful, Today?

I’d like to ask you to take a moment to reflect on something in your life that has made you feel happy or satisfied today.

If you’re feeling happy, joyous, a sense of inner peace or excitement, it may be because something really obvious has happened to influence these feelings.

It could be that you’ve had a warm, loving day with your partner. Or, you may have had a win at work (well done!). Perhaps your children have had a fun-filled day, and the whining or tantrums have been at bay (thank goodness).

Or, maybe you’ve been planning an exciting adventure or trip for the upcoming holiday season.

It may even be something more subtle that has affected your mood – like the gorgeous sunshine outside (if you’re in Australia!), or the beautiful flowers in a garden, or the comfort and unconditional love of your pet.

Whatever it is that’s brought you these positive feelings, soak them up!

Savour these wonderful experiences and feelings, which are bringing you happiness, joy and energy. This is part of practicing gratitude, which can be a wonderful practice to nurture, daily.

Scientific evidence supports the idea that practicing gratitude daily, through the act of spending a few minutes each day, writing down what you’re grateful for, has positive outcomes on mood, outlook and sense of satisfaction with life in general.

If you’ve been feeling a little flat, moody, angry, or sad… this may be the perfect time for you to start practicing gratitude.

Do you know how hard it is, to feel down, frustrated or annoyed, in a moment when you’re feeling loved, joy, excitement or heart-felt thanks for something? 

Answer: pretty much impossible in that moment!

Making this conscious shift in your mindset, can alter the way you feel, and this can then influence the way you start to act. And then, just imagine the impact your positive mood will have on those you care about – your children, family, friends, co-workers…

And the positive cycle can continue.

Because, you really do have control over your thoughts, from one moment to the next. You can choose ‘where-to-next’, when a not-so-positive thought comes into your mind.

You can learn to take control of the amount of good-ness you invite into your mind, how long you hold onto this for, and how deeply you allow yourself to savour the beautiful, positive moments, feelings and sensations in your day.

So, where are your thoughts and feelings taking you next? 

If you’ve never tried anything like this before, and it feels a little contrived, I encourage you to give it a try!… Go on, grab that pen and paper: what are you truly grateful for today?

Wendy

Disclaimer: This is for information purposes only. If you have any concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult your healthcare practitioner for medical advice.