Beginning with gratitude

Thank you, dear reader, for taking time out to read this article. I am genuinely grateful that I am able to make my thoughts reach you and talk to you in this way.

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions that we can feel. The science behind it is yet to be fully explored by scholars. In fact, I have tried to understand it many times myself. It is one of those emotions, those feelings that we do not need to understand in order to reap the benefits.

What is gratitude?

Put simply, gratitude can be defined as the feeling of joy, of happiness, that one feels when they count the things and people that they are blessed with. It is the culmination of all the “thank you” that we store in the deep reserves of our heart. By being thankful we are connecting directly to the incomprehensible power that exists. Some call this power God, the Almighty, the Universe or one of many other things. Whatever it is, our “thank yous” work as a reminder that there exists an entity that has given us the object or the person that we are grateful for.

We humans are transient beings. Tiny specks in the grand scheme of the Universe. In spite of all the magnanimity that we would like to credit ourselves with, it still is a fact that we are really tiny beings of dust. Thus, the feeling of gratitude holds a mirror in front of our consciousness.

Being thankful is also a sign of our humility. Only a humble human can acknowledge the presence of a power great enough for him/ her to be grateful for. Our gratitude need not be directed only at a higher power. People, places, inanimate objects, instances, situations, experiences – we can be grateful for anything. What is important is the acknowledgement of the fact that there is something or someone that deserves a genuine, heart-felt “thank you”.

How it helps?

There are a lot of ways in which being grateful helps us. The simplest benefit one sees is in the immediate rise of happiness.

Try this: While reading this article, take a pause. Mentally think of just five things that you are grateful for. Just five. I will not list them here, as doing so will defeat the purpose of this exercise. It will hardly take a minute. Once you are done counting, observe the shift in your mood. How are you feeling now compared to just a minute ago? That is how gratitude helps in enhancing our mood.

Gratitude is also known to improve relationships. It is one of the easiest ways to appreciate the other person. When we express our gratitude to the other person we are choosing to look at the good, not only in the other person but also in the relationship as a whole. Expressing our thanks is an indication of our acceptance of the other person, of all their traits, all their qualities and flaws. And accepting the other person with everything that they bring is the ultimate form of love.

Gratitude also makes us optimists in general. Our “thank you” makes us acknowledge and accept the current station of our lives. Irrespective of the adversities that we may be facing at any given time, a simple word of gratitude elevates our mood, thus preparing us mentally to deal with the adversity.

Before you proceed further do another simple exercise. Take a pen and paper. If you are in front a computer, open your notepad. If you are on a mobile phone, open your messenger. Then, think of ten people in your life. Any ten. Finally, write down one reason why you are grateful to have them in your life. Just one line for 10 different people. You can send your one liners to the respective people, too. Once you are done, think and reflect on how you are feeling in the current moment.

Incorporating gratitude in daily life

Practicing gratitude should not be a one-time affair. Of course, if you are new, it may take some time to develop the habit of practicing gratitude. Or, as some prefer to call it, it takes some time to develop an “attitude of gratitude”. The good news is that the process to develop it is very easy, very straightforward.

It is all about reminding oneself to practice it. There are people who meditate over it, taking some time off daily and reminding themselves of all the good things that they are blessed with. Then, there are some who express their appreciation spontaneously. A few people practice gratitude in the form of prayers every morning.

It is important to express gratitude to ourselves too. Often, we are hard on ourselves. We blame ourselves, loathe ourselves and in the process, we do not accept ourselves the way we are. The core tenet of gratitude is what we focus on, magnifies. Hence, along with thanking others it is important that we thank ourselves too. We can be grateful about anything that is ours. It could be a physical attribute, a skill or a talent. Doing so will help us in accepting ourselves and only with acceptance can there be self-growth.

It doesn’t matter how you do it. What is important is to start and continue doing it till it becomes a way and part of life. You can try any of the following methods. Do them every day and develop them as you proceed:

• Write down 5-10 things that you are grateful for. You can do it at any time during the day

• Close your eyes and think about what you are grateful for. Do this for 1-2 minutes

• Listen to any audio on gratitude while traveling or while working out

• Say “thank you” to people and things while thinking of one genuine reason for being grateful

Whatever you decide, it is important to begin and continue practising. Try it, and watch how it changes your health and peace of mind.

What am I grateful for?

I begin my work by writing down ten things/ people that I am grateful to have in my life. With each sentence, I also write the reason why I am grateful to have them in my life. For instance, I am grateful to the Almighty for I know that the supreme power is watching over me. I am grateful for my parents for loving me unconditionally. I am thankful to have friends in my life as they keep me grounded and connected to my roots. I am thankful to my job, my computer, my domestic help, the internet, my pen and several other things as they help me in functioning better. The more I look for things to be grateful for, the more abundance I feel in my life.

Do let me know in the comments about your thoughts. Share with us how you plan to start the habit of gratitude.