Did you know that gratitude has a certain power that works towards positive transformation? It doesn't need to be Thanksgiving season. At any time of year, the simple daily practice of giving thanks can set you on the path to your best life.
Gratitude is one of several positive psychology principles that have been shown in scientific studies to actually have a beneficial effect on brain health. This works by releasing feel-good chemicals that calm the nervous system. Over time, the more we practice gratitude, the more positivity occurs, taking us from having defeatist thinking patterns and allowing us to cultivate a positive, problem-solving mindset.
How does practicing gratitude help us be on the path to a better and happier life?
1. Gratitude breaks us out of negative cycles.
When we have a self-defeating state of mind, our bodies feel the stress of constant worry and negative expectations. We think that things will go wrong, and so they do.
A person who fails to appreciate life's gifts may be battling the same old problems day in and
day out. This person needs to change, but the question is how.
Giving thanks every day for the things that are important, that are good and that give us joy, will help you to be calm and take away the stress from your mind. This is the first step toward positive change.
A positive mindset makes way for possible solutions. Positive thinking actually reboots the nervous system which is the first step to kickstart a continuous process.
Stress hormones are replaced with feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. In a relaxed state, we can better summon our thinking powers and find various ways of accomplishing things that help us face and resolve the challenges in life.
2. Gratitude helps strengthen our relationships.
During the times when we don't get along well with people we are close to like our family members, husbands or wives, and friends with whom we share a good portion of our daily life, there is a big impact on our perception of the world.
We might spend a lot of time trapped in an obsessive mindset
where we review things that were said, replay scenes in our mind, and imagine
what we can do or say next time to "win" the arguments that never
seem to end.
However, when we focus our gratitude on those people that we have trouble relating to, something interesting happens. We begin to accept people despite their differences. We see their ways of being that complement our own. And we open our eyes to the good that they contribute in their own, unique way.
In doing this, we can overcome self-sabotaging thoughts that make us repeat the same, negative patterns in relationships. From there, we can have a fresh start, new ways of thinking and resolving problems, and a better awareness of ourselves, which allows us to personally grow and increase in wisdom.
3. Gratitude helps us recognize our own personal strengths.
There can be any number of reasons why a person might be low on self confidence. He or she may have lacked emotional support during the formative years. Perhaps a negative influence worked to color his or her self perception.
Or maybe a situation of perpetual boredness
and passive behavior was set early on in the person's life as a result of being
overindulged or being offered a lot of choices.
Empowerment has to do with feeling able and ready to take action in one's life. It's about having confidence in one's abilities and fueled with purpose.
We can use gratitude to take inventory of our own unique talents, and put goals into place. A daily practice of showing appreciation for our natural talents, better understanding what we are good at, and knowing that we have the strength to move toward what we want in life.
Take the giant forward leap to self-fulfillment by practicing gratitude daily.
4. Gratitude helps us become better parents.
Sometimes, parents get upset with their children because they do things that they don’t want them to do. This is quite disappointing and can make one angry. Many parents will express their disappointment to their kids in such situations thereby creating a negative atmosphere.
It helps to think about why you are grateful that you have your children. Even if you have to criticize or scold your kids and they feel bad about it, you can still tell them that you are grateful to have them. That can help them feel better and even change their mood towards you and the situation.
5. Gratitude helps us to cope with a tragedy.
Times will come when you will experience a tragedy in your life. For example, losing a loved one is very painful. But it would be easier to deal with the hurt if you know that there are people still there in your life that you are thankful for. Feeling grateful for the people still in your life can help you overcome and be more positive about moving forward.
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