One day last summer, I was strolling the streets in my neighbourhood and stumbled upon a “free box”. As any normal person would do, I stopped and perused through the box of contents to see if there was anything that needed a new home. Books? Heck yeah! And the book “Attitudes of Gratitude. How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life” by M.J. Ryan was waiting for a new home. Tadaaaa…..manifestation!
I could hardly wait to dig through the contents!!! What was so perfect about this book was that it was small and easy to fit in my bookshelf. And, who doesn’t need to read a more focused message on gratitude more consistently? Hello! Especially since gratitude is a practice I’ve incorporated into my life, daily, and with my family, for at least a decade now.
M.J. Ryan teaches us how to return to a nature state of joy in order to feel more complete. The book provides a neat little path to create a daily gratitude practice. Although my practice has been free of books, this tiny gift from the universe simply gave me ideas on how to deepen my practice, and if I needed an attitude shift, I could open up the book and read a page (my favourite thing to do during the day, by the way).
How Can Gratitude Help You Give And Receive More Joy In Your Life?
For starters, gratitude is proven to offer people a dose of optimism. Gratitude also provides us with a sense of happiness because it reminds us of what we do have, particularly in a culture of desire. Having an attitude of gratitude offers us a realization of plenty. When we’re faced with adversity, shifting to an attitude of gratitude can help you see the positive angle of your challenges, as opposed to always seeing and fearing the worst case scenario.
What Are The Benefits To Having A Gratitude Practice?
Some further benefits to having a gratitude practice, is that it is a “strategy” in building a happier life. As a coach, I’m always advocating for building “a system”. Systems are based on strategies in which we do consistently throughout the day or week. Strategies further reinforce some deeper benefits of improved coping, personal growth, kindness, and even healing our blocks..
I see many people struggling through life, looking for the shiny object, and looking for validation constantly. Social media is riddled with it: “look at me, look at me”, and “I am worthy, like my post”. I’m even seeing nurses in very revealing poses, with their new “scrubs” as a way of gaining some of that validation. With a solid gratitude practice, one might not need such a drastic approach to internal happiness.
As a coach and consultant, I have to be on social media to inform you, that I even wrote this post, so it’s vitally important that I remain grounded in my own “awareness”, “strategies” and “system”. An additional benefit to incorporating a gratitude practice is that it slows you down a bit to enjoy a few moments of mindfulness. Depending upon the environmental cue, or the stress management strategies you implement in your life, you could potentially slow down for up to 20 minutes. Meditation does this.
This slowing down allows your heart and body rhythms to take in the experiences of your daily life. Did you enjoy that morning cup of coffee, or did you simply drink it by habit? What roast did you use this morning, and was it a mindful choice to enhance your own coffee experience?
What’s The Essence of Gratitude?
The true essence and impact of gratitude in our lives is that it allows us to shift our perspective (out of the bad) in order to nourish our connection with what we do have (the good). I feel it’s a magical moment when I’m stuck in a place where I’m just not sure where to turn, or when I’m stuck in a state of “what’s missing, or what i’ve not done”. But with a few environmental cues, I can shift out of that and be encouraged by what I have done, and what I have acquired so far. And I’m easily brought back to baseline.
In gratitude, there’s a focus on what’s going right in your life. That is the true essence of being present in your life, in that very moment.
Download my free “Create Your Ideal Grateful Life Monthly Calendar FunSheet” Below. Every day offers an opportunity to give thanks for something really fun. Download it for free below.
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