The Gratitude Attitude

Posessing an attitude of gratitude and making a conscious decision to be grateful each and every day will reap benefits beyond your wildest dreams. A research on Gratitude and Thankfulness from the University of California, Davis has shown that grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, an increased sense of well being, life satisfaction, alertness, determination, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved, exercise regularly and make more progress toward personal goals. Gratitude also encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people because one act of gratitude encourages another.  If you are depressed, the way out is to look at all the things in life you are appreciative of.  We all have soooooooooo many when we really look.  When we focus on the good, there isn't room in our minds to be sad.

Considering all of these awesome benefits of gratitude, why aren’t we in this state all the time? Being in a state of gratitude is simple, but not always easy. It just takes a little practice. If you are speeding through life, chances are you, like many, are whining and missing out on blessings that are right in front of you. Imagine a tiny shift in your perception moving you into a state of joy. Living in gratitude and counting your blessings is that something. Each moment counts when we are grateful for it. We value who we are and what we want to accomplish. Our heart opens, our life changes, it feels good, and it’s free. We laugh at our setbacks because we know we can redirect our mind from its turmoil to a state of peace in the blink of an eye. The truth is, it’s insane to live without gratitude.

If you’re interested in living a life of gratitude, here are my suggestions:


1. Pay close attention to the good that is all around you. Singing birds welcoming the morning, sweet fragrances of flowers, the beautiful changing seasons, wonderful friends and family, pets, a smile from a stranger, a roof over your head, food to eat. A fond memory is created by remembering to focus on the gifts that are all around us as well as a kind word, or a thank you received, after doing a good deed.

2. Take a few minutes each day to give thanks, to who or what you’re grateful for. Make a list and look at it whenever you are feeling down. This one act can make a huge difference in your attitude.

3. When someone does something nice for you, however small, try to remember to say thank you. And really mean it.

4. There’s always two ways to look at something. Many times we think of something as negative — it’s stressful, harmful, sad, unfortunate, or difficult. But that same thing can be looked at in a more positive way. Giving thanks for those things is a great way to remind yourself that there is good in just about everything. Problems can be seen as opportunities to grow, to become a more virtuous person.


Remember the wise words of Abe Lincoln, “A person is just about as happy as he makes up his mind to be.” Choose gratitude every day and you will be happier. Gratitude is an opportunity to deepen your capacity for love. It shifts anger and upsets. It balances suffering and hardship. Let gratefulness overflow into your life and you will be better for it. And finally, the real secret of gratitude is, the more you are grateful for, the more you will have to be grateful for. Life is a gift ~ be grateful for each present moment.