“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” —Zig Ziglar
What is gratitude? Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
We all have this knowledge that gratefulness is good and that gratitude is a great attitude. Having knowledge is one thing, do we put it into practice? Knowledge is for the mind, experience is for the body. We need to put it into practice and do it over and over again so it becomes easy for the body to be grateful. We must learn to embody it in the mind, body, and soul.
So then, is gratitude just an act of saying THANK YOU?
I say it is more than that. Gratitude is an emotion when we receive something. Joe Dispenza explains it so well- Gratitude is the ultimate state of receiving, it is the emotional signature that what I have desired or asked has already happened. When you feel your future has already happened you are connected to the future. You are not looking for the future, you are no longer stressing, you take your foot off the pedal. You cannot create a future when you are living in the past.
Growing up I learned to be thankful for every small thing, we (my family) were taught to be thankful and grateful for everything. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God it says in the scripture. I found it hard to be in the attitude of gratitude when there was so much lack and poverty. It did not make sense. Trying to make my dreams come true, and wanting many good things, praying and asking for them – I found that I was focusing more on the lack of all these things I was hoping and praying for. And that knowledge of lack took me further down the rabbit hole of sadness and that sadness took the joy of the present away, and that further ruined my present and made the future look more gloomy. And my prayers remained unanswered because my body and mind were not in sync with the future I was aspiring.
Something changed slowly for me. It was at the age of 15 when my father handed me this book. It changed my life. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. What an eye-opener it was. It was like my faith was lit on fire and there began my journey of testing this truth.
To think positive when the skies are bright is one thing, but to think positively when it’s dark and gloomy is very difficult but not impossible. This is when my attitude of gratitude was put to test.
I learnt to be grateful through pain, through ill health, through deception, abuse, marriage breakdown, even when I snapped out from my suicide attempt - I was grateful. Through tears and pain my experiential lesson on gratitude continued and still continues.
When you make life your teacher and submit to the Infinite Wisdom you will come through the test with better awareness, a better perspective, love for life, love for every form of life.
To me gratitude is love. And love is above all.
Did you know there are many benefits to having an attitude of gratitude?
Calmer mind
Stronger body
Better sleep
Good relationships
Prayers answered
Joy
Positive self-esteem
...the list is long.
How about you test these benefits for yourself. Start a Gratitude Journal? List three things you are grateful for the day for 21 days. And let me know, how your life has changed.
One important thing- Next time you ask the universe or say a prayer asking for something or someone, believe you have received it and be in the state of gratitude for receiving that which you just asked for.