Gratitude is such a simple concept, overall.
But is it really that simple? The idea of gratitude, sure, but as a daily practice, it isn't as simple. It takes effort and attention. If you commit to it, though, the rewards are unlimited.
What is Gratitude?
Like many writer's before me, I will start with ... The Oxford dictionary defines gratitude as " The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. "
I haven't always lived a life of gratitude, I'll be honest.
I was always thankful, from the bottom of my heart, but I also focused on the bad a LOT and often played "victim" to my circumstances. I was very good at my please and thank yous, but I was also very good at finding flaws in situations where there are no flaws. My brain wanted to worry I think.
It's only in recent years that I've really made it a point to have gratitude in my life.
I wanted to change the way I perceived the world, and I wanted to prevent my brain from always jumping to the worse case, without considering what I was thankful for in the process.
So, that's when I started to train.
Some train for marathons, I train for peace of mind.
Every time something would worry me or make me anxious, I would ask myself: What am I grateful for in this situation? I would challenge myself to come up with one thing. Instead of "I hate the shift I got at work", it can be "I'm grateful for my employer and what it comes to my life". It's not about avoiding the negative or anxious thought, it may or may not come, it's just focusing on the good of it all.
And while I experience anxiety daily, building a habit of acknowledging the things for which I'm grateful in every moment has brought me significant peace of mind. It's worth the effort.
( more on that topic soon, I'm sure )
Goodnight and sleep tight. I am grateful for you.
MarMar