The Power of Gratitude

“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett

A close friend of mine once advised me to write the very first thoughts that come to my mind every morning when I first wake up on a notebook; reflecting on both my blessings and the things that I am grateful for. Adding; that these are the sincerest thoughts, because they come out of a clear mind.

I have been starting off my days with this practice for a while now, and I figured how much of a positive impact this has had on me daily. Generally, I have become more optimistic, mindful, and grateful for what I have. Even when there seems to be nothing to be positive about, we all have our ups and downs but trust me on this, there will always be something to be thankful for.

We all complain because it’s easier and sometimes because we want to let out all the stress and feel a bit comfortable about a certain situation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as it is within the limits that it does not turn into negativity. Otherwise, it becomes draining on the long run to us and the people surrounding us as well.

Gratitude develops and improves our health, relationships, emotions, personality, and career.

• Personal level
  We gradually start to look at things differently. What we used to overlook before; now means more to us. We become more thoughtful, compassionate with others, stronger; especially in hardships, less judgmental, accepting, more aware of the blessings that we have, appreciative of any simple gesture or even just a smile. Most importantly, we stop taking things for granted. The list goes on, but the more appreciative we are the happier and more inspired we become.
• Career wise
  During my last team building activity, we were all surprised by the icebreaker: We were asked to thank each one for two minutes. We haven’t realized how much grateful we can be until we started, and the two minutes seemed to be too short and not enough for each one because there is so much to be thankful for. For two minutes, everyone was thanked for their acts of kindness or any positive impact they have had on others, for a chit chat or conversation they had, for being a good listener and kind, for a smile, a positive vibe, we all had different specific situations with each other that we were thankful for.

As much as this may seem to be uncomfortable for the person being thanked. But a “thank you” and acknowledgment of these small acts left the whole room filled with positive vibes and admiration.

• Relationships

One of the very first lessons we’ve been taught in life was to say “thank you”. But as we grow older, thank you comes in different ways; by expressing our love and gratitude, spending time with loved ones, listening to them and providing support. Gratitude builds better relationships, strengthens them and most importantly it brings us closer.

“Being grateful does not mean that everything is necessarily good. It just means that you can accept it as a gift.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Bitter experiences pile up as we all encounter hardships on different levels in life. But, rather than asking “why me?” or being all negative about it, it is more important to devote our energy to how we react to these circumstances. Trying to concentrate more on the solution could be even a better idea. As they say, happiness is a choice at the end of the day.

Looking around and thinking about it, we are blessed in more ways than we can count. For that, we all should be eternally grateful.

Gratitude is like any other skill that needs to be honed and toned. Start today, appreciate each day and try to pay it forward to anyone you either know or don’t as a way of being grateful for what you have. And Happy Thanksgiving!