Being grateful - Can it be helpful?
The problem of this generation is cynicism; struggling to connect and define what it means to love and be loved. You have great potential in this lifetime. The key to your life is gratitude.
Studies show that practicing gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. Those who practice gratitude tend to be more creative, bounce back more quickly from adversity, have a stronger immune system, and have stronger social relationships than those who don’t practice gratitude.
People tend to take for granted the good that is already present in their lives.
Story time: There was once a princess who always wanted to have the best pair of shoes designed for her. She would have the shoe maker work on her pair for hours on end. She would cringe and crib if things were not to her linking. One fine day she stumbled on to a young boy who had no feet and she saw how happy he was sitting on the floor eating an apple. It was then that she realised how lucky and fortunate she was to have all those resources at her disposal. She finally started to give thanks to her lord for each day that she woke up and saw her beautiful feet to walk with and never cribbed for fancy shoes ever again.
Sometimes you need a wakeup call to put things into perspective. You need to realise your priorities before it’s too late. When things don’t go your way, remember that every difficulty carries within it the promise of an equal or greater benefit.
How can you give thanks:-
Stop and smell the roses- Buddha said, “The trouble is that you think you have time.” So take a break occasionally from your busy schedule and start enjoying the little things around you. Live each day as if it were your last.
Extend your hand- Each day; try to make someone else’s life a little better. Be selfless in how you do it. Any small act of kindness goes a long way.
Expect less- The more you expect from others, the more you complicate the situation, chances are that you’ll end up getting disappointed. The more disappointed you are the less can you perform in your daily life. So start expecting less from others and you’ll notice how uncomplicated relationships can be.
Notice- Realise how fortunate you are. Try to look at those who have much less than you. This will help you notice what you have got and be more appreciative of it. As they say, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. So wake up before it’s too late.
Say Thank you often- Remember; saying “thank you” to someone makes the both of you feel better about yourselves. The tradition of “thank you notes” has become obsolete but it was proven to boost the relationship bond. So, say thank you more often.
More Please- I came across this beautiful gratification technique that says; every time you say “Thank you” just add “More please” after that. What it does is; it strengthens the emotional quotient of the thanks given and with gratitude, the universe is eternally abundant.
So give gratitude a shot and notice how beautiful life is and how uncomplicated it could be.
Thank you, More Please!