When someone gives us something or does something good for us, we normally say “Thank you”. It seems to be a social habit that was built since we were kids. So we might not know:
- The real reason why we should show gratitude to those people.
- Showing gratitude is not only towards people but for everything both tangible and intangible, big or small.
- The more that we practice gratitude the more we are happier - I will explain later in this articles
Gratitude is the feeling of being thankful for everything both visible or invisible, big or small, good or bad. Normally we show gratitude to only people who do good things for us. However, there is more than that. We could show gratitude to:
- The air that we could breathe.
- Our body that carries us to the place we want to go.
- The roof that protects us from the sunlight or rain.
- The cleaning water that we could drink while others could not access it.
- When we face a bad situation but we are ok, we should be grateful for this luck as well.
- The problems that come into our life and make us learn, grow, and be stronger.
- The traffic jam that teaches us to see the busy life.
Gratitude is not something new to us. It’s something that we are doing every day. We just need to do it at a deeper level.
Why practicing gratitude regularly could help us live happier?
Gratitude is one of the ways to train our mind to see the positive and value in everything. Practicing gratitude regularly could help us live happier and we should practice it every day because it helps us:
1. Be positive
Gratitude trains our mind to see the good points in everything. Without seeing the good parts, we can't be thankful for the things or situations. This means that gratitude trains us to see value. Everything is two folds, a good part and a bad part. When something bad happens, we immediately see the bad part while it also has a good part as well. For example, when we were laid off, we were not happy with our employees who did this to us. And we start to ask the question “Why me?”. We start to get angry. With gratitude, it changes the way we think. Our mind also sees the good parts of this situation. No longer upset, we are thankful that it happened to us because it opened a new door for us with a new opportunity. Without the lay-off, we don’t think we are planning to move on soon to welcome the new opportunity.
2. Feeling enough and content
Contentment is a state of mind that satisfies with what we have. This doesn’t mean Contentment is only for lazy people who try to find excuses not to work and are content with what they have now. It means that they know how to be happy with what they currently have. They are not chasing things in the belief that it will make them happy but they try their best to make things better and happy with that.
3. Be focused and present
Without being in the present moment, it’s hard to see the good things in any situation. It’s like chicken and eggs. Practicing gratitude helps you increase your awareness and be in the present from time to time. Without being in the present moment, it’s hard to practice gratitude.
4. Reduce stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety happen because of negative thoughts. If we are positive people, it’s easy to deal with them.
5. Think bigger
When we start to see value in things, even small or big, we start to see the bigger picture behind the things or situations. For example, with the bowl of rice in front of us, we are not just grateful to have it as our meal but also thankful for the person who cooked, delivered, and produced this rice. So you could see more of the process behind it.
6. Be a saver and use only what needed
The people who show gratitude always think bigger. As a result, they do not respond to what they just see but the bigger picture than that. For example, they save electricity anywhere they go even though they are not the one who pays the bill. Why? Because they know its value, where it comes from, and what happens behind it. They are so grateful for using it. So they are careful in using it.
How to cultivate gratitude?
Well, we have practiced gratitude already by saying “Thank you” to people who do good to us. So what we need is just to expand those habits into things, situations, everything. Plus expand deeper into even smaller things, direct or indirect help. Moreover, it's important to make sure that our mind and body cooperate well together when practicing it. Below are how to practice gratitude:
1. Write down for 3 things that we could thankful every day
If we think a bit about this, there are hundreds of things that we could be thankful for every day. Just start from our body. Thank our eyes that let us see the clear blue sky and green forest. Thank our legs that could carry us anywhere we want to go.
We might look for something around us e.g. thanks to the jacket that could help us warm while we are cold. And if thinking about the situation today, e.g. our bike got a flat tire and we have a friend that was happy to pick us up. We’re so thankful that we have such a good friend.
2. Smile while practicing gratitude
When we smile while showing gratitude, we are training our mind to be happy from within. It releases positive energy to us and the people around us.
3. Meditate every day
Meditation helps calm our mind. It also helps us to be focused and present. With a calm mind, it is easy for us to see the good parts of what is happening that we can be grateful for.
4. Show the gratitude with your loved one
Most of the time, we dismiss simple actions or help from our loved ones. For example, the prepared meal on the table, the questions of “How was your day?” or “Anything I could help?”
Gratitude is not hard to practice. Hope you can start practicing it deeper after reading this thought.
