Graphic by Nate Barton
Being grateful means being thankful, and thankfulness can have a huge impact on one’s life. Everyone should practice gratitude on a daily basis, whether it is by keeping a daily journal or doing daily mental gratitude exercises.
The benefits of gratitude are endless. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships,” according to Harvey B. Simon’s article “Giving thanks can make you happier,” published by Harvard Health Publishing.
The mind is incredibly powerful. A person’s thoughts will directly impact the way he or she feels. When the mind is focused on positivity, people will start living a life of constant blessings, attracting more positivity each day, according to Sierra Vandervort’s article “The Science Behind ‘Good Vibes’ And 5 Ways To Draw More Of It Into Your Life,” published Sept. 17, 2014 by Elite Magazine.
If people have a negative mindset, they will attract negativity to their lives. “So if you think you’re a failure, you’ll feel like a failure. Then, you’ll act like a failure, which reinforces your belief that you must be a failure,” according to Amy Morin’s article “This is How Your Thoughts Become Your Reality,” published June 15, 2016 by Forbes.
Most successful people practice gratitude on a daily basis. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg are great examples of this.
Oprah Winfrey, for example, believes in being grateful daily and said she has kept a gratitude journal for more than 10 years. “For years I’ve been advocating the power and pleasure of being grateful. I kept a gratitude journal for a full decade without fail — and urge you all to do the same,” according to Oprah Winfrey’s article “What Oprah Knows for Sure About Gratitude,” published November 2012, by O Magazine.
There are so many different ways to make gratitude a part of one’s life. “The Five Minute Journal” is a great way to start and finish the day with a grateful and positive mind. It is a reflective journal that only takes five minutes of one’s morning and night.
Another way to practice gratitude is to appreciate the small things — a compliment, a sunny day, a nice cup of coffee or tea — something one has accomplished during the day — anything.
Finally, for those who like meditating, the “gratitude meditation” consists of dedicating a few minutes to thinking about something one is grateful for and expanding on those thoughts, which can be guided by apps, such as Headspace and Calm.
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Follow Carolina Pinto on Twitter: @caroli_mmp
