Gratitude is one of the universal themes from our shared experience of what it means to be human.It crosses cultures, gender and age, and features in the world’s great religious traditions.
Every language in the world has a way of saying ‘thank you’.But despite the fact it’s easy to say, and we throw out cursory thank you everyday, it’s not so easy to feel and experience.
To make gratitude a deliberate part of our daily lives takes practice. So is it worth it?
Writing down 5 things they were
grateful for once a week for ten weeks, had a measurable positive impact on the happiness and health levels of a group studied by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough of the University of California. And if when it comes to managing your mind, gratitude is the best attitude to focus you on the good things in your life and train your mind to look for more of the same
Gratitude and appreciation act as a bridge from the here and now to where you want to be. They put you in a good place by realising and feeling great about all the marvellous things in your present life.
This doesn’t mean you don’t want to make changes but that you’ll be in a better place from which to start making those changes whilst experiencing present life to the full.