Gratitude – It’s All About Choices
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” — William Arthur Warde
How you feel – how happy you are, how stressed you are, even how well you sleep – may seem like it’s out of your hands, but it is actually a choice you make. You can choose to be grateful for what you have, and peace and contentment follow. Or you can choose to focus on what you’re lacking, who has wronged you, and what’s not going your way, and guess what? You’ll feel miserable. You may blame others, circumstances, or even God for your unhappiness. But at the end of the day it’s all about you and the choices you make. One choice you will never regret is to focus on living a life of thanksgiving and gratitude.
The Mental and Physical Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful thing and we’re just scratching the surface when it comes to discovering the various mental and physical effects it has on us. Let’s look at a few of those to give you an idea of what you can expect if you start to make gratitude a daily focus.
Practicing gratitude helps your overall mental health because you instantly have a better outlook on life. Of course the benefits don’t stop at increased happiness. Feeling more gratitude has been linked to a better self-image, less anxiety and even a reduction of depression. This comes as no surprise to scientists who have recorded increased levels of dopamine and serotonin after intentional activities of giving thanks, such as in prayer.
This is where it gets interesting. It’s one thing to feel better emotionally, but the release of these “feel-good” hormones affects your physical body as well. Gratitude reduces stress, and with it you sleep better, your blood pressure lowers, and you have more energy. Maybe your gratitude exercise motivates you to go out for a walk, getting more oxygen into your body and loading up on Vitamin D. As a result, you move more, leading to even better overall health. Being able to sleep soundly reduces appetite, and less stress helps you make smarter food choices. All these things work hand in hand to turn you into a healthier and stronger you!
Gratitude is particularly important for heart health. Between the lower blood pressure and reduced stress, you are putting less strain on your heart. The added exercise and sleep strengthen your heart muscle and give this most important organ time to recover and heal overnight. With heart disease one of the leading causes of death in modern society, there’s never been a better time to practice gratitude and let go of stress.
Turning Gratitude Outward
Turning Gratitude Outward Practicing gratitude regularly has a big impact on your life, your health, and your mental and emotional wellbeing. But it doesn’t end there. It will also have a big impact on those around you and the world at large when you start to turn your gratitude outwards and share it far and wide.
Roman writer and philosopher Cicero called gratitude “the parent of all virtue.” In other words, if we practice gratitude we’re also getting better at things like kindness, generosity, orderliness, courage, honesty and respect, to name a few. What does this mean in practical terms? If we practice gratitude, we can’t help but become a better person.
Now let’s take this a step further. What if, instead of simply practicing gratitude for yourself, you take it out to the world at large? What could happen? What force of good could you create? There is no telling how many lives you could influence for the better. Let’s take a look at how you, I, and everyone else reading this can start to turn their gratitude outward and share it with those around them.
Random Acts of Kindness
Random Acts of Kindness Try doing something kind for a stranger. This can be something as simple as giving an open and honest smile to a stranger on the street, or a few kind words and a compliment for the cashier ringing up your groceries. Or it could be taking a meal to an elderly neighbor or buying a drink for the person behind you in the coffee shop drive-thru line. Make it a goal to do something kind for someone each day and do it intentionally. You’ll be surprised how good it feels!
There are so many people in our communities who serve us, from first responders to the waitress at your favorite restaurant. Make it a point to be respectful and thank them with words, with actions, and in the case of that waitress with a generous tip. Show them how grateful you are for everything they do to make your life easier.
Consider doing some volunteer work in your community. What better way to show your gratitude than to give your time and your skills? There are many opportunities for anyone to volunteer in various projects and for a variety of different causes. See what’s available around you and make an effort to put in some time to volunteer each month. Not only is it a wonderful way to give back and spread gratitude, but you’ll be amazed at how much you get out of it.
Last but not least, I would like to encourage you to work on developing deeper relationships. You will have a stronger sense of gratitude and you’ll lead by example when you make the time to listen and actively work on coming closer to the people you love.
Spread The Joy
Spread The JoyWhat will you do to share a little gratitude? Here are some more ideas:
- Tell the people you love how grateful you are for them. We often take the ones closest to us for granted. Make a point to do it regularly and be specific to make it meaningful.
- Think about the people who challenge you. Express your gratitude for how they help you grow and make you stronger.
- Take a few minutes each week to write a letter or email to a person who has made a difference to you at one point or another. This could be a teacher, a mentor, an old friend … anyone you can think of.
- Give the gift of your time to someone to show without words how grateful you are to have them in your life. This is particularly important for the elderly people in your life. Your time with them is limited. Make the most of it.
- Start using a gratitude journal and make the time to write down three things you are grateful for every single day. It will brighten even your worst days and put things into perspective.
- Forgive yourself when you don’t reach all your goals, or things don’t go your way. Be grateful for what you have and what you are learning from each experience.
- Compliment the people around you. Make them feel good about themselves. It’s a powerful way to show gratitude in an indirect way. Small, meaningful gifts and acts of service do the same.
- Pay it forward. Do something nice for someone you work with or a total stranger. Random acts of kindness are a wonderful way to spread gratitude and bring more positivity into the world.
- Give a hug and a kind word to someone who’s struggling. Show them through physical affection that you’re there for them and grateful to have them in your life.
- Show your body and mind gratitude for what they do for you day in and day out by taking care of yourself and investing in regular self-care.
Choosing to live each day with thankfulness and gratitude will make an enormous difference in your life. Most important of all, take some time each day to thank God for His many blessings. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34).
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