What I am Grateful For — 004
Today makes it four days I’ve practised writing about gratitude. While it is a relatively tiny part of the 348 days I plan to write for, the past four days has taught me quite a lot already.
One of such learning is saying thank you even when it isn’t convenient. I’ve been more thankful in the past 3 days. In spite of whether it is convenient or not, weird or okay, I say thank you.
The act of saying thanks might be very small and easily overlooked, but it is so powerful to go a long way in making your day great. If not for anything, it shows that you care and value help no matter how little.
As with being grateful, being thankful puts you in a position to always be on the lookout for kind gestures shown to you. This alone makes you attracted to positive energy, and positive energy is addictive. The more you experience it, the more you want more of it.
There is so much power in positive energy. It soaks up a lot of pressure, depression and bad air. Positive energy alone can make all the difference for someone who has had a bad morning but goes on to end the day on a high.
One other effect of practising gratitude is that it makes you learn to listen. Not just listening but listening intently — more than just to respond.
This is one skill I’ve been trying to build over the last year but have constantly struggled with. I’m beginning to work on myself lately in this area more intentionally this time.
Listening is hard, there are plenty of things to say, reasons to interrupt someone and not be fully present in a conversation. The increased noise in the digital world furthermore propagates the habit of talking, talking, talking. Anybody can talk, but it takes a higher level of intelligence to really sit, be present and listen. These learnings are what I am grateful for.
