Gratitude

Gratitude can be used to improve your immediate state of mind. Practicing gratitude can leave you less stressed, more connected, and more positive. The use of gratitude can be taught to children of all ages, as a tool to calm down, see things differently, and feel better. 

 Gratitude alleviates:

Worry

Stress

Dissastisfaction

Impatience  

Gratitude brings: 

Connection

Love

More good in one's life

Feelings of peace

Calm

Gratitude shapes perception: 

Toward the positive

Away from lack

To a sense of the plentiful

Practicing gratitude yourself, and teaching it to loved ones, is easy. Simply call up in your mind an image of something for which you are grateful. It can be anything, big or small. And then shift your attention to notice how gratitude makes you feel. Dwell there. Wallow in your gratitude. 

If the exercise if difficult, give yourself a bit of grace. Take a breath and let it go. Try again, with other images. Maybe you are grateful when you imagine the innocent little face of a child you love, or the antics of your adorable pet. Perhaps you're grateful for the trees or the sunshine. Maybe even an object, like your new laptop, or a good book. There are myriad ways to bring up the feelings of gratitude, and one is no better (or worse) than another. As long as you can find a small kernel of appreciation, and then focus there. 

You can carry this exercise anywhere, to comfort and replenish, or to brighten your mood. Gratitude is a gift. Use it. Teach it. 

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Melissa Deuter.