One Simple Step To A Better Gratitude Practice
It takes a bit more effort than just listing the things you like.
If I could only keep one mindful practice in my arsenal, without any doubt that would be practicing gratitude. I feel like it often gets overlooked for its simplicity but I think it one of (if not THE) best ways to improve one’s life.
However, simply listing the things in your life that you love doesn’t do the trick. In the same way, you can list ten ways to become a billionaire and still make a few dollars per hour. What would make it work is adding action.
Gratitude without feelings is simply a list of things that you like.
When you add the feeling of gratitude to your practice, it takes a completely new turn. You actively experience it over and over again, teaching your mind to focus on the positive instead of negative and to choose to see abundance instead of scarcity.
Your mind is lazy and would rather keep doing things the old way. Changing thinking patterns takes effort, repetition, and intention, but in the end, it’s worth it. The focus on the positive aspects of life increases emotional resilience, attracts new opportunities, and improves overall wellbeing.
And the best thing is that you don’t need any complicated rituals to practice gratitude. What you can do next time is just dig a bit deeper into what and why makes you feel thankful.
- do it with intention
- think of specific people and/or events
- ask yourself why you are you grateful for this particular moment
- elaborate your thoughts
- focus on your feeling and experience them once again
It takes time and commitment to see the benefits of regular gratitude practice but soon enough you will start to notice the small changes and the evidence of progress. Good luck!
