Gratitude Changes Attitude: Ways to Practice Gratefulness

Dear Readers,  

                                             
Gratitude is a game changer to our perspective on life.

In life, the more grateful we are, the more it creates a positive outlook to our current situations.

It's all about how you look at things.

Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% the attitude about what happens to us.

Charles R. Swindoll has said:
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable think is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only think we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes." 

When you choose to be grateful about life and the experiences it gives you...your mindset begins to change. 

Practicing gratitude can be easy and very rewarding.

Ways to practice gratitude:

• Keep a small journal on you- write down the things you have to be grateful for on a daily basis in a notebook. On bad days, you may have to really look for things. It could be something as simple as: "I'm grateful for this pen and this paper, it gives me ways to express my joy of life." I have a friend who writes down rather comical things about her life in her gratitude journal. She is thankful in situations that may irritate others. Yet, she chooses to find the humor in her gratitude. It is the humor around the situation that gets her through unfortunate times. She often finds the funny in the unfunny. 
• If a pen and paper are not your style, you could keep a running list on the notepad of your phone/computer. That way, you could update your gratitude journal on the go. 
• You can also practice gratitude in the moment. If someone does something kind, make sure you honor their kindness by letting them know they are appreciated. Kindness in life is not required. Make sure the other person knows you recognized their efforts. A little goes a long way.
• Practicing gratitude can also be done for others that have not done anything for you. Like when it comes to volunteering. You can choose to give back because you are grateful for the things you have, when others have less. Volunteering is an extension of gratitude. 
• Mindful meditation is another way that you can express gratitude. I do this while hiking or going on walks. I don't take my phone with me, but rather stay present in the here and now. I appreciate the sounds of the birds tweeting, the smell of the grass, and the breeze in the air. I let negative thoughts float by me in my mind and focus on the good in the moment: The ground beneath my feet and the fact that I have the privilege to go on this walk. 

Numerous research has stated that our attitude and gratefulness is what gets us through the often tedious tasks of living life. Life throws a lot our way and it is important to have positive strategies to fight negativity. Even the negativity in our own minds.

When we practice gratitude it impacts our attitude on life. The more grateful we are, the more positive our attitudes will be. 

So go ahead, allow yourself to adopt an attitude of gratitude. Life is, in fact, all about perception. Perceive it with gratefulness. 

Miss Oakley

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