The idea of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been receiving increasing attention. There’s a reason for this: long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness in generating a feeling of well-being, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.
But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time.
Gratitude balances us and gives us hope
That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing.
Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being.
There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves, legs that work, friends who listen and really hear, chocolate, fresh eggs, warm jackets, tomatoes, the ability to read, roses, our health, butterflies. What’s on your list?
Six Ways to Practice Gratitude
• Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it will remind you to think in a grateful way.
• Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures.
• Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your nighttime routine.
• Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation.
• When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.
• Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude.
As you practice gratitude, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.
I’ve enjoyed my How to Write a Bio site so much that I’ve just started a new site called Write A Funeral Speech. I’ll be providing the same type of fill-in-the-blank templates for how to write a eulogy as I do for how to write a bio.
From my research it looks like there are several ebooks offered on the Internet that talk about how to write a funeral speech or eulogy, but no one is offering fill-in-the-blank funeral speech writing templates.
I think this is a service that will be very helpful for people who don’t have the time or attention to read through an ebook. By purchasing one of my fill-in-the-blank sample eulogy templates they can be guided through the writing process in a fast and easy manner.
And along the same lines, I’ve decided to start a site called EasyWritingTemplates.com which will contain all sorts of free writing templates.
The word “joy” is different than the word “like”. For example, I may like lilacs, but inhaling the scent of the first dark purple lilac in spring is pure joy. You may like chocolate ice cream, but it takes eating it to make it a truly joyful experience.
What about stop lights? If you’re anything like me, green lights while driving bring joy, red not so joyful. What I try to do is think about something from my TRULY JOYFUL list while waiting for the red light. That way the potentially frustrating red-light minutes are quickly replaced with a smile and less tension.
To make a TRULY JOYFUL list, page through a magazine until you discover a photo, article or word that jumps off the page for you. Put your selections directly on pages in a notebook of your choice. Congratulations! You have a TRULY JOYFUL list to use as a handy, quick refresher or a source of creativity. Enjoy!
by Susan M. Korb, Life Coach
I’m planning a trip to Italy and will be writing about it. Click this link to get Italy travel tips. You’ll follow my 30 day journey to Italy, and see my travel photos! The focus of my tips is how to find luxury Italy at a great price.
One of the things that I have discovered already is that you shouldn’t just buy an Italy travel guide and trustingly follow the recommendations. Use travel guidebooks as a starting point but double-check at places like TripAdvisor.com. The guidebooks are often out-of-date and accommodation that was once fine can now be quite awful.
It takes courage to create a life of authentic happiness. If you are not living a life of authentic happiness – a life of joy, gratitude and peace – then you are not creating a life that fully supports you to the highest degree.
Happiness is being in love with life
So how does one describe authentic happiness – that state of joy, gratitude and peace? My answer to that would be that it is like being in love with life. Being so grateful that you are alive, and feeling so passionate about life. It is being in total acceptance of the self and in love with yourself so much so, that the love overflows and pours out to others. That is authentic happiness.
When we are in a state of joy and peace, we are also in a state of gratitude for all of life’s experiences, regardless of whether they were good or bad, because even the bad taught us a lesson. The word “life” itself can be looked at as an acronym for “Learn It From Experience”. We can appreciate that the negative experiences have shown us what we don’t want, and be grateful for that revelation.
It’s difficult to see the picture when you are inside the frame
Authentic happiness: achieving this state is easier said than done, especially if there is a tendency to dwell in past experiences. Authentic happiness: the future is the past healed because when the past is not healed, the future is dictated by that past. If we are to find joy and peace, then it is necessary to heal past negative emotions. However, before we heal, we have to deal with all that our mind holds as negative emotions.
The key is to be in the “now”
Since emotions are energy in motion, then the key to joy is not to resist any painful emotions, but to look at them only as experiences. When a painful memory surfaces, look around you and notice what you see, be it a tree, a car, or a building that is in your now moment. Then take the time to acknowledge that memory, and give yourself compassion. Embrace and feel it fully, and finally, allow the energy of that experience to be released. The more we can do this, the more we will be connected to life in the now moment…the essence of authentic happiness.
Most people are as happy as they choose to be
My favorite mantra which immediately brings me back to the now moment is, “We are here, we are fine, and we are fabulous”. I use the word “we” to mean the totality of ourselves – body, mind, and spirit. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most folks are as happy as they decide to be“. That’s the key to authentic happiness!
Lisa Lorenzon
Yoga Teacher and Life Coach
