It's not what we do that makes us happy, it's how we do it. You can have the best lifestyle ever, you can have more than everything you need, yet still be unhappy with your life. It's true that money cannot buy you happiness, but gratitude sure can!
I believe that, like anything else, gratitude is a practice and in order to continuously feel grateful, it must be practiced regularly.
As you may know, I recently taught a Gratitude workshop. Here are a few of my favourite pointers on gratitude that I shared in my workshop.
The benefits from a gratitude practice
- Makes us happier people
- Reduces stress
- Lessens our need for always wanting more
- Brings out the positivity in every situation
- Helps us realize how many good things we have in our lives
- Makes us feel blessed
- Strengthens relationships
- Brings more abundance into our lives
Ways to practice gratitude
- Keep a gratitude journal (everyday! at least 3 things you're grateful for)
- Express gratitude daily when you wake up; 'Thank you for this day'
- Express gratitude before you eat
- Bring a fresh pair of perspecticles into your daily life.
- See the things you have as a miracle, ex. a computer, your fridge, etc.
- Be grateful for your health, celebrate by climbing a mountain or playing outside
- Meditate on gratitude (see meditation)
- Practice yoga and backbends (anahata chakra aka your heart center)
- Practice, practice, practice
Practice these techniques daily and you'll be living a loving, grateful, and abundant life in no time! You're already well on your way!
Jessica