Keeping Gratitude in Attitudes

With a perspective of gratitude comes the realization that we get more than we deserve. I remember my grandmother saying “It is a good thing we don’t just get what we deserve. “I’m grateful because I get far more than I deserve from this life.” Now, this is contrary to what this modern-day culture offers, that we deserve the good fortune, or that we are entitled to it. With this contemporary culture’s belief, it makes it a lot harder to be grateful for anything.

Gratitude offers us so many benefits. It helps us to magnify the pleasures we get from life when we notice the positives. Yes, this should be exciting to you. We get to celebrate the goodness of life. As I type this blog, I have a smile on my face. That is just what gratitude does because we appreciate the value of family, friends, careers, good health, or anything that we value. We are less likely to take these valuable possessions for granted.

I am pretty sure it is nearly impossible to be envious and grateful at the same time. The two emotions are incompatible. More importantly, if you show gratitude, you cannot resent someone for having what you do not. It is research-proven that when people have levels of gratitude, they have low levels of negative emotions such as resentment and envy. Eliminating negative emotions by intentionally focusing on living a life of extensive thankfulness helps us experience life completely.

Cultivating gratitude to become more grateful people is something we work at daily. It takes a lot of conscious effort to practice gratitude. Life has a way of throwing so much at us that it is easy to lapse into a negative mindset. It is something we practice. For instance, setting concrete reminders on our planners to practice gratitude. My iPhone 13 has a calendar setting that repeats daily. My 8:00 a. m. standard “Meditate and Pray” and a daily noon alert to take a gratitude walk to pray. Yes, I am that intentional. Do what works for you. Go ahead and think outside of the box when it comes to gratitude. Gratitude in everything is the catalyst to keeping you happy. It is difficult to be grumpy when you focus on being thankful.

Dr. Stredic, EdD 🦋

Author of Metamorphosis Through Life: Quotes and Affirmations (barnesandnoble.com)

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