“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”
~Cicero
Isn’t it amazing we have a holiday that is set aside to be thankful for the abundance in our lives? I love Thanksgiving for just that reason. We celebrate family and the things we are thankful for. No craziness, no buying sprees….just gratitude. It’s become my favorite holiday over the last few years.
In 2001, I wanted to experience gratitude. I had been reading The Artist’s Way. I was reading about the many ways to bring abundance into your life. One way was to write in a “gratitude journal”. So, I began to write in one. However, after 2 or 3 weeks I stopped. I kept being grateful for the same things every time I wrote. Even though I was very appreciative and thankful for my life, I didn’t get gratitude quite yet. I wasn’t ready.
So now, 11 years later, I’m contemplating gratitude again. I know it’s easy to feel gratitude when everything is going your way. What is difficult is to find gratitude during the hard times. I realize that I don’t want to wait for something like cancer to happen or a family tragedy to feel gratitude for the life I have.
Many of us are thankful for the things in our life. Yet, gratitude is much more than being thankful. Thankfulness is an expression of happiness. Being thankful is telling someone you appreciate what they have done. Being thankful is being glad it didn’t rain on picnic day. Being thankful is happiness from a gift.
Gratitude is thankfulness taken to the next level. It is a heart-felt and intellectual acknowledgement of all that is good in your life. It’s embracing uncertainty. To feel gratitude towards the bad things that have happened to us knowing that will lead you a new opportunity.”
There are many benefits to practicing gratitude:
• You will experience peace of mind and more optimism, suffer less stress, be more satisfied with life, less materialistic, often feel more spiritual, regardless of religion.
• It’s great for your family or children to see your positive attitude and that you appreciate the little things. Did you know that everyday you’re teaching your children to be good parents? Did you know that they will copy your behavior as adults? A study showed that “children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families” (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008). Last year at our preschool we had “Nice Wednesday” where everyone complimented each other. You should have seen them smile when they got compliments, even though they thought it was like a game. They still felt warm and loved.
• Gratitude is great for all relationships. Feeling gratitude for friends, family or business associates makes your relationship stronger. It may seem like a simple thing but saying thank you really makes everyone feel better! You can be general about your thank you or quite specific.
• There are physical benefits. Grateful people tend to exercise more and experience better health. Author and researcher Dr. Robert Emmons conducted an experimental comparison. Those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003)
How does one practice gratitude? Just as a negative thought can strongly influence your day’s mood, so can a positive feeling of gratitude affect your day.
Here are 5 suggestions:
1. First, start off with being grateful for your family and friends. Think of all their wonderful traits. How do they make you smile? What are the little things they do for you? What can you do for them?
2. Next, be grateful for the little things. I’m grateful the sun came up this morning. I’m grateful for the blue sky, for hot, delicious coffee. I’m grateful to love my job and the people there. Be mindful of all the little things around you, like a spider’s web or a warm blanket. You have such abundance in your life! Did you know that?
3. While the gratitude journal didn’t work for me 10 years ago, I’m going to try this again, writing three to five things a day that I’m grateful for using mindfulness as a tool. I have a pretty journal and a wonderful pen to write down each reason.
4. Now the most difficult part. Can you have gratitude for the difficulties in life? We all hear about people who eventually feel gratitude for tragedy like cancer in their lives because it’s made them look at life differently. Can you try to feel it about the little things like traffic, bad weather or financial problems?
5. Have fun with it! Gratitude is such a positive emotion. It will seep into all areas of your life.
I feel great gratitude for all of you readers out there! Thanks for being part of my dream to be a writer and to help others.
For what do you feel gratitude? How do you experience it?
Please check out these other wonderful gratitude posts:
Treatment Talk
Facets of Joy
The Bold Life
10 Steps To Finding Your Happy Place
Aha Now
Powered By Intuition
Victor Schueller
Going A-Musing
Abundance Tapestry
“ThanksGiving is good but ThanksLiving is better.”
~Matthew Henry
COMING LATER THIS WEEK:
And I have another thing to be grateful for. My new book, ZEN TIPS, will be available later this week. It’s a collection of photography, quotes and positive I AM affirmations based on my daily Facebook inspirational quotes. More information to come!
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* Photo credit: Marianne Hale Designs
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Hi Betsy,
Beautiful post on gratitude. I read The Artist’s Way as well, and have found journaling so helpful to let go of what is on my mind. I follow with gratitude for what is going well. It is a good reminder to appreciate the joy of life every day. Have a great Thanksgiving!
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:19 am
Thank you, Cathy! I loved reading your post, too, which I just added as a link at the bottom of the page. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving, too.
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Wonderful post, Betsy. I maintain a gratitude journal and my heart is full because of it. Yes, I see tough times as something to be thankful for – they make me stronger and make me realize what I am really capable of.
Thank you for being my friend. I look forward to having you over on my blog to talk about Zen Tips.
Love, Vidya
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Vidya,
That’s so great that you are maintaining a gratitude journal! Looking forward to being part of a post next week!!
xoxo
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Loved the post Betsy!
Co-incidentally I’ve mine set up for being grateful for tomorrow too
There are so-so many things we can be grateful for, if we just sit back and think about them. I forget to count and get tired listing them out whenever I do so! Right from the good ones to the bad ones, because they all teach us something in return, and are thus worthy of being grateful for – isn’t it?
And I am so very grateful for having met you and so many others. Congratulations on your new book too!
Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Harleena,
I’d love to link up to your post tomorrow!
I’m grateful to you, too! And all my other blogging friends!!
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I love this post (well I love your blog, but especially this post
I *especially* love this: “It’s great for your family or children to see your positive attitude and that you appreciate the little things. Did you know that everyday you’re teaching your children to be good parents? Did you know that they will copy your behavior as adults? A study showed that “children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families””
My daughter and I have been saying what we are grateful for before we go to sleep at night for the past couple of months (well, when we remember – it’s a few times per week!) I love it! It’s good for me and I love hearing what she has to say…
Great post, will be sharing!
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:31 am
Thank you Susan!
So glad this post resonated with you. It sounds like you’re giving your daughter a great gift. I hope that is one thing I’ve been able to do with my children, is raise positive and grateful kids.
Just checked out your blog. What beautiful children you have!!
Hope you comment again in future!!
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Betsy, a wonderful reminder to be grateful for what we have in our lives, “positive” or “negative”.
And thanks for the distinction between thankfulness and gratitude – the former is so often just a mere acknowledgement whilst the latter is heartfelt and much deeper.
Betsy, we are al grateful to have you in our lives:-).
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Thank you Arvind! It’s hard to remember to be thankful for the negative, isn’t it? And to really understand the difference between thankfulness and gratitude. I’ve been working on that one over the last few years.
I’m grateful to have you here, too.
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Thanks for this….
You’re a-ma-ze-on!!!
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Betsy Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 3:53 am
Thank you Uncle Johnny! So are you!!
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In my experience, the key to experiencing genuine gratitude in all circumstances is to find the nugget of beauty and to celebrate that beauty. Gratitude is a practice of presence. When we choose to share gratitude together, we are choosing to share presence; together, we amplify the feel of abundance in the moment.
When we speak of gratitude, it grows…so thank you for choosing to share gratitude here…and thank you, also, for sharing my reflection through my article
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Betsy Reply:
November 19th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Joy,
I love your idea that gratitude the practice of presence. That is so perfect for Thanksgiving!
And it’s my pleasure to share your link! Have a wonderful holiday filled with gratitude!!
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I know, I love the idea of a national holiday to be grateful! And as you said, it’s something we can practice every day. When it becomes a habit, it permeates our lives in every way. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
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Betsy Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 3:54 am
Thank you Galen! I’m going to link your latest post. Just loved it!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
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I love your gratitude attitude! Even when life is tough there is always something to be thankful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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Betsy Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 3:55 am
Carolyn,
So glad! It’s the best attitude to have, isn’t it?
Have a great Thanksgiving, too!
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Betsy, what a wonderful post!
Years ago I began reading The Artist’s Way, and wrote “morning pages”… loved it, but lost sight of it (and quickly fell off the morning pages wagon). But I love the idea of a gratitude journal – it’s a great way to recognize and remind ourselves of the brightness in our lives, even on darker days. I think I’ll start a journal of my own…
I too am trying to raise positive, grateful kids… time will tell if it sticks! But it’s looking good – a few months back, I asked my six-year-old what he was grateful for, and he mentioned his toys (*sigh*). Then recently I asked the same question, and he mentioned his brother, family, cat, house, school… it was so nice to hear!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
xoxo
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I enjoy your distinction between thankfulness and gratitude and also your suggestions on how we can practice gratitude every day. I have to admit that it is not quite as easy to be grateful for our difficulties. It is often on hindsight that I would realize how much I have grown and benefited from such times.
Thanks for the inspiration and the link love.
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